The Entrepreneurial M-Form: Strategic Integration in Global Media Firms Export

@article{citeulike:3438503, abstract = {Many researchers believe that bounded rationality prevents CEOs in large, complex, multidivisional ("M-form") corporations from personally formulating division-level strategies. Instead, CEOs are seen as guiding a "bottom-up" process whereby division managers propose strategies for review and approval by the corporate office. Contrary to this view, we argue that CEOs in global media firms frequently drive strategy in a "top-down" manner, especially when their firms seek to expand by integrating the activities of two or more existing divisions. We refer to such firms as "Entrepreneurial M-forms," and maintain that their reliance on an activist CEO offers benefits: (1) in turbulent environments, when the use of slow, bottom-up planning processes risks forfeiting first-mover advantages; and (2) when expansion entails major capital commitments, and division managers may be reluctant to accept the career risks associated with sponsorship of "bet-the-company" projects.}, author = {Eisenmann, Thomas R. and Bower, Joseph L.}, citeulike-article-id = {3438503}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2640267}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/2640267}, doi = {10.2307/2640267}, issn = {10477039}, journal = {Organization Science}, keywords = {entrepreneurial, firms, global, integration, m-form, media, strategic}, number = {3}, pages = {348--355}, posted-at = {2008-10-22 04:44:06}, priority = {3}, publisher = {INFORMS}, title = {The Entrepreneurial M-Form: Strategic Integration in Global Media Firms}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2640267}, volume = {11}, year = {2000} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:3438503 L3 - citeulike-article-id:3438503 N2 - Many researchers believe that bounded rationality prevents CEOs in large, complex, multidivisional ("M-form") corporations from personally formulating division-level strategies. Instead, CEOs are seen as guiding a "bottom-up" process whereby division managers propose strategies for review and approval by the corporate office. Contrary to this view, we argue that CEOs in global media firms frequently drive strategy in a "top-down" manner, especially when their firms seek to expand by integrating the activities of two or more existing divisions. We refer to such firms as "Entrepreneurial M-forms," and maintain that their reliance on an activist CEO offers benefits: (1) in turbulent environments, when the use of slow, bottom-up planning processes risks forfeiting first-mover advantages; and (2) when expansion entails major capital commitments, and division managers may be reluctant to accept the career risks associated with sponsorship of "bet-the-company" projects. IS - 3 JF - Organization Science SN - 10477039 EP - 355 TI - The Entrepreneurial M-Form: Strategic Integration in Global Media Firms PB - INFORMS VL - 11 SP - 348 KW - entrepreneurial KW - firms KW - global KW - integration KW - m-form KW - media KW - strategic AU - Eisenmann, Thomas AU - Bower, Joseph PY - 2000/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2640267 ER -