Advancing the cognitive perspective on strategy: Organizational consequences of how CEOs and shareholders think
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Publication Type
Collection of articles
Editor
Supervisor
Peeters, Carine
Baeten, Xavier
Baeten, Xavier
Publication Year
2025-04-25
Journal
Book
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Publication Begin page
1
Publication End page
147
Publication Number of pages
147
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Abstract
This dissertation advances the cognitive perspective on strategy by extending fundamental strategic management theories in which CEO cognition has received little attention so far, more specifically, the Behavioral Theory of the Firm and Real Options Theory. Through the integration of insights from strategic leadership with those theories, this work aims to come to a more complete understanding of why firms behave differently. After studying CEO cognition and contributing to those two theories, the final study brings light on cognitive thinking by the organization’s most important stakeholder: the shareholder. This research, building on Signaling Theory and the Sensemaking literature, explains how shareholders may engage in a more complex and holistic assessment of an equivocal firm practice. In addition to advancing the cognitive perspective on strategy, the empirical work in this dissertation brings attention to the European context by leveraging novel datasets of European listed firms.