Configurations Revisited

My 1986 article in SMJ represented an early attempt to apply the approach of configuration to the field of strategy. Now, 10 years later, we still have far to go. What is often lacking from the configurational literature is the search for configuration itself: for complex systems of interdependency and their core orchestrating themes. In this note I address the two major approaches to configuration: conceptually derived typologies and empirically based taxonomies. Some shortcomings of this work are identified and a few ambitious remedial suggestions are advanced. I then propose a third approach—studying configuration as a variable or quality within each organization that can create or destroy competitive advantage.