Interpretations on Automatic: A Different View of Strategic Issue Diagnosis*

Models of strategic decision‐making and environmental scanning typically assume that decision‐makers diagnose issues actively, using conscious and intentional effort to identify and to interpret potentially significant events, developments and trends. This article establishes that conditions in organizations put decision‐makers ‘on automatic’in their diagnosis of strategic issues, with direct implications for the process and content of strategic action. Implications for theory and practice are established.