Embracing Commitment and Performance: CEOs and Practices Used to Manage Paradox

• We tend to assume that great leaders must make difficult choices between two or moreconflicting outcomes. In an interview study with 26 CEOs of top American and Europeancompanies (incl. IKEA, Campbell Soups, Nokia, H&M), we find that instead of choosingbetween conflicting outcomes such as long-term strategy or short-term performance drivers,top tier managers argue that their role is to embrace such paradoxes to make both thingshappen simultaneously. The study identifies five groups of practices that make this possible.Together, they reveal a systematic approach to managerial work at the top, which is seldomfound in the literature. By building on the engagement of many in the development of theorganization, the practices are important for our understanding of how a CEO facilitates thepartaking of many in strategy making. The paper contributes to theory by relating the currentfindings to the literature on the connection between commitment and performance and on thestrategic management literature that focuses on the proliferation of strategy and strategy aspractice.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

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