Strategy, Rationality and Inference: The Possibility of Symbolic Performances

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Crow's recent article concerning strategy assimilates the concept almost entirely to the more or less rational (Crow 1989). Beginning with an example of a strategy taken from Weber, an argument is advanced suggesting that this suppresses important forms of `inference' that may be typical elements in the production of strategies. Specifically, these concern symbolic or figurative relations that can be held to obtain between a strategy and the ends to which it is addressed. Two further examples are discussed which suggest that this form of symbolic relation may be present in widely divergent situations in which the concept of strategy can be utilised. It is argued that an analysis based on this principle would enhance the development of sociological understanding and critique.

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit: