For various reasons organisations can enter a condition that presents them with a “transformational imperative”. This happens when “old” ways of doing business cease to deliver sustainable competitive advantage and usual ways of “putting things right” fail to restore business...

As a subject of academic interest, organisational learning has been around for a long time. However, in the 1990s, there was an upsurge of interest in the topic from both academia and industry. Indeed, there are many writers who are now claiming that organisational learning is the new paradigm...

Despite the abundance of practical advice for managing contemporary organisations, managers still seem to struggle with their role. Trying to manage a plethora of stakeholder interests can create a considerable array of paradoxes and double binds that often leave well‐intentioned executives...

Looks at adult identity development issues that arise during periods of organizational flux. Begins with theoretical perspectives on adult identity development as a continuous life‐long process. Continues with a discussion on the compatibility of individuals and their jobs and the issues of...

As businesses progress through their organizational lifecycle, many experience growing pains associated with increased volume, product line breadth, personnel, and the complexity associated with managing larger businesses. It is essential that the company have the ability to recognize these and...

Jardine Matheson & Company is a Hong Kong multi‐industry conglomerate that has gone through political upheaval, global and regional economic crises, and has survived and transformed itself several times in the process. Firm learning and adaptability are audited across five breakpoints (1832,...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relationship between three concepts: organisations, transformability and the dynamics of strategy. These three concepts together with their interrelationships are central in explaining the life cycle of organisations, their survival and...

Purpose – The paper advocates a Darwinian explanation of the process of firm transformation. Existing but generally opposing views related to the selection‐adaptation debates are united to consider the dialogic nature of both approaches. It is argued that a Darwinian approach, as opposed to...

Purpose – This paper serves to discuss the benefit of applying scenario‐planning techniques to more traditional approaches to strategy development in helping firms deal with uncertainty and evolutionary change in their surrounding environment. Assessing this environment provides insight into...

Purpose – To investigate what actually influences a merger and acquisitions (M&As) successful implementation. Despite the significant research interest in this topic our knowledge is still incomplete. Design/methodology/approach – Our approach differs from traditional research efforts in the...