PublicationBook chapter

Frontline Strategy Work

Abstract

Frontline Strategy Work has recently evolved into an important phenomenon in Strategy-as-Practice (SAP) research, particularly concerning frontline employees (FLEs). FLEs are non-managerial staff with distinct roles, identities, and organisational tasks. They are typically divided into two categories: frontline workers, who handle operational, supplier, and customer-facing roles, and frontline leaders, who oversee teams and report to middle management. Despite lacking managerial privileges, FLEs play a critical role in bridging the organisation and its customers, influencing customer satisfaction and organisational outcomes. Frontline Strategy Work is crucial to understanding how strategy emerges in organisations. SAP scholars have expanded the traditional view of strategising beyond upper management. The focus on Frontline Strategy Work has brought FLEs into strategic analysis, enabling scholars to apply various theoretical lenses.

Demir, R., Grossmann-Hensel, B., Jarzabkowski, P., Kratochvil, R., Seidl, D., & others. (2025). Frontline Strategy Work. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Details

Author: Demir, R., Grossmann-Hensel, B., Jarzabkowski, P., Kratochvil, R., Seidl, D., ...
Publication year: 2025
Published in: Edward Elgar Publishing.

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Associate Professor
Robert Demir
+46705117484robert.demir@ratio.se

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Frontline Strategy Work has recently evolved into an important phenomenon in Strategy-as-Practice (SAP) research, particularly concerning frontline employees (FLEs). FLEs are non-managerial staff with distinct roles, identities, and organisational tasks. They are typically divided into two categories: frontline workers, who handle operational, supplier, and customer-facing roles, and frontline leaders, who oversee teams and report to middle management. Despite lacking managerial privileges, FLEs play a critical role in bridging the organisation and its customers, influencing customer satisfaction and organisational outcomes. Frontline Strategy Work is crucial to understanding how strategy emerges in organisations. SAP scholars have expanded the traditional view of strategising beyond upper management. The focus on Frontline Strategy Work has brought FLEs into strategic analysis, enabling scholars to apply various theoretical lenses.

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