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Center for Research
in Business Strategy
Where rigor meets relevance.
Making impact through rigorous cutting-edge inquiry into pertinent strategy issues & providing practitioner-relevant strategy insights
Initiatives
9 core holistic strategy research initiatives & 18 linked research projects spanning key theoretical and practitioner oriented strategy issues for the core CRIB's activities
Publications
Research output packaged as articles, book chapters, books & industry report formats published in top-tier scientific and practitioner outlets
Events
Annual strategy-themed academic conferences, doctoral symposium, corporate summits and speaker series facilitate academic and industry exchange of insights
Team
Research directors, principal investigators, research faculty, a global advisory board, research assistants and doctoral students facilitate the center's activities
About CRIBS
The Center for Research in Business Strategy (CRIBS) is an international research center committed to supporting the mission of Stratworth University by providing timely scientific insights to the institution and its partners. Facilitated by a carefully curated network of international faculty comprising strategy practitioners, scholars, advisory boards, research assistants, and doctoral students, CRIBS aims to be the foremost research hub for strategy research discovery, transformation and innovation.
The Center for Research in Business Strategy (CRIBS) exists to enable potential and foster prosperity, by engendering transformation and empowering growth through cutting-edge strategy research, for the benefit of individuals, businesses and the larger society.
Our vision is to be the world's leading and most impactful strategy research, insights and solutions destination.
At CRIBS, our mission is to develop and execute cutting-edge business strategy research initiatives, to generate superior insights that help businesses succeed. We aim to achieve this mission by implementing the sustainable 'linked innovation research center model' that fosters the generation of highly impactful theoretical and practitioner-beneficial strategy research, insights and discoveries; while actively transforming such discoveries into inventions and commercializable innovation for the center and her industry partners.
To attain our vision and achieve our mission at CRIBS, we are guided by our values in all that we do:
• Excellence: we strive for superior performance in everything we do.
• Creativity and innovation: we foster creativity and innovation across all of our activities.
• Rigor and relevance: we only undertake rigorous and relevant research.
• Scientific independence: we are committed to total scientific independence.
• Integrity: we hold deeply-rooted principles and commit to the highest levels of ethics, social responsibility and integrity.
• Equal opportunities: our strength lies in the diversity of our team and we ensure that the right skills are brought on irrespective of age, gender, race, religion or nationality.
• Sustainability: in all we do, we commit to the deployment of sustainable practices, methods and systems.
About Cribs
Our Research Initiatives
A learner-centered curriculum designed to provide deep-seated competence in crafting superior strategy
The Strategic and competitive intelligence Initiative (SCI) at Stratworth CRIBS facilitates the development and dissemination of rigorous evidence-based research and insights into the gathering and analyzing of strategic business intelligence from a range of sources, including competitors, customers, suppliers, and industry experts to support strategic decision-making and firm competitive advantage. Therefore, activities at the SCI initiative are geared towards extending and deepening extant academic theory while simultaneously empowering practitioners within organizations with novel insights and tools to acquire a deeper understanding of their competitive landscape, develop more effective strategies, and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights.
Current Projects:
1. A Systematic Review/Overview of Reviews of Core Strategic & Competitive Intelligence processes and tools
2. Satchetization of Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Processes and Tools for Small and Midsize Firms
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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The Artificial Intelligence and Strategy (AIS) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS facilitates the development and dissemination of rigorous evidence-based research and insights into the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in strategy. Research insights from extant literature embodying the initiative has transformed decision-making processes across several strategy functions, enabling organizations to identify patterns and make informed decisions based on large datasets. We now know that AI can facilitate the optimization and automation of decision-making processes, the enhancement of strategic planning and forecasting, and the generation of new strategic insights. However, the use of AI in strategy also presents challenges such as data privacy and algorithmic bias, which must be approached thoughtfully and responsibly. At the AIS initiative our research activities are geared towards deepening understanding on how to leverage extant scientific evidence and bridge extant research gaps with the aim of enhancing both science and practice.
Current Projects:
1. Chronicles of AI Deployment in Strategizing: A Scoping Review
2. What We Now Know About Corporate Governance and AI: A Scoping Review
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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The Strategic Foresight & Futures (SFF) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS facilitates the development and dissemination of rigorous evidence-based research and insights into the role of foresight & futures insights on the crafting of unconventional strategy. Extant literature has established the critical role strategic foresight & futures studies play in the development of strategies that are better aligned with emerging trends, future scenarios and industry needs. The SFF initiative therefore seeks to dive deeper and expand upon current knowledge on the theoretical underpinnings, practical techniques and implications of strategic foresight and futures on businesses and industries.
Current Projects:
1. Recent Advances in the Deployment of Strategic Foresight in Strategic Management: A Systematic Review/Overview of Reviews
2. The Future of Industries: What We Already Know About the Future of the (2a) Real Estate (2b) Biotech (2c) Fintech (2d) Oil & Gas, and (2e) Retail Industries
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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Looking back to strategize for a better future! The Strategic History of Industries & Companies (SHIC) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS conducts interdisciplinary research that examines the historical evolution of businesses, their strategies and their industries over time, as well as their impact on society. Using a range of historical methods and theories the SHIC initiative investigates the origins, growth, and evolution of organizations and industries, as well as the broader economic and social context in which they operate in a bid to obtain critical insights into the forces that shape business practices over time and their relevance today and into the future.
Current Projects:
1. The Strategic Use of Historical Insights to Shape and Inform Business Strategy and the Strategic Management Process: A Scoping Review
2. An Overview of Reviews on The History of the (2a) Real Estate (2b) Biotech (2c) Fintech (2d) Oil & Gas, and (2e) Retail Industries
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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The Strategic Opportunities (SO) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS co-conducts research with Stratworth Labs aimed at identifying and exploring strategic opportunities for organizational growth and competitive advantage within and across industries and ecosystems. Insights from research undertaken by the SO initiative has important implications for organizational success, enabling firms to identify new sources of revenue, gain market share, and achieve sustainable growth.
Current Projects:
1. A Systematic Review/Overview of Reviews of Strategic Opportunities in Platform Ecosystems
2. A Scoping Review of Strategic Opportunities in the 2a) Real Estate (2b) Biotech (2c) Fintech (2d) Oil & Gas, and (2e) Retail Industries.
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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The Strategic Entrepreneurship (SE) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS conducts interdisciplinary research that examines the intersection between entrepreneurship and strategic management. In collaboration with the Strategic Opportunities (SO) initiative, it focuses on the theoretical state of the art with regard to the creation, discovery, and exploitation of opportunities for innovation and growth within the context of existing organizations or through the creation of new ventures. Scholars at the SE initiative use a range of theoretical and empirical methods to understand how entrepreneurs can leverage their skills, resources, and networks to identify and exploit opportunities in dynamic and uncertain environments while identifying important implications for both academic and practical audiences, informing policy decisions and shaping the development of new ventures and innovative business models.
Current Projects:
1. Novel Strategies & Models for the Rapid Evolution/Transition of Small Businesses into Midsize and Large Firms: A Systematic Review
2. The Strategic Role of Education in the Success of Small Businesses’ Transition into Midsize and Large Firms
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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The Family Business Strategy (FBS) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS conducts interdisciplinary research that examines the unique challenges and opportunities associated with strategizing for and growing family-owned businesses. This research initiative focuses on uncovering scientific insights pertaining to the development of unique strategies that enable family-owned firms to achieve long-term success and sustainability. Family business strategy scholars at Stratworth CRIBS use a range of theoretical and empirical methods to understand the complex dynamics of family businesses, including the role of family members, the impact of family dynamics on decision-making, and the management of inter-generational transitions which has important implications for both academic and practical audiences, informing policy decisions and strategy practices in such firms.
Current Projects:
1. Understanding Mechanisms Underlying How & Why the Involvement of Non-Family Owners/Managers Affect Family Firms’ Strategic Decision Making Processes.
2. A Systematic Review of Generational Evolution in Family Business Governance.
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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The Strategic Cognition (SC) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS engages in interdisciplinary research examining organizational cognitive structures and decision making processes in a bid to uncover the cognitive mechanisms surrounding strategic decision making. It is established in the strategic management literature that certain behavioral biases as well as interpretive frames may limit the ability of managers to make complex strategic decisions and largely determines which information or inputs managers prioritize during strategic decision making processes and how managers interpret them. Through strategic cognition research, scholars gain new insights into the information filtering, sensemaking and sensegiving processes that determine how strategic issues are interpreted and guide effective strategic decision making.
Current Projects:
1. Strategic Cognition: A Systematic Review of Cumulative Scientific Findings
2. Developing An Actionable Framework for Harnessing & Leveraging Strategic Cognition
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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Strategy execution research is a field that focuses on understanding how organizations can effectively implement and execute their strategies. The Strategic Execution Research (SER) Initiative at Stratworth CRIBS cognizant of the fact that successful strategy execution is often more challenging than strategy formulation and requires a deep understanding of the organizational structures, processes, and capabilities that underpin effective implementation; uses a range of theoretical and empirical methods to investigate the factors that influence successful strategy execution. Through strategy execution research, organizations can gain insights into the factors that enable or hinder successful strategy execution and develop effective practices and processes to improve their execution capabilities. The SER Initiative encourages research that informs the development of new approaches to strategy execution and supports the success of organizations across a wide range of industries.
Current Projects:
1. The Evolution of Strategy Execution Practices: A Systematic Review
2. Mapping the Theoretical Underpinnings of Strategy Execution: A Scoping Review
Project Deliverables:
Published Scientific Paper (Systematic Review and Overview of Reviews); and Industry Reports
Research Team:
Principal Investigator:
Collaborators:
Research Assistant:
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Research Initiatives
Meet The Faculty
Cutting edge learning experience delivered by a global faculty comprising practicioners and scholars
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Larry Placeholder
Associate Professor of Strategic Management
Stratworth University Unit|Facilitation
Area|Strategic Management
Affiliation|Girne American University, Cyprus
View LinkedIn Bio
Liza Cranberry
Professor of Strategic Management
Stratworth University Unit|Associate Faculty
Area|Strategic Management
Affiliation|University of Edinburgh, UK
View LinkedIn Bio
John Wilberfox
Professor of Strategic Management
Stratworth University Unit|Associate Faculty
Area|Strategic Management
Affiliation|University of Miami, USA
View LinkedIn Bio
Membership
While we welcome diverse research collaboration opportunities, our primary channel of collaboration is via Stratworth CRIBS memberships. Stratworth CRIBS members whose businesses span a diverse array of industries benefit from the center’s cutting-edge strategy research while collectively contributing the majority of the center’s annual operating budget. In addition, they also enable us to conduct research in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.
Types of Stratworth CRIBS Membership
At Stratworth CRIBS, we help our member organizations by giving them the edge in strategy research over competitors by empowering them to become research-enabled industry leaders. Stratworth CRIBS maintains three types of membership:
• Sponsorship Membership: This category is for large-size organizations undertaking their own strategic transformations in-house.
• Patronship Membership: This category is for strategy consulting and coaching organizations seeking to assist clients with their strategy and strategic transformations by sharing Stratworth CRIBS Intellectual Property with them.
• Associate Membership: This is for individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises.
All Stratworth CRIBS members automatically join our global network of strategy executives from large organizations with a shared interest in the maximization of value from strategic transformations and research insights.
Our success here at Stratworth CRIBS is critically linked to our relationships with members. Our primary source of funding as well as important research input and feedback our research initiatives and findings rely on, are all based on these relationships.
To learn more about becoming a Stratworth CRIBS member, please reach out via membership.cribs@stratworthuniversity.org
Stratworth CRIBS Member Benefits
Stratworth CRIBS members currently enjoy the following benefits according to the membership tiers they subscribe to. We are continuously working to expand and deepen the value we provide our members with an ultimate goal of providing members rare, novel, unrivaled and unparalleled scientific and data-driven strategy research insights.
Stratworth CRIBS Engagement Units*
All members receive engagement units (units), and have the opportunity to purchase additional engagement units above the default number included in their membership package at Stratworth CRIBS’ discretion. These units are to be used exclusively by the member concerned and cannot be applied to their clients or other non-Stratworth CRIBS members. Stratworth CRIBS regulates the availability of engagement units purchasable to ensure our research scientists have the capacity to deliver planned engagements.
See below for a breakdown and description of all available engagement types and the number of Stratworth CRIBS engagement units associated with each type. To learn more about engagement units, please contact the engagement coordinator, Pavel Ayun.
CRIBS Online Engagement
Online engagements are typically 1–1.5 hours long, centered around a topic of the sponsor’s/patron’s choice, and consists of a generic (non-customized) delivery by one Stratworth CRIBS researcher, to an audience of the sponsor’s/patron’s choice and are worth 1 Stratworth CRIBS engagement unit.
CRIBS Bespoke Online Engagement
Are typically 1–2 hours long, and comprise customized delivery that may include: pre-meeting calls to collect specific company data and insights; customized analysis of Stratworth CRIBS data for a specific domain focus; introduction of new case examples specific to the engagement; engagement of more than one Stratworth CRIBS researcher and are worth 2 Stratworth CRIBS engagement units.
CRIBS In-Person Engagement
Are typically 2–3 hours long and incorporate research content based on Stratworth CRIBS research in addition to opportunities for in-person interaction with clients or executives to further explore the research through formal activities or informal social networking. They also involve team/group exercises and interactions; and are worth 3 Stratworth CRIBS engagement units.
CRIBS Bespoke In-Person Engagement
Are typically up to 4 hours long, and comprise bespoke delivery that includes all of the items listed in Bespoke Online Engagement as well as additional activities such as the conduct of dedicated diagnostics in practice (done with input from Stratworth Research-X community); custom-made team/group exercises (which may include the use of client data); curated guest presenters tailored for clients and/or executives; and are worth 4 Stratworth CRIBS engagement units.
To become a Stratworth CRIBS member, please reach out via membership.cribs@stratworthuniversity.org
CRIBS Membership
Ready to join the next cohort?
To book an information session, contact the program manager via program@stratworthuniversity.org
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