Strategizing for Opportunities (SfO). Initiatives, networks and environment

Mission

 
The goal is to understand the interrelated dynamics of strategic and organizational processes within and between firms in an environment which constrains and enables the discovery and exploitation of opportunities.

The emphasis on processes within and between firms and the ambition to look at the dynamics justifies the title of the programme: strategizing for opportunities.

The first theme concerns the locus of entrepreneurial action and the actors involved in the discovery and exploitation of specific opportunities. We study the initiatives of individuals and teams within and outside organizations. How do they use networks within and between organizations to develop resources, to innovate processes and products, to explore new avenues for sustainable growth, or to gain legitimacy within an emerging industrial community?

The second theme addresses the interactive role that organizations play in institutional change. According to this perspective, organizations can overcome institutional constraints through strategic action. How can organizations act as agents of institutional change? In what way does collaboration with other organizations, stakeholders and/or social movements enable institutional change? In what way does the embeddedness of organizations in particular networks affect the institutional change processes?

The third theme focuses on the internal organizational structure and processes that enable the development of these resources. This also relates to patterns of action, discovery and exploitation of opportunities that are ingrained in the organizational culture. The main focus is on the characteristics of internal relations and dynamics, such as the level of trust, enabling extra-role behaviours, culture-based dealing with errors, learning processes and networking.

National and international co-operation
Programme members
Publications (Source: METIS VU)