Bridge to the future: connect your strategies in an interconnected world

Abstract

Purpose

The chief contention of this paper is that, in today's interconnected world sustainable competitive advantage depends on two factors: how well networked a firm is; and how well the firm can foresee future opportunities. The second factor is the consequence of first one. These two factors together suggest a paradigm shift in the strategy crafting process: from “strategies‐for‐profit” to “strategies‐that‐connect”. The aim is to focus on these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws inferences from literature review and presents a structured argument.

Findings

Increasingly, visualization of opportunities, which has not yet arisen, but will arise in due course of time, will play a key role in the strategy crafting process in the coming years.

Practical implications

The findings of the paper may facilitate the crafting of better strategies and reducing the risk of strategic failures.

Originality/value

The paper suggests a paradigm shift in crafting strategy in an interconnected world.

Citation

Dasgupta, S. and Sanyal, D. (2009), "Bridge to the future: connect your strategies in an interconnected world", Foresight, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 81-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636680910936459