The paradoxes of city strategy practice: Why some issues become strategically important and others do not.

Brorström, S. (2017). The paradoxes of city strategy practice: Why some issues become strategically important and others do not. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 33(4), 213–221. doi:10.1016/j.scaman.2017.06.004

Platform
Gothenburg
Publication type
Scientific article (peer-reviewed)
Projects
Formative evaluation of the implementation of the River City vision
DOI Title
The paradoxes of city strategy practice: Why some issues become strategically important and others do not
Journal
Scandinavian Journal of Management
ISSN/ISBN
0956-5221
DOI
10.1016/j.scaman.2017.06.004
Author(s)
Sara Brorström
Published year
Subject
Applied Psychology Strategy and Management

 

Abstract

Based on an in-depth study of a strategy initiative in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden, this article addresses the practice of city strategy making. Using methods inspired by ethnography, the article illustrates the complex task of drafting strategies in an urban context. The concept of paradox is used to highlight the tensions involved in being strategic in a city, tensions that can also affect the outcome, i.e., the strategy document. Examining organizational paradoxes is a way to deepen our understanding of why the content of a strategy document has certain qualities and why some issues become strategically important while others do not.

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