Richard Whittington
Biographic Data
| ID | 258662 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Richard Whittington |
| GIVEN NAMES | Richard |
| FAMILY NAME | Whittington |
| SIGNATURE | WHITTINGTON R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Oxford |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5185-4626 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 245 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 27 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1984 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The Evolution and Implementation of Norway’s Ultimate Penalty: An Exceptional Approach to Life Imprisonment
Though formal life sentences have been abolished in Norway, forvaring (post-conviction indefinite preventive detention) – a type of informal life sentence – can be imposed on individuals convicted of certain offenses who are considered to be at high risk of future offending. While great attention has been paid to Norway as an “exceptional” penal outlier globally, there is a notable lack of comprehensive knowledge about its indefinite penal sancti…
A Practice Theory Perspective on Open Strategy and Innovation
This chapter outlines the distinction between two forms of open strategy: open innovation and open strategizing. The former is concerned mostly with “content” aspects of strategy, the latter with the processes of strategy “formation.” However, the chapter also suggests theoretical common grounds between scholars researching the two; in particular, communications theory, information theory, and practice theory. The chapter concentrates on practice…
Abolition of coercion in mental health services – A European survey of feasibility
BACKGROUND: In 2019, the Council of Europe agreed to urge member states to take steps toward total abolition of psychiatric coercive measures. AIMS: To test if this aspiration is perceived as realistic and what the alternative would be in the event of a total abolition, we surveyed members of the European FOSTREN network of mental health practitioners and researchers, which is specifically dedicated to exchanging knowledge on reducing psychiatric…
Expert opinions on improving coercion data collection across Europe: A concept mapping study
The strategy rated as most relevant was the collection of reliable data in the nationwide health register, ensuring that countries share a standard understanding/definition of different coercive measures. Respondents did not consider the feasibility of establishing a shared European database for coercive measures to be high, nor did they envision the unification of mental health legislation in the future. There is some consensus on the most suita…
Femicide trends at the start of the 21st. century: Prevalence, risk factors and national public health actions
Lethal violence requires a gender-based analysis which recognises that femicide is different from homicide in many ways. Structural factors such as national income and wealth equality together with government policies may influence the scale of the problem globally. This study is an original attempt to examine associations between femicide rates, these structural factors and national action plans using a longitudinal design. Data from two interna…
Restraint minimisation in mental health care: Legitimate or illegitimate force? An ethnographic study
Coercive practices, such as physical restraint, are used globally to respond to violent, aggressive and other behaviours displayed by mental health service users.1 A number of approaches have been designed to aid staff working within services to minimise the use of restraint and other restrictive practices. One such approach, the 'REsTRAIN Yourself' (RYS) initiative, has been evaluated in the UK. Rapid ethnography was used to explore the aspects …
Towards a Practice-Driven Institutionalism
Recent years have seen an increasing mutual engagement between institutional and strategy-as-practice scholars who realize that they can learn from each other to address critical blind spots in their respective theories (Smets, Greenwood, & Lounsbury, 2015a; Suddaby, Seidl, & Lê, 2013; Vaara & Whittington, 2012). In this chapter, we argue that this nascent dialogue is bringing about a Practice-Driven Institutionalism (PDI) that more truthfully re…
Diversification and Internationalization in the European Single Market: The British Exception
This article examines the long-run impact of the 1992 completion of the European Single Market on the diversification and internationalization of European business. It does so at a particular moment of crisis: the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (“Brexit”). The article finds that completion of the European Single Market is indeed associated with significant and widespread changes in the strategies of European businesses between…
Strategy as Practice, Process, and Institution: Turning Towards Activity
Strategy-as-Practice: Taking Social Practices Seriously
This article reviews research in Strategy-as-Practice (SAP) and suggests directions for its development. The power of this perspective lies in its ability to explain how strategy-making is enabled and constrained by prevailing organizational and societal practices. Our review shows how SAP research has helped to advance social theories in strategic management, offered alternatives to performance-dominated analyzes, broadened the scope in terms of…
Exploring Strategy: Text & Cases
1 Introducing Strategy Part I - THE STRATEGIC POSITION Introduction to Part I 2 The environment 3 Strategic Capabilities 4 Strategic Purpose 5 Culture and Strategy Commentary on Part I The Strategic Position Part II - STRATEGIC CHOICES Introduction to Part II 6 Business Strategy 7 Corporate strategy and diversification 8 International strategy 9 Innovation and entrepreneurship 10 Mergers, acquisitions and alliances Commentary on Part II Strategic…
More SSOP: Commentary on the special issue
In this commentary on the special issue remarks are provided on the importance of the strategy, structure, ownership and performance (SSOP) research programme as an exemplar of policy-relevant ‘phenomenon-based’ research, some key findings are summarised and implications for the three main bodies of theory at issue are discussed. Finally, suggestions are made about taking the research agenda forwards
Alfred Chandler, Founder of Strategy: Lost Tradition and Renewed Inspiration
Richard Rumelt, Dan Schendel, and David Teece are clear: “The foundation of strategic management as a field may very well be traced to the 1962 publication of Chandler's Strategy and Structure.” For these three doyens of strategy, Alfred Chandler was a fundamental influence on the shape of the strategic-management discipline that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. Yet, unlike the two other pioneers they identify, Kenneth Andrews and Igor Ansoff, Cha…
Introduction: Comparative perspectives on the managerial revolution
This article introduces this Business History special issue on the managerial revolution and the seven selected contributions. It argues for the central importance of the managerial revolution for business historians and the value of careful business history in appreciating the empirical complexity of both the original managerial revolution and the changes in capitalism today
Corporate Structure: From Policy to Practice
Organizational Structure
Organizational structures are concerned with the recurrent relationships between the various members of an organization. This includes not just authority and reporting relationships — the simple question of who is in charge. Organizational structures tell us who has the resources; who talks to whom; who is accountable for what; what you can do on your own and what you must do with others; what kinds of career paths are available; and how knowledg…
Conclusion: Doing More in Strategy Research
Violence in Mental Health Settings: Causes, Consequences, Management
Handbook of Strategy and Management
Handbook of Strategy and Management offers a unique synthesis of the inputs and dynamics that shape the core ideas and practices of strategy and management. The editors are three key figures in the strategy field. They have brought together exceptional international authorities whose contributions provide major insights into the current and future development of strategic management. This outstanding volume: provides overviews of the historical d…
Completing the Practice Turn in Strategy Research
This paper identifies a practice turn in current strategy research, treating strategy as something people do. However, it argues that this turn is incomplete in that researchers currently concentrate either on strategy activity at the intra-organizational level or on the aggregate effects of this activity at the extra-organizational level. The paper proposes a framework for strategy research that integrates these two levels based on the three con…
Aggressive encounters between patients and general hospital staff: Staff perceptions of the context and assailants' levels of cognitive processing
A considerable body of research has accumulated regarding aggression toward health care staff, yet little is known about the contextual factors involved. The present study examined the context within which aggressive incidents occurred and the dynamics of the interaction between staff and patients. Two aspects in particular were investigated; firstly, whether incidents were preceded by some anxiety provoking stimulus and secondly, the assailants'…
Innovative Forms of Organizing: International Perspectives
The Challenge of Organizing/Strategizing
Après le défi américain: La structure multidivisionnelle dans l'Europe post-McKinsey
Quelle a été la trajectoire de la forme en M, importée des Etats-Unis, en Europe pendant les années 1980 et 1990, c’est-à-dire après Le défi américain ? Elle a déjoué les pronostics sceptiques de deux groupes de chercheurs. Les institutionnalistes nationaux soulignaient la spécificité des modèles nationaux de gestion. Les institutionnalistes internationaux considéraient l’influence des modèles américains de gestion comme purement transitoire. En …
The European Corporation
Completing the Practice Turn in Strategy Research
This paper identifies a practice turn in current strategy research, treating strategy as something people do. However, it argues that this turn is incomplete in that researchers currently concentrate either on strategy activity at the intra-organizational level or on the aggregate effects of this activity at the extra-organizational level. The paper proposes a framework for strategy research that integrates these two levels based on the three con…
Fragmentation Strategies and the Rise of Small Units: Cases from the North West
SHUTT J. and WHITTINGTON R. (1987) Fragmentation strategies and the rise of small units: cases from the North West, Reg. Studies 21, 13–23. The paper relates the recent growth of small firms in the UK to the simultaneous growth of small plants and stabilization of large firms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It argues that the growth in small firms and small plants can be partly understood as the result of large firm fragmentation strategies in…
Handbook of Strategy and Management
Handbook of Strategy and Management offers a unique synthesis of the inputs and dynamics that shape the core ideas and practices of strategy and management. The editors are three key figures in the strategy field. They have brought together exceptional international authorities whose contributions provide major insights into the current and future development of strategic management. This outstanding volume: provides overviews of the historical d…
Regional bias in new firm formation in the UK
Whittington R. C. (1984) Regional bias in new firm formation in the UK, Reg. Studies 18, 253–256. Theories explaining regional differences in new firm formation rates are tested and, refining previous theory, a model is constructed. The major influences on new firm formation rates are found to be the regional proportions of manual workers and home ownership, and the change in the rate of regional unemployment in the preceding year. New firm forma…
Alfred Chandler, Founder of Strategy: Lost Tradition and Renewed Inspiration
Richard Rumelt, Dan Schendel, and David Teece are clear: “The foundation of strategic management as a field may very well be traced to the 1962 publication of Chandler's Strategy and Structure.” For these three doyens of strategy, Alfred Chandler was a fundamental influence on the shape of the strategic-management discipline that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. Yet, unlike the two other pioneers they identify, Kenneth Andrews and Igor Ansoff, Cha…
More SSOP: Commentary on the special issue
In this commentary on the special issue remarks are provided on the importance of the strategy, structure, ownership and performance (SSOP) research programme as an exemplar of policy-relevant ‘phenomenon-based’ research, some key findings are summarised and implications for the three main bodies of theory at issue are discussed. Finally, suggestions are made about taking the research agenda forwards
The Evolution and Implementation of Norway’s Ultimate Penalty: An Exceptional Approach to Life Imprisonment
Though formal life sentences have been abolished in Norway, forvaring (post-conviction indefinite preventive detention) – a type of informal life sentence – can be imposed on individuals convicted of certain offenses who are considered to be at high risk of future offending. While great attention has been paid to Norway as an “exceptional” penal outlier globally, there is a notable lack of comprehensive knowledge about its indefinite penal sancti…
Restraint minimisation in mental health care: Legitimate or illegitimate force? An ethnographic study
Coercive practices, such as physical restraint, are used globally to respond to violent, aggressive and other behaviours displayed by mental health service users.1 A number of approaches have been designed to aid staff working within services to minimise the use of restraint and other restrictive practices. One such approach, the 'REsTRAIN Yourself' (RYS) initiative, has been evaluated in the UK. Rapid ethnography was used to explore the aspects …
Diversification and Internationalization in the European Single Market: The British Exception
This article examines the long-run impact of the 1992 completion of the European Single Market on the diversification and internationalization of European business. It does so at a particular moment of crisis: the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (“Brexit”). The article finds that completion of the European Single Market is indeed associated with significant and widespread changes in the strategies of European businesses between…
Introduction: Comparative perspectives on the managerial revolution
This article introduces this Business History special issue on the managerial revolution and the seven selected contributions. It argues for the central importance of the managerial revolution for business historians and the value of careful business history in appreciating the empirical complexity of both the original managerial revolution and the changes in capitalism today
Après le défi américain: La structure multidivisionnelle dans l'Europe post-McKinsey
Quelle a été la trajectoire de la forme en M, importée des Etats-Unis, en Europe pendant les années 1980 et 1990, c’est-à-dire après Le défi américain ? Elle a déjoué les pronostics sceptiques de deux groupes de chercheurs. Les institutionnalistes nationaux soulignaient la spécificité des modèles nationaux de gestion. Les institutionnalistes internationaux considéraient l’influence des modèles américains de gestion comme purement transitoire. En …
Regional bias in new firm formation in the UK
Whittington R. C. (1984) Regional bias in new firm formation in the UK, Reg. Studies 18, 253–256. Theories explaining regional differences in new firm formation rates are tested and, refining previous theory, a model is constructed. The major influences on new firm formation rates are found to be the regional proportions of manual workers and home ownership, and the change in the rate of regional unemployment in the preceding year. New firm forma…
Fragmentation Strategies and the Rise of Small Units: Cases from the North West
SHUTT J. and WHITTINGTON R. (1987) Fragmentation strategies and the rise of small units: cases from the North West, Reg. Studies 21, 13–23. The paper relates the recent growth of small firms in the UK to the simultaneous growth of small plants and stabilization of large firms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It argues that the growth in small firms and small plants can be partly understood as the result of large firm fragmentation strategies in…
The European Corporation
Change, Context, and the Corporation
Innovative Forms of Organizing: International Perspectives
The Challenge of Organizing/Strategizing
Après le défi américain: La structure multidivisionnelle dans l'Europe post-McKinsey
Quelle a été la trajectoire de la forme en M, importée des Etats-Unis, en Europe pendant les années 1980 et 1990, c’est-à-dire après Le défi américain ? Elle a déjoué les pronostics sceptiques de deux groupes de chercheurs. Les institutionnalistes nationaux soulignaient la spécificité des modèles nationaux de gestion. Les institutionnalistes internationaux considéraient l’influence des modèles américains de gestion comme purement transitoire. En …
Aggressive encounters between patients and general hospital staff: Staff perceptions of the context and assailants' levels of cognitive processing
A considerable body of research has accumulated regarding aggression toward health care staff, yet little is known about the contextual factors involved. The present study examined the context within which aggressive incidents occurred and the dynamics of the interaction between staff and patients. Two aspects in particular were investigated; firstly, whether incidents were preceded by some anxiety provoking stimulus and secondly, the assailants'…
Corporate Structure: From Policy to Practice
Organizational Structure
Organizational structures are concerned with the recurrent relationships between the various members of an organization. This includes not just authority and reporting relationships — the simple question of who is in charge. Organizational structures tell us who has the resources; who talks to whom; who is accountable for what; what you can do on your own and what you must do with others; what kinds of career paths are available; and how knowledg…
Conclusion: Doing More in Strategy Research
Violence in Mental Health Settings: Causes, Consequences, Management
Handbook of Strategy and Management
Handbook of Strategy and Management offers a unique synthesis of the inputs and dynamics that shape the core ideas and practices of strategy and management. The editors are three key figures in the strategy field. They have brought together exceptional international authorities whose contributions provide major insights into the current and future development of strategic management. This outstanding volume: provides overviews of the historical d…
Completing the Practice Turn in Strategy Research
This paper identifies a practice turn in current strategy research, treating strategy as something people do. However, it argues that this turn is incomplete in that researchers currently concentrate either on strategy activity at the intra-organizational level or on the aggregate effects of this activity at the extra-organizational level. The paper proposes a framework for strategy research that integrates these two levels based on the three con…
Introduction: Comparative perspectives on the managerial revolution
This article introduces this Business History special issue on the managerial revolution and the seven selected contributions. It argues for the central importance of the managerial revolution for business historians and the value of careful business history in appreciating the empirical complexity of both the original managerial revolution and the changes in capitalism today
Alfred Chandler, Founder of Strategy: Lost Tradition and Renewed Inspiration
Richard Rumelt, Dan Schendel, and David Teece are clear: “The foundation of strategic management as a field may very well be traced to the 1962 publication of Chandler's Strategy and Structure.” For these three doyens of strategy, Alfred Chandler was a fundamental influence on the shape of the strategic-management discipline that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. Yet, unlike the two other pioneers they identify, Kenneth Andrews and Igor Ansoff, Cha…
Exploring Strategy: Text & Cases
1 Introducing Strategy Part I - THE STRATEGIC POSITION Introduction to Part I 2 The environment 3 Strategic Capabilities 4 Strategic Purpose 5 Culture and Strategy Commentary on Part I The Strategic Position Part II - STRATEGIC CHOICES Introduction to Part II 6 Business Strategy 7 Corporate strategy and diversification 8 International strategy 9 Innovation and entrepreneurship 10 Mergers, acquisitions and alliances Commentary on Part II Strategic…
More SSOP: Commentary on the special issue
In this commentary on the special issue remarks are provided on the importance of the strategy, structure, ownership and performance (SSOP) research programme as an exemplar of policy-relevant ‘phenomenon-based’ research, some key findings are summarised and implications for the three main bodies of theory at issue are discussed. Finally, suggestions are made about taking the research agenda forwards
Strategy-as-Practice: Taking Social Practices Seriously
This article reviews research in Strategy-as-Practice (SAP) and suggests directions for its development. The power of this perspective lies in its ability to explain how strategy-making is enabled and constrained by prevailing organizational and societal practices. Our review shows how SAP research has helped to advance social theories in strategic management, offered alternatives to performance-dominated analyzes, broadened the scope in terms of…
Strategy as Practice, Process, and Institution: Turning Towards Activity
Towards a Practice-Driven Institutionalism
Recent years have seen an increasing mutual engagement between institutional and strategy-as-practice scholars who realize that they can learn from each other to address critical blind spots in their respective theories (Smets, Greenwood, & Lounsbury, 2015a; Suddaby, Seidl, & Lê, 2013; Vaara & Whittington, 2012). In this chapter, we argue that this nascent dialogue is bringing about a Practice-Driven Institutionalism (PDI) that more truthfully re…
Diversification and Internationalization in the European Single Market: The British Exception
This article examines the long-run impact of the 1992 completion of the European Single Market on the diversification and internationalization of European business. It does so at a particular moment of crisis: the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (“Brexit”). The article finds that completion of the European Single Market is indeed associated with significant and widespread changes in the strategies of European businesses between…
Restraint minimisation in mental health care: Legitimate or illegitimate force? An ethnographic study
Coercive practices, such as physical restraint, are used globally to respond to violent, aggressive and other behaviours displayed by mental health service users.1 A number of approaches have been designed to aid staff working within services to minimise the use of restraint and other restrictive practices. One such approach, the 'REsTRAIN Yourself' (RYS) initiative, has been evaluated in the UK. Rapid ethnography was used to explore the aspects …
Femicide trends at the start of the 21st. century: Prevalence, risk factors and national public health actions
Lethal violence requires a gender-based analysis which recognises that femicide is different from homicide in many ways. Structural factors such as national income and wealth equality together with government policies may influence the scale of the problem globally. This study is an original attempt to examine associations between femicide rates, these structural factors and national action plans using a longitudinal design. Data from two interna…
A Practice Theory Perspective on Open Strategy and Innovation
This chapter outlines the distinction between two forms of open strategy: open innovation and open strategizing. The former is concerned mostly with “content” aspects of strategy, the latter with the processes of strategy “formation.” However, the chapter also suggests theoretical common grounds between scholars researching the two; in particular, communications theory, information theory, and practice theory. The chapter concentrates on practice…
Political science (17 works) · Economics (11 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Business (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Law (8 works) · Global and Cross-Cultural Management (7 works) · Management (7 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Healthcare Decision-Making and Restraints (5 works)