Question
How should I structure a doctoral thesis on business strategy?
Answer
"Structure follows strategy" -- Alfred Chandler
This is easily the most famous quote in the history of strategy. So you are asking a self-referential question :). There are no good definitions of "strategy" in business that have wide consensus behind them, but most strategy thinkers agree on the subject matter. To a certain extent, the way you are asking this question suggests that you haven't familiarized yourself with this implicit consensus in the field.
The structure of your thesis will not become clear until you figure out the strategy of the thesis. For your chosen domains, you need to hunt furiously for "the right question."
Here is some help on how to do that http://blog.trailmeme.com/2010/0...
Once you ask the right question, you'll think about it in a creative way. Then you'll get an "Aha!" experience (the answer strategy). Then you'll work out the answer. THEN the structure of the thesis-to-be-written will start getting clear. Why would you expect to know the entire plot of the story in advance before you've made up a lead character and a conflict to drive him and the story forward?
Start with understanding the overall shape, history and context of the business strategy world. I suggest Walter Kiechel's "The Lords of Strategy," which I reviewed/summarized here.
http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2010/0...
Look especially into the last chapters, about how IT etc. are changing strategy.
This is easily the most famous quote in the history of strategy. So you are asking a self-referential question :). There are no good definitions of "strategy" in business that have wide consensus behind them, but most strategy thinkers agree on the subject matter. To a certain extent, the way you are asking this question suggests that you haven't familiarized yourself with this implicit consensus in the field.
The structure of your thesis will not become clear until you figure out the strategy of the thesis. For your chosen domains, you need to hunt furiously for "the right question."
Here is some help on how to do that http://blog.trailmeme.com/2010/0...
Once you ask the right question, you'll think about it in a creative way. Then you'll get an "Aha!" experience (the answer strategy). Then you'll work out the answer. THEN the structure of the thesis-to-be-written will start getting clear. Why would you expect to know the entire plot of the story in advance before you've made up a lead character and a conflict to drive him and the story forward?
Start with understanding the overall shape, history and context of the business strategy world. I suggest Walter Kiechel's "The Lords of Strategy," which I reviewed/summarized here.
http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2010/0...
Look especially into the last chapters, about how IT etc. are changing strategy.