The strategy–identity nexus: The relevance of their temporal interplay to climate change

Abstract

Grand Challenges have stimulated a search for new solutions at the interplay between fields and disciplines which previously have been separated. In this essay, I argue that a further development of temporal interplay between strategy and organizational identity may enrich studies of Grand Challenges, exemplified by how actors respond to climate change. This interplay is motivated by recent elaborations of the differences in temporality between strategy and organizational identity from a distinction between a dominant focus on the future (strategy) or the past (organizational identity) to a conceptualization of the differences in temporal structures between them. Using management research to contribute to the fight against climate change, sustained temporal interplay between strategy and organizational identity can advance our understanding of how organizations may act now for future climate goals. I suggest questions for future research focused on making an impact.