Strategic Implications of Causal Mapping in Strategy Analysis and Formulation

Abstract

The formulation and implementation of effective strategy at every level within an organization requires that those involved in the process have not only a good overall understanding of the present situation, but also an understanding of the underlying cause and effect relationships which underpin strategy at those levels. This includes understanding the interactions, which occur between the levels of strategy in an organization as well as the benefits of a firm’s executive information system. Using various mapping techniques, e.g., concept mapping, cognitive mapping, causal mapping, we investigate the factors that made WorldCom, Inc., a one-time leader in the telecommunications industry, implode and find itself fighting in courts for its very survival.