Chapter 9: Post-Covid Debates in Global Strategy

A hallmark for the field of global strategy research and practice is the number and ferocity of debates (Peng, 2006, 2022; Peng & Pleggenkuhle-Miles, 2009; Pleggenkuhle-Miles & Peng, 2009). It is through debates that strategic thinking skills are fostered, options clarified, and decisions made. In short, debates drive the field forward.

Given the enormous impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus (hereafter “Covid”) on the global economy, the post-Covid debates are likely to be more wide-ranging and more significant. This chapter identifies three debates that have started a long time ago and that have been largely unresolved. However, Covid is likely to propel these debates to the forefront of the existing knowledge. They are: (1) strategic versus nonstrategic industries, (2) just-in-time versus just-in-case management, and (3) firms’ role in reducing versus contributing toward income inequality.