How can personal ideology affect a small-to-medium enterprise (SME) in strategic practices
Rusnak, Szymon P. (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052114093
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052114093
Tiivistelmä
The ideology of an enterprise and the ideology of its constituent members allows the perspicacious strategy researcher to observe what influences these idiosyncratic beliefs can potentially have upon a company’s strategy. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider how these internal belief systems assist or hinder strategic dissemination and strategic adherence, or lack thereof.
This thesis has used structured interviews at a medium-size enterprise to learn how personal ideology or ideologies influence strategic adherence, dissemination, and (in)action. The research included multiple interviews with employees at the client company who have varying years of experience. Thematic and discourse analysis was used to identify patterns of ideological themes and concepts that manifested. Further, by understanding ideology within the context of the organization, this research aimed to assist in understanding how company strategy moved (or ceased) through different employees within the organization, and what kind of influence their personal ideologies can have upon company strategy.
The epistemological methods involving discourse analysis and thematic analysis helped to examine individual employees in relation to strategy; their personal understanding of strategy; and if any discrepancies exist between the company strategy and individual ideology. For analysis, discourse analysis attempted to draw conclusions between modes of practice and ideologies, and both discourse and thematic analysis assisted in the understanding of social context(s) where the discourse took place. This helped to enhance the understanding of the interviewee’s actual meaning and subsequently, their understanding of the strategy within the organization. By recognizing what themes arose in the structured interview process, this thesis attempted to highlight how company strategy is (mis-)understood and how it is influenced by individual ideology. The research highlighted how not only does individual ideology affect strategic dissemination, but also how the belief of “meaningful work” affected strategic uptake and awareness.
The aforementioned enabled the research to follow the strategic actor and their ideological leanings. Asking the question: “Is the strategic actor following through with their commitment to the overarching company strategy?”; or rather, is individual ideology negatively impacting strategic adherence. Finally, practical considerations were examined, and suggested areas for improvement were highlighted; primarily by how leveraging the idiosyncratic ideologies of individuals and their inclusion in strategic discourse can help bridge the “strategic schism”.
Keywords: ideology, strategy, SME, thematic, interview, discourse, meaningful
This thesis has used structured interviews at a medium-size enterprise to learn how personal ideology or ideologies influence strategic adherence, dissemination, and (in)action. The research included multiple interviews with employees at the client company who have varying years of experience. Thematic and discourse analysis was used to identify patterns of ideological themes and concepts that manifested. Further, by understanding ideology within the context of the organization, this research aimed to assist in understanding how company strategy moved (or ceased) through different employees within the organization, and what kind of influence their personal ideologies can have upon company strategy.
The epistemological methods involving discourse analysis and thematic analysis helped to examine individual employees in relation to strategy; their personal understanding of strategy; and if any discrepancies exist between the company strategy and individual ideology. For analysis, discourse analysis attempted to draw conclusions between modes of practice and ideologies, and both discourse and thematic analysis assisted in the understanding of social context(s) where the discourse took place. This helped to enhance the understanding of the interviewee’s actual meaning and subsequently, their understanding of the strategy within the organization. By recognizing what themes arose in the structured interview process, this thesis attempted to highlight how company strategy is (mis-)understood and how it is influenced by individual ideology. The research highlighted how not only does individual ideology affect strategic dissemination, but also how the belief of “meaningful work” affected strategic uptake and awareness.
The aforementioned enabled the research to follow the strategic actor and their ideological leanings. Asking the question: “Is the strategic actor following through with their commitment to the overarching company strategy?”; or rather, is individual ideology negatively impacting strategic adherence. Finally, practical considerations were examined, and suggested areas for improvement were highlighted; primarily by how leveraging the idiosyncratic ideologies of individuals and their inclusion in strategic discourse can help bridge the “strategic schism”.
Keywords: ideology, strategy, SME, thematic, interview, discourse, meaningful