Richard Whittington is a Senior Associate of Strategic Concepts International, and a Professor of Strategic Management at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. He is a leader in contemporary strategic thinking, being co-author of Europe's best-selling textbook, Exploring Corporate Strategy, and on the editorial boards of key professional journals in the field, on both sides of the Atlantic.
His particular areas of expertise lie in strategy analysis from comparative and practice perspectives, strategic change, and organization change and development.
Richard has worked in consulting or executive teaching roles with a large range of organizations, including Corus, Grant Thornton, KPMG, McKinsey & Co., Nestlé, Saatchi & Saatchi and Unilever. He has held full-time or visiting positions at Harvard Business School, HEC Paris, Imperial College and the Universities of Toulouse and Warwick. Richard has directed the Full-time MBA at Oxford and the Part-time MBA at Warwick. He is adviser to the Institute of Directors on Director Development.
In his research, Richard has collaborated with IBM Consulting, Cambridge Consulting and PwC. He is currently working with the Institute of Directors on developing strategy skills and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development on the practice and process of reorganising. He is the author or co-author of eight books and has published many academic and practitioner articles. His What is Strategy - and Does it Matter? won the Management Consulting Association's book prize. Richard's research has been featured in the Financial Times, Sunday Times and The Times and he is a frequent speaker at practitioner events.
AREA EXPERTISE
Strategy Analysis
Strategic Change
Organization Change and Development
INDUSTRY EXPERTISE
Steel
COUNTRIES
United Kingdom
France
CURRENT BASE
London
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Books
G. Johnson, A. Langley, L. Melin and R. Whittington, Strategy as Practice: Research Directions and Resources, Cambridge University Press, 2007
G. Johnson, K. Scholes and R. Whittington, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 7th Edition, Pearson, 2004
A. Pettigrew, R. Whittington, L. Melin, W. Ruigrok, C. Sanchez-Runde and F. Van den Bosch (eds), Innovative Forms of Organizing, Sage Publications, 2003
A. Pettigrew, H. Thomas and R. Whittington (eds), The Handbook of Strategy and Management, Sage, 2002
R. Whittington and M. Mayer, The European Corporation: Strategy, Structure and Social Science, Oxford University Press, 2000 (translated into Italian and Chinese)
D. Brownlie, M. Saren, R. Wensley and R. Whittington (eds), Rethinking Marketing, Sage, 1999, pp. 273
R. Whittington, What is Strategy - And Does it Matter?, Routledge, 1993, 155 pp 2nd edition 2001 (Thompson); translated into Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish; Chapter 2 reprinted in Strategy for Business, M. Mazzucato (ed.) Sage Publications Ltd. and The Open University, 2001; Winner of the Management Consulting Association’s annual book prize, 1994.
R. Whittington, Corporate Strategies in Recession and Recovery: Social Structures and Strategic Choice, Unwin Hyman, 1989, 325 pp.
R. Whittington, What is Strategy - And Does it Matter?, Routledge, 1993, 155 pp 2nd edition 2001 (Thompson); translated into Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish; Chapter 2 reprinted in Strategy for Business, M. Mazzucato (ed.) Sage Publications Ltd. and The Open University, 2001; Winner of the Management Consulting Association’s annual book prize, 1994.
R. Whittington, Corporate Strategies in Recession and Recovery: Social Structures and Strategic Choice, Unwin Hyman, 1989, 325 pp.
Editorship of Journal Special Issues
Special Issue of Long Range Planning, The Crafts of Strategy, co-edited with L. Cailluet, in progress
Special issue of Business History, Managerial Capitalism in Historical and Comparative Perspective, June, 2007
Special Issue of Journal of Management Studies, Micro Strategy and Strategising, co-edited with G. Johnson and L. Melin, 40, 1, 2003
Special Issue of Organization Studies, ‘Action, Structure and Organizations’, 17, 1, 1997, co-edited with H. Bouchikhi and M. Kilduff
Special Issue of the European Journal of Marketing, ‘The New Marketing Myopia’, 28, 3, 1994, co-edited with D. Brownlie, M. Saren and R. Wensley.
Journal Articles (* refereed journal)
Whittington R., Molloy E., Mayer M, Smith A, Practices of Strategising/Organising: Broadening Strategy Work and Skills, Long Range Planning, forthcoming
Hodgkinson GP, Whittington R, Johnson G, Schwarz M, The Role of Strategy Workshops in Strategy Development Processes:Formality, Communication, Coordination and Inclusion, Long Range Planning, forthcoming
Whittington R., Completing the Practice Turn in Strategy Research, Organization Studies, 2006, 26, 4: 613-634*
Molloy E. and Whittington R. ‘Organising Organising: the Practice inside the Process’, Advances in Strategic Management, 2005, 22, 491-515
Whittington R. ‘Strategy after Modernism: Recovering Practice’, European Management Review, 2004, 1, 1: 62-68 (translated as ‘Estrategia apos o Modernismo: Recuperando a Practica’, Revista de Administracao de Empresas, 44, 4, 44-53)*
M. Mayer and R. Whittington, ‘Economics, Politics and Nations’, Journal of Management Studies, 2004, 41, 7, 1057-1082*
Mayer M. and Whittington R., ‘Après le Défi Américain: la Structure Multidivisionelle dans l’Europe Post-McKinsey’, Entreprises et Histoire, 2003, 33: 41-56*
Whittington R., Jarzabkowski P., Mayer M., Mounoud E., Nahapiet J. and Rouleau L. ‘Taking Strategy Seriously: Responsibility and Reform for an Important Social Practice’, Journal of Management Inquiry, 12, 4, 2003: 396- 409*
Mayer M. and Whittington R., ‘Diversification in Context: a Cross National and Cross Temporal Extension, Strategic Management Journal, 24, 2003: 773-781*
Whittington R., ‘The Work of Strategizing and Organizing: for a Practice Perspective’, Strategic Organization, 1, 1, 2003: 117-126*
Johnson G., Melin L., and Whittington R., ‘Micro-Strategy and Strategising: Introduction to the Special Issue’, Journal of Management Studies, 40, 1, 2003: 3-20* 13 citations
Whittington R. and Mayer M., ‘Response to Kay: Chandlerism in Post-War Europe: Strategic and Structural Change in France Germany and the UK, 1950-1993: a Comment’, Industrial and Corporate Change, 11, 1, 2002: 199-206*
Whittington R. ‘Expert Commentary: The Urge to Merge in the Pharmaceutical Industry, European Management Journal, 19, 4, 2001: 441-442
S-C Hung and R. Whittington, ‘Playing by the Rules: Institutional Foundations of Success and Failure in the Taiwanese Computer Industry’, Journal of Business Research, 47, 1, 2000, 47-53*
Mayer M. and Whittington R., ‘National Institutions and Corporate Change: Strategy, Structure and “Systemness” in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, 1950-1993’, Organization Studies, 20, 6, 1999, 933-960*
Whittington R., Pettigrew A., Peck S., Fenton E. and Conyon M., ‘Change and Complementarities in the New Competitive Landscape: A European Panel Study, 1992-1996’, Organization Science, September-October, 1999, 583-600 (reprinted in Lewin A and Volberda H., The Co-Evolution Advantage, ME Sharpe, 2002)*
Mayer M. and Whittington R., ‘Euro-Elites: Top British, French and German Managers in the 1980s and 1990s’, European Management Journal, 17, 4, 1999, 403-408 (translated as ‘Dessinez-Moi un Patron Européen’, L’Expansion Management Review, 96, March, 2000, 39-44).
Whittington R., Mayer M. and Curto C., ‘Chandlerism in Post-War Europe: Strategic and Structural Change in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, 1950-1993, Industrial and Corporate Change, 8, 3-4, 1999, 519-550*
Ruigrok R., Pettigrew A., Peck S. and Whittington R., ‘Corporate Restructuring and New Patterns of Organising: Evidence from Europe’, Management International Review, 39, 2, 1999, 41-64.*
R. Whittington and M. Mayer, 'Le instituzioni nazionali contano ancora?', Sviluppo & Organizzazione, 165, January-February 1998, 105-123.
S-C Hung and R. Whittington, ‘Strategy and Institutions: a Pluralistic Account of Strategies in the Taiwanese Computing Industry’, Organization Studies, 18, 4, 1997, 551-575*
H. Bouchikhi, M. Kilduff and R. Whittington, ‘Action, Structure and Organizations’, Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue of Organization Studies on ‘Action, Structure and Organizations’, 17, 1, 1997, v-vii
R. Whittington, ‘Strategy as Practice’, Long Range Planning, October, 731-735, 1996 (abridged version reprinted in G. Pearson, 1998, Strategy Thinking and Strategic Management, Prentice Hall).
R. Whittington, T. McNulty and R. Whipp, ‘Market-Driven Change in Professional Services: Problems and Process’, Journal of Management Studies, 31, 6, 829-845, 1994*
T. McNulty, R. Whittington, R. Whipp and M. Kitchener, ‘Implementing Marketing in NHS Hospitals’, Public Money and Management, July-September, 51-58, 1994.*
D. Brownlie, M. Saren, R. Whittington and R. Wensley, ‘The New Marketing Myopia: Critical Perspectives on Theory and Research in Marketing’, Editors’ introduction to the Special Issue of the European Journal of Marketing, ‘The New Marketing Myopia’, 28, 3, 6-12, 1994.
R. Whittington, 'Putting Giddens into Action: Social Systems and Managerial Agency', Journal of Management Studies, 29, 6, 693-712, 1992. (reprinted in C. Bryant and D. Jary (eds), Anthony Giddens: Critical Assessments, Routledge, London, 1996).*
R. Whittington and R. Whipp, 'Professional Ideology and Marketing Implementation', European Journal of Marketing, 26, 1, 52-63, 1992. ('Outstanding Paper', 1992; reprinted in D. Littler and D. Wilson (eds), Marketing Strategy, 1995, Butterworth Heinemann, London)*
T. McNulty and R. Whittington, 'Putting the Marketing into R&D', Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 10, 9, 10-16, 1992.*
R. Whittington, 'Recession Strategies and Top Management Change', Journal of General Management, 16, 3, 11-28, 1991.*
R. Whittington, 'Changing Control Strategies in Industrial R&D', R&D Management, 21, 1, 43-53, 1991.*
R. Whittington and R. Dover, 'Local Government Responses to Aerospace Restructuring in France and Germany', Local Economy, 5, 3, 233-248, 1990.
R. Whittington, 'Social Structures and Resistance to Strategic Change: British Manufacturers in the 1980s', British Journal of Management, 1, 4, 201-213, 1990*
R. Whittington, 'Environmental Structure and Theories of Strategic Choice', Journal of Management Studies, 25, 6, 1-17, 1988.*
J. Shutt and R. Whittington, 'Fragmentation Strategies and the Rise of Small Units: The Case of the North West', Regional Studies, 21, 1, 13-23, 1987 (substantially reprinted in J. Allen and D. Massey (eds), The Economy in Question, Sage/Open University, 1988)*
R. Whittington, 'Strategic Choice: Logiques d'Action or Corporate Cultures?', Centre for European Business Education Studies Journal, 1, 2, 17-24, 1986.
R. Whittington, 'Regional Bias in New Firm Formation in the UK', Regional Studies, 18, 3, 253-6, 1984*
Book chapters
Johnson G., Melin L., and Whittington R., ‘Micro-Strategy and Strategising’, in Floyd S., Roos, J, Jacobs C and Kellermans F (eds), Innovating Strategy Process, Blackwell, 2005.
R. Whittington and L. Melin, ‘Organizing/Strategizing’ in A. Pettigrew, R. Whittington, L. Melin, W. Ruigrok, C. Sanchez-Runde and F. Van den Bosch (eds), Innovative Forms of Organizing, Sage Publications, 2003
R. Whittington and A. Pettigrew, ‘Complementarities, Change and Performance’, in A. Pettigrew, R. Whittington, L. Melin, W. Ruigrok, C. Sanchez-Runde and F. Van den Bosch (eds), Innovative Forms of Organizing, Sage Publications, 2003
A. Pettigrew and R. Whittington, ‘Complementarities in Action: Competition and Change in BP and Unilever, 1985-2000’, in A. Pettigrew, R. Whittington, L. Melin, W. Ruigrok, C. Sanchez-Runde and F. Van den Bosch (eds), Innovative Forms of Organizing, Sage Publications, 2003
R. Whittington, ‘Corporate Structure’, in A. Campbell and D. Faulkner (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Strategy, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003
R. Whittington, A. Pettigrew and H. Thomas, ‘Conclusions: Doing More in Strategy Research’, in A. Pettigrew, H. Thomas and R. Whittington (eds), The Handbook of Strategy and Management, Sage, London, 2002
A. Pettigrew, H. Thomas and R. Whittington, ‘Strategic Management: the Strengths and Limitations of a Field’, in A. Pettigrew, H. Thomas and R. Whittington (eds), The Handbook of Strategy and Management, Sage, London, 2002
R. Whittington, ‘Corporate Structure: from Policy to Practice’, in A. Pettigrew, H. Thomas and R. Whittington (eds), The Handbook of Strategy and Management, Sage, London, 2002
M.Mayer and Whittington R. ‘For Boundedness in the Study of Comparative and International Business’, in Geppert M, Matten D. and Williams K (eds), Challenges for European Management in a Global Context’, Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002.
R. Whittington, ‘Competitive Strategy to Lure the Investor’, Mastering Management 2.0, J. Pickford (ed), FT/Prentice Hall, London, 2001
R. Whittington, A. Pettigrew, W. Ruigrok, ‘New Notions of Organizational Fit’, Mastering Strategy: The Complete MBA Companion in Strategy, FT/Prentice Hall, London, 2000: 151-157
R. Whittington, The Evergreen Conglomerate, Mastering Strategy: The Complete MBA Companion in Strategy, FT/Prentice Hall, London, 2000, 327-331
R. Whittington, ‘The How is More Important than the Where’, Mastering Strategy: The Complete MBA Companion in Strategy, FT/Prentice Hall, London, 2000: 269-272
R. Whittington, M. Mayer and F. Curto, ‘Strategy, Structure and Performance in European Industry: Corporate and National Perspectives’, in S. Quack, G. Morgan and R. Whitley (eds), National Capitalisms, Global Competition and Economic Performance, John Benjamin, Amsterdam, 2000, 105-27
D. Brownlie, M. Saren, R. Wensley and R. Whittington, ‘Marketing Disequilibrium: on Redress and Restoration’, in D. Brownlie, M. Saren, R. Wensley and R. Whittington (eds), Rethinking Marketing, Sage, London, 1999, 1-22
R. Whittington and M. Mayer, ‘Beyond or Behind the M-Form? The Structures of European Business’, in D. O’Neal and H. Thomas (eds), Strategy, Structure and Styles, Wiley, London, 1997, 241-258
T. McNulty, R. Whittington and R. Whipp, ‘Professional Practices and Market-Driven Change’, in I. Glover and M. Hughes (eds), Beyond Reason: The National Health Service and the Limits of Management, Avebury Press, Aldershot, 1996, 81-100.
R. Whittington, ‘Alfred Chandler’, in M. Warner (ed.), The International Encyclopaedia of Business and Management, Volume One, Routledge, London, 1996, 612-617. (reprinted in the IEBM Handbook of Management Thinking, M. Warner (ed), International Thomson, London, 1998, 99-104; revised edition, 2001).
M. Mayer and R. Whittington, ‘The Survival of the European Holding Company: Societal Contingency and Choice’, in R. Whitley and P. Kristensen (eds), The Changing European Firm, Routledge, London, 1996, 87-112.
T. McNulty, R. Whittington and R. Whipp, ‘Market-Orientated Strategic Change: Managing Complexity and Context’, in H. Thomas and D. O’Neill (eds), Strategic Renaissance and Business Transformation, Wiley, London, 1996, 81-106.
R. Whittington, 'Sociological Pluralism, Institutions and Managerial Agency', in M. Parker and J. Hassard (eds), Towards a New Theory of Organisations, Routledge, London, 1994, 53-74.
R. Whittington, 'Social Structures and Strategic Leadership', in J. Hendry and G. Johnson (eds), Leadership, Strategic Change and the Learning Organisation, Wiley, London, 1993, 99-119.
P. Field and R. Whittington, 'Aerospace Restructuring and Network Responses', in J. Bennington and M. Geddes (eds), Restructuring the Local Economy, Longmans, London, 1993, 99-119.
R. Whittington, 'The Fragmentation of Industrial R&D', in A. Pollert (ed), Farewell to Flexibility?, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, 1991, 84-103 (translated in A. Pollert, 1994, Adios a la Flexilidad?, Ministeria de Trabajo, Madrid, 155-180).
R. Whittington, 'The Changing Structures of Industrial R&D', in R. Loveridge and M. Pitt (eds), Strategic Management of Technological Innovation, Wiley, London, 1990, 183-203.
J. Shutt and R. Whittington, 'Large Firm Strategies and the Rise of Small Units', in T. Faulkner et al (eds), Current Research on Small Firms, Gower Press, Farnborough, 1986, 176-214.
R. Whittington, 'Regional Bias in New Firm Foundation', in M. Scott et al (eds), Small Firms' Growth and Development, Gower Press, Farnborough, 1986, 39-50.
Book Reviews
R. Whittington: C. Markides, All the Right Moves: a Guide to Crafting Breakthrough Strategy, European Management Journal, 2000, 18, 5, 575-6
R. Whittington: G. Palmer and S. Clegg, Constituting Management: Markets, Meanings and Identities, Administrative Science Quarterly, June, 1999, 423-25.
R. Whittington: J. Nizet and F. Pichault, Comprendre Les Organisations, Organization Studies, 17, 6, 1998, 1026-27
R. Whittington: R. Stacey, Dynamic Strategic Management, Journal of Management Studies, 31, 3, 1994, 453-455.
R. Whittington: I. Khadwalla, Innovative Corporate Turnarounds, Sage, Organization Studies,15, 5, 1994, 783-786.
R. Whittington: J. Kay, Foundations of Corporate Success, Blackwell, Journal of Management Studies, 31, 1, 1994, 133-136.
R. Whittington: N. Brunsson, The Organisation of Hypocrisy, Wiley, Journal of Management Studies, 28, 6, 1991, 679-680.
R. Whittington: P. Totterdill et al, Industrial Policy and the Regeneration of British Manufacturing Industry, Local Economy, 6, 2, 1991, 186-187.
R. Whittington: C. Hinings and R. Greenwood, The Dynamics of Strategic Change, Blackwell, Organization Studies, 11, 4, 1990, 584-586.
R. Whittington: R. Hudson and D. Sadler, The International Steel Industry, Routledge, Local Economy, 5, 2, 1990, 180-181.
R. Whittington: A. Markusen et al, High Tech America, Allen & Unwin, Work, Employment and Society, 1987, 1, 3, 415-416.
R. Whittington: A. Pettigrew, The Awakening Giant, Blackwell, Business History, 24, 1, 1987, 131-132.
Working Papers, Proceedings, Practitioner Reports, Press
‘No more doorsteps’, quoted in Times Higher Education Supplement, 28 April, 2006
‘Managing Change’, 60-Second Interview: Professor Richard WhittingtonBy eGov monitor Newsdesk 23 September, 2005
Richard Whittington, Eamonn Molloy, Michael Mayer, Anne Smith and Evelyn Fenton, Look Who’s Talking, People Management, 7 April, 2005, 38-41
R. Whittington and M. Molloy, HR’s Role in Organising: Shaping Change, CIPD, 2005
M Mayer, A Smith and R. Whittington, Organising for Success: Second Survey Report CIPD, 2004
M. Molloy and R. Whittington, HR: Making Change Happen, Executive Briefing, CIPD, 2004
R Whittington, M Mayer, E. Molloy and A. Smith, Case Study: Corporate Reorganisations, The Times, 28 October, 2004
D. Shaw and R. Whittington, The Art of Change in the Public Sector, European Business Forum, Issue 14, 65-69, 2003.
M Mayer, A Smith and R. Whittington, Organising for Success: First Survey Report CIPD, 2003
R Whittington and M Mayer, Organising for Success: A Report on Knowledge, CIPD, 2002.
R Whittington, M Mayer, & A Smith, 'Grand Designs: Why HR should be at the heart of restructuring', People Management, 10 October 2002.
R Whittington, M Mayer, & A Smith, 'Restructuring Roulette', Financial Times, 8 November 2002.
R Eglin, 'Hasty Shake-ups Fail to Deliver', Sunday Times, 24 November 2002
R. Whittington, Strategists Matter Most, European Business Forum, Winter issue, 16-17, 2001/02
R. Whittington, ‘Learning to Strategise’, Sunday Business, October 15, 2001
A. Pettigrew and R. Whittington, Managing ‘Joined Up’ Change, People Management, 11 October, 52-54, 2001 (reprinted in Professional Business and Technical Management, 2002)
R. Whittington, ‘Learning to Strategise’, SKOPE Working Paper, October, 2001
R. Whittington, Competitive Strategy, Financial Times Mastering Management, October 18, 2-5, 2000
R. Whittington, A. Pettigrew, W. Ruigrok, New Notions of Organizational Fit, Financial Times, Mastering Strategy, 29, 11, 1999, 3-4
R. Whittington, The Evergreen Conglomerate, Financial Times, Mastering Strategy, 1, 11, 1999, 4, 6.
R. Whittington, The How is More Important than the Where, Financial Times, Mastering Strategy, 25, 10, 1999, 4
R. Whittington, How to Choose Your MBA, Guardian Weekly, September 27, 1998, 4-5
R. Whittington and F. Murray, 1997, The Utilities of the Future: Horizontal or Atomised?, Energy Utilities, November, 20-21
R. Whittington, T. McNulty and R. Whipp (1995), 'Managing a Changing World', Marketing Business, 6, December, 51.
H. Bouchikhi, M. Kilduff and R. Whittington (eds), Action, Structure and Organisations, Warwick Business School Working Paper, No 184, 1995, 425pp
C. Hemais, R. Wensley and R. Whittington, ‘Market Entry Strategies Used by British Industry in the Process of Commercialisation of Technology’, in M Yamin, F. Burton and A. Cross (eds), The Changing European Environment, Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference of the UK Academy of International Business, UMIST, March, 1994, 865-885.
T. McNulty and R. Whittington, 'Putting the Marketing into R&D', Proceedings of the International Product Development Management Conference on New Approaches to Development and Engineering, EIASM, Brussels, 1992, 365-379.
H. Liu, R. Wensley and R. Whittington, 'Market Effect, Control Effect and Market Orientation', in N. Piercy et al (eds), Preparing Marketing for the New Millenium, MEG Conference Proceedings, University of Wales College of Cardiff, 1991, 627-644.
R. Whittington, ‘Restructuring of the World Aerospace Industry’, Working Paper No. 7, Local Government Centre, University of Warwick, January, 1990.
J. Shutt and R. Whittington, ‘Large Firm Strategies and the Rise of Small Units: the Illusion of Small Firm Job Generation’, Working Paper No. 15, North West Industry Research Unit, University of Manchester, 1984.
C. Bedale, B. Leech and R. Whittington, ‘Industry in Greater Manchester: Will it Survive’?, Manchester Economic Research Group, Manchester, 1984.