An Underlying Theory for Strategy, Organization, and Management: Bridging the Gap Between Analysis and Synthesis

Considerable progress has been made in strategic management, organization theory, and general management over several decades, yet they seem to be at an impasse, riding off in all directions. Looking back may offer a way forward. This article revisits an underlying theory for the field, then called Management Policy, that was developed in the 1970s but never published. Building on the work of two eminent scholars, Herbert Simon on the programming of work and Ludwig von Bertalanffy on General Systems Theory, one more oriented to analysis, the other to synthesis, these fields are considered in terms of (1) basic elements (the structuring of organizations, power in and around organizations, and the nature of managerial work), (2) the strategy processes (strategic decision making and strategy making), and (3) the role of the analyst (analytic programs and planning programs). This article may offer some cohesion in a field that has been divided between analysis and synthesis.