| This study has explored the real world strategic process of high level organizations, focusing on the key performance metrics used by senior decision-makers in the strategy process. With its focus on a group of high-performing Baldrige Award winners, this study provides a detailed account of the operationalization of the strategic process in the real world. The theory-building exploration of the strategic process in the multi-case setting of the Baldrige organizations has produced insight into the real world application of the strategy development process, strategy deployment process, the employment of performance measures, and the application of measurements. By emphasizing rational and conscious decision-making, the real world strategic management process confirms the relevance of four core exercises that are carefully coordinated: the strategy development process, the action plan deployment, the use of performance measures, and the actual application of measures. Furthermore, the study's theory building research design culminates in the proposition of an integrated strategic management process framework. The integrated strategic management process framework synthesizes the strategy development process, the action plan deployment, the use of performance measures, and the actual application of measures into a single model. This model captures the specific steps, considerations, interrelations and measures used in the real world strategic management process. By emphasizing the interrelations and interdependencies, the model also accentuates the relationship of strategy development, strategy deployment, the employment of performance measures, and the application of measurements in the strategic management process of high performing organizations. The proposed model provides an explanation of the aspects and measures decision-makers actually consider in the strategic process. By exploring managerial perspectives of organizational effectiveness and the associated key performance measures, the study yields empirical insight into the real world operationalization of the strategic process. It contributes to theory on the strategic process and "builds a bridge" between the perceptions of academia and senior key decision-makers. |
