母子公司战略一致性的路径及实现机制 ——基于相互依赖关系视角

由复杂依赖关系构成的国有企业集团需要确定各子公司在战略目标上达成共识的程度,如何协调依赖关系以促成战略一致成为集团企业亟须解决的问题。本文通过多案例研究方法,基于相互依赖关系视角,构建了母子公司依赖关系与战略一致性的研究框架。通过定性比较分析(QCA),本文解读产生战略承诺的两类构型特征,一类是具有高开放性和低能动性的锁定式建构,另一类是具有低关系形态、高能动性和集权管控的能动式依赖。本文又立足关系规则,构建能够引发主动精神的策略,触发式探索策略可以减弱开放的锁定性和能动的短视性,嵌入式即兴策略可以增加子体的即兴创作和母体的适度规则,以促进子公司主导行为的生成。本文结合能动性与管控模式拓展了相互依赖关系视角的战略研究,对于国有企业集团内部协调运行提供借鉴与启示。

The path and realization mechanism of strategic consensus of parent-subsidiary:Based on independence perspective

State-owned enterprise groups consisting of complex interdependence need to determine the extent to which each subsidiary has reached a consensus on the strategic objectives of enterprise groups.How to coordinate interdependence to promote strategic consensus has become an urgent problem for enterprise groups.Exploratory case studies are employed to explain the phenomena and problem that exists in interdependence.①Due to the unique background conditions of state-owned enterprises in China,under the constraints of the Group′s internal norms,practices and systems,there are“submission”and“commitment”phenomena in the process of inter-activities.②Because the parents and subsidiaries lack the rule guidance that includes the extent to which the resource and information flows among interdependent activities are subject to predefined rules and the timing with which interdependent activities are supposed to exchange resources and information,and there is a problem that is how to motivate the initiative of the subsidiary.The set theory advocated by Ragin can be a good illustration:how the independence and strength of the parent-subsidiary combine to form some advantages that cannot be explained by a single-level analysis.Based on the multi-case research method,this study constructs a research framework of parent-subsidiary interdependence and strategic consensus based on the interdependence perspective.This study adopts a variety of data collection methods,including the collection of second-hand data(2011-2017),and our study data is supplemented by semi-structured interviews,interview videos and literature.This study follows the principle of“theoretical sampling”,and employs 33 subsidiaries of the four state-owned enterprise groups as research samples,and adopts fuzzy set qualitative comparison analysis to analyze the QCA result and propose propositions.Qualitative comparative analysis is applicable to our study and has the following three advantages:first,fsQCA makes up for the insufficiency of the number of cases that cannot be handled in case studies.Second,fsQCA can show multiple paths with resulting equivalence.Finally,fsQCA allows for asymmetry in the antecedent conditions and results,allowing for more subtle analysis.This study explores the following three conclusions through the exploratory case study of four state-owned enterprise groups:①The strategic consensus is the result of the interaction of multiple factors in interdependence,which is reflected in the multi-combination configuration of interdependence pattern,agency and management control.②The strategic commitment includes two configurations of agency-dependence and locked-construction,which are applicable to the case of“low modularity?low openness?high agency?centralized management control”and“high openness?low agency”.This means that in the parent-subsidiary relationship of stateowned enterprises,the strategic planning model of the subsidiary chooses to implement the strategic arrangement of the group.The Group plays the role of strategic manager and strategic investor,and the subsidiary implements the strategy to achieve the scope economy and overall development of the group.③Interdependence rules provide normative guidance for the flow of resources and information between interdependent activities of parent-subsidiary corporates.Using the interdependence rules of stringency and immediacy,the subsidiary can combine two strategies of the embedded-improvisation of“low stringency and high immediacy”and the triggered-exploration of“high stringency and low immediacy”to be proactive.This study provides theoretical contributions to the literature in three ways.First,this study employs systematic and holistic thinking to examine the issue,and responds to the suggestions of Chinese scholars that study the organization and strategy from the configuration perspective of the complex linkage.According to the different characteristics of the antecedent conditions in the combination,the mechanism for realizing the strategic commitment is explained,and the research on strategic consensus is enriched.Second,based on the interdependence perspective,this study explores how the parent company trigger the strategic consensus of the subsidiary through the interdependence.And we expand the interdependence theory by adding the agency and management control.It is found that the interdependence between organizations is not only represented by the specific form of the organization,but also influenced by the respective strengths of the parent-subsidiary companies.Third,the interdependence rule as a strategy,which adheres to the adaptive view,could combine stringency and immediacy to stimulate the subsidiary initiative.For practical implications,enterprises should adopt the principle of whole and key,and the principle of embeddedness and spontaneity.Furthermore,state-owned enterprises need to legitimately coordinate the interdependence of the parent-subsidiary to protect the initiative of the subsidiary.