Strategic management in design firms

The traditional philosophy of management in the architecture-engineering-co nstruction (AEC) industry, both in academia and in industry, places great e mphasis on the ability to plan and execute projects. In contrast, a similar emphasis on strategic management has received less attention in the AEC in dustry. Although the pressures of project performance can often obscure the broader social, economic, and professional context in which strategic mana gement is undertaken, it is these broad contextual areas that make strategi c management an essential issue for AEC organizations. Rapidly changing soc ial and technological issues are creating a professional environment that w ill look very different in the coming decades than that experienced in toda y's organizations. This paper introduces a study of the current strategic m anagement practices of design-based firms. The paper introduces the concept of strategic management and the areas that organizations must address to c ompete in the global marketplace. A summary of an industry survey is docume nted together with the background research that prompted the investigation of these topics.