Institute for AppliedStrategy Execution
PTEN
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Research

Execution Science

We systematically study how organisations turn strategic intent into coordinated action and measurable results.

The discipline

What Execution Science is

Execution Science is the systematic study of how organisations turn strategic intent into coordinated action and measurable results. It treats execution as an object of research, with definitions, measures and testable hypotheses.

The discipline brings together research traditions that rarely talk to each other:

  • Strategy implementation researchNoble (1999); Hrebiniak (2005)
  • Management control systemsSimons (1995)
  • Organisational culture and leadershipSchein (2010)
  • Engaged scholarshipVan de Ven (2007)
  • Human complex adaptive systemsSnowden & Boone (2007); Snowden & Rancati (2021)
  • Organisation and work in the African contextJackson (2004); Nkomo (2011); Zoogah, Peng & Woldu (2015)
1Strategic intentWhat the organisation sets out to achieve2TranslationPriorities and objectives at every levelRQ13RoutinesReviews, decisions and accountabilityRQ2 · RQ34SignalsIndicators and weak signals (Suricatus)RQ45ResultsValue actually realisedLEARNING
IASE working model, version 0.1. Each stage maps to a question on the research agenda.
A starling murmuration over Luanda bay at dusk

How we think

Simple rules, sophisticated results

A starling flock has no commander. Each bird follows a few rules and tracks its six or seven nearest neighbours, and the whole flock changes direction in a fraction of a second. Execution also happens at the edge: where people act, with clear rules and information moving fast.

Ballerini et al. (2008), PNAS; Sull & Eisenhardt (2015), Simple Rules

Research agenda

The questions we are studying

Every project and every lab answers one of these questions.

  1. RQ1

    How do strategic priorities lose clarity between the executive committee and middle management?Theme: From strategy to action · Mixed methods

    In design
  2. RQ2

    Which management routines are associated with better delivery of strategic initiatives?Theme: Execution routines · Longitudinal study

    In design
  3. RQ3

    How does organisational culture shape execution discipline in public and private institutions?Theme: Culture · Comparative case study

    Planned
  4. RQ4

    Under which conditions does AI-assisted monitoring improve execution without replacing managerial judgement?Theme: Execution and AI · Experimental design

    Planned

Projects

Project register

Each project is registered with its question, method and status before data collection starts.

IASE-P-01

In preparation

Strategy translation map

Tracks how three to five strategic priorities are translated into objectives and decisions at each level of the hierarchy.

Question
RQ1
Method
Multi-level survey and interviews
Sectors
Banking, telecoms
Partners
To be confirmed

IASE-P-02

In preparation

Review rhythms

Compares organisations with different performance-review cadences and measures the effect on initiative delivery.

Question
RQ2
Method
Longitudinal study, 12 months
Sectors
Oil and gas, mining
Partners
To be confirmed

IASE-P-03

In preparation

AI-supported execution dashboard

Tests an AI-supported monitoring dashboard with middle-management teams.

Question
RQ4
Method
Controlled pilot
Sectors
Civil construction, cross-sector
Partners
To be confirmed

Publications

Articles, working papers and reports

The first working papers will be published here

Publications will be cited in APA 7 format and, wherever possible, made available open access.

Insights

Interested in collaborating on a research project?

We are looking for researchers and organisations interested in studying execution.

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