Abstract
Although strategic choice theorists have developed sophisticated accounts of the
interplay between structure and agency, there is often only passing reference to the
impact, and interaction, of industrial relations. Conversely, many industrial
relations specialists reject strategic choice theory because much of the research on
management action ignores the exercise of power and the incidence of conflict in
employment relations. By integrating industrial relations into the theory of strategic
choice developed by Child (1997), Whittington (1989) and others, we analyse the
changing competitive fortunes of British Airways (BA) over recent years. We
demonstrate that the political processes which defined, redefined and subsequently
tempered the implementation of BA’s business and industrial relations strategies
led to the gradual erosion of ‘first mover’ advantages in the marketplace and
precipitated a shift from innovative to adaptive competitive behaviour.
Abstract
Although strategic choice theorists have developed sophisticated accounts of the
interplay between structure and agency, there is often only passing reference to the
impact, and interaction, of industrial relations. Conversely, many industrial
relations specialists reject strategic choice theory because much of the research on
management action ignores the exercise of power and the incidence of conflict in
employment relations. By integrating industrial relations into the theory of strategic
choice developed by Child (1997), Whittington (1989) and others, we analyse the
changing competitive fortunes of British Airways (BA) over recent years. We
demonstrate that the political processes which defined, redefined and subsequently
tempered the implementation of BA’s business and industrial relations strategies
led to the gradual erosion of ‘first mover’ advantages in the marketplace and
precipitated a shift from innovative to adaptive competitive behaviour.
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