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Roadmapping for Strategic Alignment, Integration and Synchronization

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Next Generation Roadmapping

Part of the book series: Science, Technology and Innovation Studies ((STAIS))

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Abstract

Roadmapping is a flexible and powerful method for supporting strategic planning, which emerged from industrial practice more than 50 years ago. However, roadmapping has been largely ignored in mainstream business school research and teaching, attributed to its association with technology-intensive sectors. As a consequence, many general managers are not aware of the capability of roadmapping to address the strategic challenges they face, and the method lacks a clear theoretical base. Through empirical research, the general form of roadmapping has been identified, together with underpinning conceptualizations that enable its customization to any strategic context. This chapter sets out these general concepts from the perspectives of ‘roadmap as artefact’ and ‘roadmapping as process’, and relates them to mainstream management research. Two relevant research streams relating to ‘strategic fit’ are identified: ‘elements of strategic fit’ and ‘processes of strategic fit’. The relationships between roadmapping and the contributing management frameworks from each research stream are explored, focusing on the McKinsey ‘7S’ and ESCO frameworks for the former, and the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM) framework for the latter. This strengthens the theoretical basis of roadmapping and demonstrates the benefits of linking established roadmapping practice to management theory. Three key dimensions that underpin coherent strategy are identified and discussed: horizontal functional alignment, vertical hierarchical integration, and temporal synchronization, conceptualized as a 3×3×3 ‘strategy cube’.

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Notes

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thammasat Business School, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Sukrit Vinayavekhin

  2. Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Robert Phaal

Authors
  1. Sukrit Vinayavekhin
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  2. Robert Phaal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sukrit Vinayavekhin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mark O. Hatfield Cybersecurity & Cyber Defense Policy Center, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Tugrul U. Daim

  2. Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Robert Phaal

  3. National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia

    Dirk Meissner

  4. Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Clive Kerr

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Vinayavekhin, S., Phaal, R. (2023). Roadmapping for Strategic Alignment, Integration and Synchronization. In: Daim, T.U., Phaal, R., Meissner, D., Kerr, C. (eds) Next Generation Roadmapping. Science, Technology and Innovation Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38575-9_1

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