Challenges to existing strategy theory in a postindustrial society

In the postindustrial era, firms are facing increasing complexity for a number of reasons, two of which are fundamentally altering the competitive context of firms and managers, namely knowledge and technology dissemination. In this article, we argue that these global changes at the societal as well as the individual level affect strategic management theory and practice in two ways: they alter the relationships between firms and external stakeholders (e.g., customers), and they alter the relationships between firms and internal stakeholders (e.g., employees). After briefly outlining the changes observed, we analyze a number of contributions to strategic management theorizing and argue that as researchers we tend to focus primarily on one of these dimensions of complexity: internal or external. We then continue by discussing how the postindustrial context will require fundamentally different approaches, as the dimensions of internal vs. external collapse, and as a result even the notion of an industry, becomes blurred. In this new context, we need to go beyond the theoretical lenses and paradigms we have been trained in, to explore the implications of these changes at a more fundamental level. For the traditional theories, we need to refocus attention on the underlying assumptions, in order to explore their areas of applicability and the limits to their relevance. In addition, we need to discover and invent new theories and approaches relevant to this specific context. Since we do not know at this point in time what the postindustrial organization may be, we must not limit our creativity as researchers nor as managers by prematurely investing in assumptions and frameworks which may turn out to be less than ideal for the new opportunities (and threats) to be discovered. We need to explore alternative solutions with managers dealing with extreme complexity on a day-to-day basis, try out alternative options and invent new ones, and more than ever be critical about the relevance of the existing body of knowledge as well as sensitive to the possibilities created in this new and exciting context. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.