Strategic Renewal and Corporate Programs : The Role of Coordination and Learning

In corporate programs multi-business firms coordinate their portfolio of strategic initiatives that are means for renewing firms' capabilities. Research has focused mainly on capability development and organizational learning within single strategic initiatives. Despite the widespread managerial use of corporate programs, little research about
effects on program-level and interplay of strategic initiatives exists. This study addresses this gap by examining the impact of several coordination and learning mechanisms on corporate program performance. Our central argument is that the degree of coordination and the facilitation of deliberate learning mechanisms influence corporate program performance. We conceptualize a corporate program learning process as
a major building block of a corporate program capability. Thus, this study contributes mainly to strategic renewal, strategic initiative and dynamic capability research.