Co-creating strategy in action with stakeholders: a grounded theory explaining middle manager response to their concerns around progressing organisational strategic agendas in increasingly ambiguous environments

Emergent theory suggested that to progress organisational strategic agendas in increasingly ambiguous environments, middle managers are, to varying degrees, co-creating strategic action with salient stakeholders. This occurs through dynamic processes including: interacting continually, making strategic narratives credible, reshaping power relations, and, co-generating strategic options. Research outcomes are relevant to formal organisational strategy-making and decision-making, and to identifying related skill-sets and capabilities required of middle managers, particularly those concerning collaboration with stakeholders in complexity.