A theory of strategic culture
- 1 January 1991
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Comparative Strategy
- Vol. 10 (1) , 3-23
- https://doi.org/10.1080/01495939108402827
Abstract
War's inherent uncertainty makes subjective judgment an inseparable part of strategic choice. Strategic cultures, the set of beliefs held by strategic decisionmakers regarding the political object of war and the most effective means of achieving it, arise out of strategy‐maker's need to act purposively despite this uncertainty. Strategic cultures can be compared and analyzed by means of a paradigm that represents them as a hierarchy of concepts on several levels: political, strategic, and operational. These concepts must be well‐formed and, in particular, well‐integrated if the strategy‐maker is to produce good (i.e., successful) strategy.Keywords
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