Developing a tentative framework for strategic thinking

Abstract

This paper begins by highlighting the importance of strategic thinking and then proceeds by critically evaluating the strategic thinking literature to conclude that the phenomenon is weakly conceptualised and inadequately researched. An inductive methodology to generate data related to strategic thinking practice is then outlined. Subsequently, data is presented from interviews with executives from a Primary Care Trust about which issues they consider to be the most strategic and why. That data is analysed to produce seven themes and three categories. External validity is explored by reviewing the literature relating to goals, issues and actions before proposing a tentative framework for strategic thinking. This framework is proposed as a basis for further research.