A shared strategic

vision: dream or
reality?
Myra Hodgkinson
Introduction
This article explores the concept of a shared
vision, by firstly reviewing briefly how this
concept is discussed in the literature and
secondly with 60 middle managers and their
interpretations based on their experiences of a
shared vision within their areas of
responsibility. The context of a shared vision
for the purposes of this paper is that within an
organisation this concept enables
organisational strategies to emerge that will
have significance for that organisation s future
direction. In order to gain an understanding
of how writers within the business and
management field discuss this concept a brief
review of publications including the influence
of organisational learning and the learning
organisation is the starting point.
In the second section, the research activity
with 60 middle managers from a large
international corporation is detailed. During
the research activity/learning event the aim
was to glean interpretations of a shared
strategic vision through an understanding of
the concept of a learning organisation as
explained to the author by these managers.
To provide a framework to record these
insights Senge s (1996) skills involved in
achieving a shared vision, are used to
contexturalise the responses (Starkey, 1996).
One aspect that emerges from the activity is
the identification of the reasons (as expressed
by the managers) why their organisation is not
successful at creating a shared strategic vision.
The final aspect of the article reflects on the
research activity and draws some conclusions
regarding the usefulness of this learning event
and the subsequent insights into the
implications for middle managers and senior
managers within organisations in relation to
achieving a shared strategic vision.
Conceptualising a shared strategic
vision
The debate around the traditional approach
to strategy formulation which focuses on
outcomes, where an organisation s success is
measured in terms of its performance in the
market place and return on investment
indicates that economic success is the
benchmark used. This is achieved through an
approach to strategic management where it is
considered to be a top down activity,
The author
Myra Hodgkinson is the Faculty Teaching and Learning
Co-ordinator for Nottingham Business School,
Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK and is a
member of the Schools Strategic Management and
Marketing Department.
Keywords
Middle managers, Interpretations, Skills, Shared vision
Abstract
This paper explores the expressed meanings that 60
middle managers attach to the concept of a shared
strategic vision by providing a brief review of the business
and management literature and the role of organisational
learning. It continues by identifying the meanings and
skills that these middle managers from a large
international corporation attach to the achievement of a
shared vision within a framework of Senges skills. A
further element uncovered by the research is recorded;
how the managers express their concerns regarding the
reasons, as they see them, why a shared vision is not a
feature of their organisation. A conclusion is reached that
these middle managers believe implicitly that a shared
strategic vision is desirable. Further that engagement in
the activity described in the paper provides an opportunity
for the managers to reflect on their organisation within
the concept of organisational learning and the skills that
are needed to take this concept forward.
Electronic access
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89
The Learning Organization
Volume 9
.
Number 2
.
2002
.
pp. 8995
# MCB UP Limited
.
ISSN 0969-6474
DOI 10.1108/09696470210424033