STRATEGIC THINKING IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT - USING MANAGEMENT TOOLS TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE

This article looks at the relevance for international development of s trategic management, a set of methods for helping managers to align or ganizations with their environments so they can get to their important objectives. The methods have been applied recently in many developing countries. Results are mixed. When taken seriously, strategic managem ent can promote participatory decision making and adaptability. Yet, s uccess in organization strategy depends more on the right mental outlo ok than on specific techniques - techniques that can themselves someti mes turn into an impediment to open, creative thinking. Strategic mana gement works best when understood as a way to learn, not as a prescrib ed remedy to follow. Copyright (C) 1996 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd