This research theme is focused on the processes and practices of developing strategy. Researchers in this theme engage with the development of strategy under high levels of uncertainty.
Building on Strathclyde’s rich tradition on scenario planning and foresight, the research focuses on how managers anticipate and deal with uncertainty. Past and current research deals both with methods and practice of scenario planning. The research in this theme is largely qualitative based on ethnography, in-depth case studies, interviews and action research.
Staff
Research
Peter McKiernan
Peter McKiernan’s main research focus is on how organisations learn about how their future might unfold and how they might prepare their current strategies to cope. Peter has recently been involved in a host of Strategy and Foresight projects including:
- 'Scenarios for the Future of Higher Education', Strathclyde Business School
- 'Scenarios for the Future of Glasgow City Region', Glasgow City Economic Recovery Group
- 'Foresight and Strategic Visioning' for National Manufacturing Institute Scotland
- 'Resilient Strategies' for Advanced Nuclear Research Group
- 'Scenarios for the Future of Food Security', DEFRA
Efstathios Tapinos
Efstathios (Stathis) Tapinos’ research explores how managers make sense of the future. His research on individual foresight has examined the relationship between foresight and prospective sense-making.
Stathis is also researching the practice of scenario planning. In his recent collaboration with the Oxford Scenario Programme, he led a project undertaking a global survey of scenario planning practitioners. The key findings concern the interaction between purpose – application – outcomes, highlighting how using scenario planning affects the application of the tools, which subsequently affects the outcomes of the process.
Stathis is also interested in the use of scenario planning as a research method. Finally, he is on the editorial board of Foresight and Futures Science.