Global Strategic Responsiveness
The Global Strategic Responsiveness (GSR) initiative is engaged in a variety of activities to help
both public and private organizations deal more effectively with the uncertain conditions and
unpredictable abrupt events that characterize the contemporary business environments.
both public and private organizations deal more effectively with the uncertain conditions and
unpredictable abrupt events that characterize the contemporary business environments.
Today’s socio-economic conditions are influenced by many emerging (global) challenges where
the eventual outcomes are largely unknown. These include issues like climate change,
global pandemics, political conflicts, social trends, technological inventions, competition/rivalry,
shifts in industry structure, product/process innovation, policy initiatives, regulation, natural
the eventual outcomes are largely unknown. These include issues like climate change,
global pandemics, political conflicts, social trends, technological inventions, competition/rivalry,
shifts in industry structure, product/process innovation, policy initiatives, regulation, natural
and manmade disasters, etc. These factors can all lead to extreme outcomes with impacts
on organizational longevity and sustainability.
on organizational longevity and sustainability.
It is in this context GSR wants to be a catalyst for timely research that can provide useful answers
to the implied organizational (and societal) challenges of our time that require effective
responses from public and private organizations and alike.
to the implied organizational (and societal) challenges of our time that require effective
responses from public and private organizations and alike.
Searching for useful solutions to these challenges will require cross-disciplinary collaborative efforts
across an international network of engaged researchers and partners.
across an international network of engaged researchers and partners.
The global business context can be characterized as a dynamic complex system where eventual
outcomes are largely unpredictable and may have potentially extreme effects that can threaten
outcomes are largely unpredictable and may have potentially extreme effects that can threaten
the economic and social order as we know it today.
This exposure is formed by a multitude of factors that go beyond firm-specific responses and
require collective actions among public and private organizations to develop viable solutions
that can sustain well into the future.
This exposure is formed by a multitude of factors that go beyond firm-specific responses and
require collective actions among public and private organizations to develop viable solutions
that can sustain well into the future.
It requires a deeper understanding of the global risk landscape and more effective ways to
respond among organizational actors together with public policy makers where
neither private nor public sector initiatives can solve the issues on their own.
respond among organizational actors together with public policy makers where
neither private nor public sector initiatives can solve the issues on their own.
A number of related research activities support the GSR effort (see below).
Related research activities:
STRATEGIC RISK LEADERSHIP – DEALING WIITH RISK, UNCERTAINTY, AND THE UNKNOWN
An ongoing research effort
This project was initiated by an invited research stay with the Opus College of Business
at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis (USA) working to analyze
the state of strategic risk management and governance practices.
It is the aim of this work to identify proper risk leadership traits and
regulatory (risk) governance.
This project was initiated by an invited research stay with the Opus College of Business
at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis (USA) working to analyze
the state of strategic risk management and governance practices.
It is the aim of this work to identify proper risk leadership traits and
regulatory (risk) governance.
The project received initial funding from the Otto Mønsted Foundation.
EMERALD BOOK SERIES: EMERALD STUDIES IN GLOBAL STRATEGIC RESPONSIVENESS
A series of thematic books
The is a book series dedicated to build and extend
the Global Strategic Responsiveness research theme.
the Global Strategic Responsiveness research theme.
The first issue entitled The Responsive Global Organization:
New Insights from Global Strategy and International Business
was published in the fall of 2017.
The second issue with the title:
Strategic Responsiveness and Adaptive Organizations:
New Research Frontiers in International Strategic Management
was released in February 2019.
A third volume Adapting to Environmental Challenges:
New Research in Strategy and International Business
was issued in 2020.
Several future editions are planned for publication.
New Insights from Global Strategy and International Business
was published in the fall of 2017.
The second issue with the title:
Strategic Responsiveness and Adaptive Organizations:
New Research Frontiers in International Strategic Management
was released in February 2019.
A third volume Adapting to Environmental Challenges:
New Research in Strategy and International Business
was issued in 2020.
Several future editions are planned for publication.
RISKY BUSINESS: MANAGING IN A WORLD WITH EXTREME EXPOSURES (2019-2021)
A research project
The project is investigating why only few organizations are able to adjust and thrive
against the adverse odds provided by the turbulent global business environment
whereas most others seem to fail. The global market economy is exposed to many risks
including financial crisis, cyberattack, political instability, governance failure,
extreme weather conditions, etc. In this context, only a small fraction of firms outperform
and display favorable risk-return outcomes whereas a vast number of firms are contained
in an extreme left-skewed tail of poor returns. This highly systematic phenomenon is
overlooked in mainstream management research. By studying this phenomenon,
we will try to understand how organizations can adapt and persevere in an uncertain world,
which is a very timely management issue. The project is funded by the Independent Research
Fund Denmark (Danmarks Frie Forskningsråd – DFF).
against the adverse odds provided by the turbulent global business environment
whereas most others seem to fail. The global market economy is exposed to many risks
including financial crisis, cyberattack, political instability, governance failure,
extreme weather conditions, etc. In this context, only a small fraction of firms outperform
and display favorable risk-return outcomes whereas a vast number of firms are contained
in an extreme left-skewed tail of poor returns. This highly systematic phenomenon is
overlooked in mainstream management research. By studying this phenomenon,
we will try to understand how organizations can adapt and persevere in an uncertain world,
which is a very timely management issue. The project is funded by the Independent Research
Fund Denmark (Danmarks Frie Forskningsråd – DFF).
Research mission:
The Global Strategic Responsiveness (GSR) initiative aspires to be an internationally
recognized catalyst for research on strategic adaptation and responsive multinational
enterprises and public-policy institutions that can generate sustainable prosperity in
highly uncertain and unpredictable global contexts driven by inspiring collegial work on
creative scholarship. The GSR initiative heeds a philosophy of engaged scholarship to
advance new knowledge that takes advantage of collaboration between researchers,
practicing managers and policy-makers to generate results of practical value for business
and society. It is the aim to uncover different aspects of effective strategic responses to the
demands imposed by a dynamic complex global business context.
recognized catalyst for research on strategic adaptation and responsive multinational
enterprises and public-policy institutions that can generate sustainable prosperity in
highly uncertain and unpredictable global contexts driven by inspiring collegial work on
creative scholarship. The GSR initiative heeds a philosophy of engaged scholarship to
advance new knowledge that takes advantage of collaboration between researchers,
practicing managers and policy-makers to generate results of practical value for business
and society. It is the aim to uncover different aspects of effective strategic responses to the
demands imposed by a dynamic complex global business context.
The GSR initiative wants to advance research efforts that study responsive strategy-making
processes in multinational organizational contexts to address the key business and societal
challenges of our time. It seeks to uncover responsive organizational structures and processes
that are conducive to adaptation and renewal in the face of unprecedented global challenges.
This may uncover and explore the contours of global innovation platforms, dynamic adaptive systems,
strategic response capabilities, interactive decision structures, multi-agent technologies,
open information processing systems, autonomous creative behaviors, values driven cultures,
ethical leadership concerns, and more.
processes in multinational organizational contexts to address the key business and societal
challenges of our time. It seeks to uncover responsive organizational structures and processes
that are conducive to adaptation and renewal in the face of unprecedented global challenges.
This may uncover and explore the contours of global innovation platforms, dynamic adaptive systems,
strategic response capabilities, interactive decision structures, multi-agent technologies,
open information processing systems, autonomous creative behaviors, values driven cultures,
ethical leadership concerns, and more.
Associated researchers and partners:
(In alphabetical order)
Denmark:
International:
Key research areas:
• Strategic risk governance
Strategic risk management deals with organizational capabilities to identify changes
in the competitive context, monitor strategic exposures, and develop effective responses
that enable business renewal and adaptive moves over time to create a better fit with the
changing business context. It investigates links to formal enterprise risk management approaches
and emerging risk governance regulation as (potentially) needed, but insufficient means to
develop strategic response capabilities that deal effectively with risk, uncertainty, unpredictable conditions,
and businesses that evolve towards the unknown. It further explores the strategic risk leadership
characteristics necessary to form effective risk governance systems.
in the competitive context, monitor strategic exposures, and develop effective responses
that enable business renewal and adaptive moves over time to create a better fit with the
changing business context. It investigates links to formal enterprise risk management approaches
and emerging risk governance regulation as (potentially) needed, but insufficient means to
develop strategic response capabilities that deal effectively with risk, uncertainty, unpredictable conditions,
and businesses that evolve towards the unknown. It further explores the strategic risk leadership
characteristics necessary to form effective risk governance systems.
• Multinational corporate responses
Contemporary organizations typically operate across different (inter-)national markets and diverse
business activities at the same time and thereby constitute multinational corporations that must deal
with the dynamic complex developments in the global market economy.
This context provides new opportunities for innovative business development but at the same time
creates challenges in dealing with new risks, uncertainties and unknown conditions.
This requires flexible multinational structures with strategic responses that foster effective integration
of corporate thinking at headquarters and an ability to take local adaptive initiatives that create updated
experiential insights through learning-by-doing.
business activities at the same time and thereby constitute multinational corporations that must deal
with the dynamic complex developments in the global market economy.
This context provides new opportunities for innovative business development but at the same time
creates challenges in dealing with new risks, uncertainties and unknown conditions.
This requires flexible multinational structures with strategic responses that foster effective integration
of corporate thinking at headquarters and an ability to take local adaptive initiatives that create updated
experiential insights through learning-by-doing.
• Effective response capabilities
The ability to respond effectively to dynamic complex conditions in the global business environment depends
on an ability to generate new cross-disciplinary insights among international participants.
It may evolve from open innovation networks/platforms through interactive fast-slow processes combining
autonomous exploration with integrative considerations around forward looking analytics with information
exchanged openly between agents. New developments in other scientific fields including, e.g., cybernetics,
intelligent multi-agent technologies, complex adaptive systems, and holonic approaches can provide essential
support to develop more effective future response systems as a promising research field.
on an ability to generate new cross-disciplinary insights among international participants.
It may evolve from open innovation networks/platforms through interactive fast-slow processes combining
autonomous exploration with integrative considerations around forward looking analytics with information
exchanged openly between agents. New developments in other scientific fields including, e.g., cybernetics,
intelligent multi-agent technologies, complex adaptive systems, and holonic approaches can provide essential
support to develop more effective future response systems as a promising research field.
The page was last edited by: Department of International Economics, Government and Business // 04/07/2022