Business challenges in turbulent lands: The case of the middle east and North Africa

Abstract

An organization’s strategy can be seen as an attempt to respond to environmental challenges (Andrews 1987; Séguin et al. 2008). A large body of research in strategic management has provided insights into the dynamics of the interaction between the organization and its environment. In particular, contingency theory (Lawrence and Lorsch 1967; Thompson 1967) provided the key principles that firms follow in responding to task environment and competitive challenges. The need for a fit between environment, strategic choice and structure has been documented first by Chandler (1962), and then by a large number of studies (see Miles and Snow1978; Mintzberg 1979, for early syntheses). The fit has also been conceptualized as a configuration (Miller 1987). This configuration clarifies the prescribed managerial decisions, thus simplifying the strategic challenges, and reducing the cognitive strains that managers may feel when the task environment is complex or more dynamic.