Record Details

Exploring strategy message affordance as mediator to strategy translation for enhanced implementation

Acta Commercii

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Exploring strategy message affordance as mediator to strategy translation for enhanced implementation
 
Creator Serfontein-Jordaan, Muriel Pretorius, Marius Kunz, Leanne Letsholo, Rebaona
 
Subject Business Management; Strategy; Communication strategy message affordance; strategy translation; strategy message; affordance theory; strategy implementation.
Description Orientation: Strategy implementation remains a persistent challenge in strategic management, with many organisations failing to bridge the gap between formulation and execution.Research purpose: This study introduces the concept of strategy message affordance and investigates its role in enabling effective strategy translation, which is posited as a precursor to enhanced implementation outcomes.Motivation for the study: Given the ongoing implementation gap observed in organisations, there is a need to explore alternative explanatory mechanisms better understand and address implementation failures.Research design, approach and method: Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on semi-structured interviews conducted across two case organisations. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns relating to message interpretation, strategic alignment and implementation dynamics.Main findings: The study finds that enhanced implementation is enabled when the strategy message is consistently and personally conveyed, supported by inclusive organisational culture, cohesion and open communication. Furthermore, a management team that engages directly, demonstrates contextual awareness and recognises employees as individuals fosters trust, leading to improved strategic alignment at lower levels.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations aiming to improve strategy execution should invest in deliberate, contextualised communication strategies and foster leadership behaviours that build interpersonal trust and collective understanding of the strategic agenda.Contribution/value-add: This study advances the strategic management literature by conceptualising SMA and linking it to implementation success via the mediating role of strategy translation.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor University of Pretoria
Date 2026-01-13
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Qualitative
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ac.v26i1.1442
 
Source Acta Commercii; Vol 26, No 1 (2026); 11 pages 1684-1999 2413-1903
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://actacommercii.co.za/index.php/acta/article/view/1442/2897 https://actacommercii.co.za/index.php/acta/article/view/1442/2898 https://actacommercii.co.za/index.php/acta/article/view/1442/2900 https://actacommercii.co.za/index.php/acta/article/view/1442/2901
 
Coverage South Africa — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2026 Muriel Serfontein-Jordaan, Marius Pretorius, Leanne Kunz, Rebaona Letsholo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
ADVERTISEMENT