Information systems and strategy design -: The knowledge creation function in three modes of strategy-making

Strategic thinking forms a wide-ranking, complex area of thought. It also seems to be an extremely interesting and important field in both management practice and literature. Recently, the areas that the different functions (like accounting, marketing, production and information systems) of firm and strategic thinking have in common have been lively discussed. In this paper, the applicability of information systems thinking to strategic thinking is outlined. For that purpose, three modes of strategy-making are explicated: strategy-making as management process, as game-playing and as leadership. In each of these three modes, the strategy design phase and especially the essentials of its knowledge creation function are presented. Finally, on the basis of this analysis, the information systems approach and strategic thinking are compared and the areas of mutual cooperation as well as those devoid of cooperation are revealed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.