Session Summary

Session Number:224
Session ID:S209
Session Title:The Cognitive Strategic Groups Construct: On the Right Track, at a Crossroads, or Just a Dead End? (Knowledge)
Short Title:Cognitive Strategic Groups (K)
Session Type:Division Joint Symposium
Hotel:Hyatt East
Floor:LL2
Room:GndBall F
Time:Monday, August 09, 1999 2:30 PM - 3:50 PM

Sponsors

BPS  (Ming-Jer Chen)BPS99@wharton.upenn.edu (215) 898-0018 
MOC  (Kathleen Sutcliffe)ksutclif@umich.edu (734) 764-2312 
OMT  (Joseph Porac)j-porac@staff.uiuc.edu (217) 244-7969 

General People

Co-Chair McNamara, Gerry  Michigan State U. mcnama39@pilot.msu.edu 517-353-6422 
Co-Chair Hodgkinson, Gerard P. U. of Exeter G.P.Hodgkinson@exeter.ac.uk 01392-263233 
Co-Chair Luce, Becky  Michigan State U. lucerebe@pilot.msu.edu (517)-353-3046 

Submissions

If Red and Love are Real, Then So are Strategic Groups 
Presenter Reger, Rhonda K. U. of Maryland rreger@mbs.umd.edu (301) 405-2167 
Cognitive Groups along the Vertical Chain 
Presenter Peteraf, Margaret A. U. of Minnesota mpeteraf@csom.umn.edu (612) 626-7559 
Presenter Shanley, Mark  Northwestern U. m.shanley@nwu.edu (847)-491-8683 
The Myth of Cognitive Strategic Groups 
Presenter Johnson, Gerry  Cranfield U. g.johnson@cranfield.ac.uk 441-234-754399 
Presenter Johnson, Phyllis  Cranfield U. P.Johnson@cranfield.ac.uk 00+44 1604 592 822 
The Cognitive Strategic Groups Construct: What Have We Learned so Far and Where Do We Go from Here? 
Presenter Hodgkinson, Gerard P. U. of Exeter G.P.Hodgkinson@exeter.ac.uk 01392-263233 
Presenter McNamara, Gerry  Michigan State U. mcnama39@pilot.msu.edu 517-353-6422 
Presenter Luce, Becky  Michigan State U. lucerebe@pilot.msu.edu (517)-353-3046 

Abstract

The strategic groups construct has been one of the most widely examined as well as widely criticized constructs in the strategic management field. Originally researchers in this area focused on the formation of groups sharing similar strategies based on the collection of archival data. This approach has been subject to criticism by some who see this means of strategic group identification as an artifact of analytical techniques. Cognitive strategic group researchers have approached the construct differently by examining the ways managers cognitively structure their industries. Even after a significant amount of empirical attention over the last decade, serious questions about the cognitive strategic group construct remain unanswered. First, there are disagreements regarding the stability and homogeneity of the cognitive strategic groups of managers within an industry. Second, although socially constructed group structures have been found by numerous scholars in the field, the research agenda for the future is unclear. Third, the most appropriate methods for eliciting managerial cognitions and comparing them across individuals is a matter of debate. The aim of this symposium is to bring together researchers actively involved in the study of cognitive strategic groups for a lively discussion of diverse viewpoints regarding the future direction of the field.