STR - Strategic Management
A Division of the Academy of Management
Division Statement
Approved: July, 2020
The division encourages and supports the development and dissemination of knowledge relevant to general managers and those who study, shape, or influence the strategy of organizations, as well as effective teaching of these issues. Division scholars seek to understand and predict when and why some firms perform better than others over time. The division covers several topics associated with strategic decision-making processes, their antecedents/context, and their consequences. Examples of the first subject include behavioral strategy; boundaries of the firm; corporate governance; corporate strategy; economics of strategy; non-market strategies; innovation and strategic renewal; strategic formulation, implementation and planning; and strategic processes. Examples of the second subject include alliances, networks, M&A and other inter- or intra-organizational relationships when they have relevant implications for strategic decisions; business models; competitive and cooperative interactions; industry dynamics; internal resources and capabilities; strategic management of critical inputs; and strategic leadership and upper echelons. Examples of the third subject include firm performance and firm/competitive heterogeneity. The division is also interested in the effect of government policy on any of these areas or phenomena. The common level of analysis is the organization. To the extent that they are relevant to the strategic decision-making process, the levels of analysis can also include (among others) units, groups, teams, or individuals within the organization, organizational ecosystems, product markets, factor markets, geographic units, and industries, as well as combinations of these.
Stats (as of April, 2024) - updates at this link.
Active members: 5,281 (the second largest Division of the Academy of Management)
Divided into:
- Academics: 3,534 (66.92%)
- Emeritus: 93 (1.76%)
- Executive: 198 (3.75%)
- Students: 1,456 (27.57%)
Early naming history and scope
Early father: Charles Jamison, Founder and President, AoM, 1936-1940 - Author of "Business Policy" (1953)
1969 (Jun-Sep): Corporate Strategy (Bill Guth and founding committee; AoM President Paul Gordon)
1969 (Oct)-1970: Business Policy (founding committee, ref. to AACSB)
1971 (Jan): Organizational Policy and Planning (AoM bylaws amendment)
1971 (Jun): Policy and Strategic Planning (AoM pre-program)
1971 (Aug): first name: "Business Policy and Planning" (BPP): Official start as an AoM division
1990-92: BPP Name Change Committee (co-initiated and led by Jay Barney)
1993-1994 second name "Business Policy and Strategy" (BPS)
2017-... third name "Strategic Management (STR)" following a division-wide survey in 2017.