Executive Summary Research for Practitioners

Wright, R. P. (2023). CEO Report: The psychology of the unknown - what great problem-solvers do when they get stuck. Faculty of Business, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 

 

Book Chapters

Wright, R. P. (2023). Opening up alternative for managers stuck with complexity. In R. Galavan & K. Sund (Guest Editor: R. Gustafsson). New Horizons in Managerial and Organizational Cognition: Cognitive Aids in Strategy. (Chapter 2, pp. 11-32); UK, Emerald. 

Wright, R. P. (2020). Teaching strategy by not teaching strategy. In S. Baumann. Teaching Strategic Management: A Hands-On Guide to Teaching Success. (Chapter 9, pp.180-200); USA, Elgar Publishing Ltd.

Wright, R. P. (2018). Re-examining what we “anticipate” in a constructed world. In R. Galavan & K. Sund (Guest Editor: G. Hodgkinson). Methodological Challenges and Advances in Managerial and Organizational Cognition. (Chapter 9, pp. 219-241); UK, Emerald.

Wright, R. P. (2016). Organizational paradoxes: When opposites cease to be opposites. In D. Winter & N. Reed, Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Personal Construct Psychology. Chapter 25: 306-319. UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

Hodgkinson, G. P., Wright, R. P., & Paroutis, S. (2015). Putting numbers to words in the discernment of meaning: Applications of repertory grid in strategic management (Chapter 8, pp. 201-226). In C. Cinici & G. Dagnino, Research Methods for Strategic Management. UK: Routledge.

Wright, R. P., (2006). Rigor and relevance using repertory grid technique in strategy research. In D. J. Ketchen & D. D. Bergh (Ed.) Research methodology in strategy and management Vol. 3. (pp. 295–348) Oxford:  ElsevierJAI.

Wright, R. P., (2004). Element selection. In Joern Scheer (Ed.) The Internet Encyclopedia of Personal Construct Psychology. Germany.

 

Books

Wright, R. P. (forthcoming). Complicate yourself: A psychology for problem setting and solving. Penguin.

Wright, R. P. (forthcoming). The adventures of little Leo and the magical FOCUSED dice. American Psychological Association.

Wright, R. P. & Brown, K. G. (eds.) (2014). Educating tomorrow’s thought-leaders: Distinguished scholars answer a burning question. Chicago, IL: Strategic Management Society.

Wright, R. P. (2010, May): pioneered departmental booklet series 3rd edition: Staying F.O.C.U.S.E.D. in a changing world: Reflections from the class of 2010. Published by PolyU MM Dept.

Wright, R. P. (2009, April): pioneered departmental booklet series 2nd edition: Your critical business issues solved! 30 Future leaders share their insights. Published by PolyU MM Dept.

Wright, R. P. (2008, March): pioneered departmental booklet series 1st edition: 30 Future leaders’ reflections of a better world. Published by PolyU MM Dept.

Wright, R. P. (1995). Positive corner. HK: Design Human Resources Training & Development Books.

 

Newsletters

Wright, R. P. (2019). When leaders better anticipate the unknown. Faculty of Business Magazine, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. June Issue: 4-5 (feature article).

Wright, R. P. (2018). Learning to (Un)learn by Staying F.O.C.U.S.E.D. Faculty of Business Magazine, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. December Issue: 26-27.

Wright, R. P. (2016). Insights: “Staying F.O.C.U.S.E.D.” and make a real impact to your work integrated education! Career Connect, September issue #2. Office of Careers and Placements (CAPS), Centre Student Advancement and Resources, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Wright, R. P., Hung, P., Lau, P., & Lo, V. (2011). Staying F.O.C.U.S.E.D. in a complicated world. Official Newsletter of the Department of Management & Marketing, Faculty of Business, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. July Issue: 11-12.

 

Refereed Articles

Hodgkinson, G., Wright, R. P. & Anderson, J. (2015). Emotionalizing strategy research with the repertory grid technique: Modifications and extensions to a robust procedure from mapping strategic knowledge. In Gavetti, G., & Ocasio, W. Advances in Strategic Management, Volume 32 Cognition and Strategy, 32, 505-547.

Wright, R. P. & Mak, W-M. (2014). Using oppositional analysis grounded in personal construct theory to elicit strategic tensions. American Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings. Philadelphia, USA

Nominated Best Paper for the Managerial & Organizational Cognitions Division of the American Academy of Management.

Also nominated for The Carolyn Dexter Award

Wright, R. P., Paroutis, S. E., & Blettner, D. P. (2013). How useful are the strategy tools we teach in business schools? Journal of Management Studies. 50(1), 92-125. 

Additional honor with distinction: The four (4) extensive rounds of revisions of this published paper was used as an exemplar to showcase the authors’ responsiveness throughout the entire review process at a workshop hosted by the journal for PhD students on “Publishing and Career Workshop” at Cambridge University (in March 2014); Three more such workshops were held in China in June2015 (Beijing, Renmin University; Changchun, Jilin University) and Sun Yat Sen University Business School, May, 2016; ALSO: Winning paper in the prestigious Emerald Citations of Excellence for 2016 for high impact research.
Wright, R. P. (2008).  Eliciting complex strategic cognitions using advanced repertory grids in a world constructed and reconstructed. Organizational Research Methods. 11(4), 753-769. 

Wright, R. P. (2008).  Book Review: Research methodology in strategy and management, Volume 2, edited by David J. Ketchen, Jr., and Donald D. Bergh (2005). Oxford, UK: Elsevier, JAI. 286 pages. ISBN 0-7623-1208-4. Organizational Research Methods. 11(4), 855-859.

Wright, R. P. (2004).  Mapping cognitions to better understand attitudinal and behavioral responses in appraisal research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 339-374.

Wright, R. P. (2004).  Top managers' strategic cognitions of the strategy making process: Differences between high and low performing firms. Journal of General Management, 30 (1), 61-78.

Lo, S., Wright, P., & Wright, R. P. (2003).  Job-family satisfaction and work-family conflict among female married professionals in Hong Kong: A dichotomy of attitude and outlook. International Journal of Employment Studies, 11 (2), 25-45.

Wright, R. P. (2002).  Perceptual dimensions of performance management systems in the eyes of different sample categories. International Journal of Management, 19 (2), 184-193.

Wright, R. P. & Lam, S. K. (2002).  Comparing apples with apples: The importance of element wording in grid applications. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 15, 109-119.

​

International and Local Conferences

Wright, R. P. (2023, September). We hit the target, but miss the whole point of strategic internships. Proposal accepted for presentation, 42nd Annual Meeting of the Strategic Management Society. Toronto, Canada.

Baumann, S., Brown, J., Hoffman, A., … & Wright, R. (2023, September). Fostering creativity in strategic management education: Best practices and challenges. Workshop panel proposal accepted for presentation, Strategic Management Society. Toronto, Canada.

Wright, R. P. (2023, August). What do great problem-solvers do when they get stuck? A clinical study on staying FOCUSED. accepted for paper development workshop, 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, USA.

Antonacopoulou, E., Dilek, U. D., Mintzberg, H.,… Wright, R. P. (2023, August). Taking learning to work: The impact of reflexive learning in executive education and leadership development. Professional Development Workshop / PDW accepted, 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, USA.

Barns, K., Bolinger, A., Bridgman, T., … & Wright, R. P. (2023, August). Management Education and Learning writers’ workshop. PDW Workshop panel member, 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (Boston, USA).

Sund, K. J., Galavan, R., Gustafsson, R.,… & Wright, R. P. (2023, August). A Conversation on Cognitive Aids in Strategy. Symposium Panel Member, accepted, 83rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, USA.

Baumann, S., King, D. R., Järventie-Thesleff, R., … & Wright, R. P. (2022, September). Strategically teaching strategy: Designing courses and building a successful teaching portfolio. Workshop panel proposal pending acceptance for presentation, 42nd Annual Meeting of the Strategic Management Society. London, UK. (accepted but withdrew due to quarantine restriction by HK Govt).

Wright, R. P. (2022, September). We hit the target, but miss the whole point of strategic internships. Proposal accepted for presentation, 42nd Annual Meeting of the Strategic Management Society. London, UK. (accepted but withdrew due to due to quarantine restriction by HK Govt).

Wright, R. P. & Hodgkinson, G. (2022, August Hybrid Interactive). On playfulness: A case of hand-mind connection and cognitive complexity in teaching (strategy) submission #13117, Full paper session accepted for presentation, 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management.

Barns, K., Bolinger, A., Bridgman, T., … & Wright, R. P. (2022, August). Management Education and Learning writers’ workshop. PDW Workshop submission #15048 panel, 82nd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management.

Wright, R. P. (2022, June). The adventures of little Leo and the magical FOCUSED cice. Proposal accepted for presentation at CUHK virtual Community of Practice Symposium of Education Innovation and Technology. Hong Kong.

Wright, R. P. (2022, June). Theorizing otherness when our visions of the world shrink. Proposal accepted for presentation at CUHK Virtual Community of Practice Symposium of Education Innovation and Technology. Hong Kong.

Wright, R. P. (2022, March). Teaching (strategy) as child’s play. Proposal accepted for presentation at the Inaugural Conference on Paradox Research Education Practice (PREP) – Educational Insights division (virtual).

Wright, R. P. (2022, January 7th). Drop your tools: A FOCUSED approach to learning to (un)learn. Invited presentation for PolyU’s Excellent Teachers on Teaching Excellence (ETTE) Symposium (virtual). The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/edc/ette/highlights/video/38-session2-room5-1515/

Barns, K., Beatty, J., Bridgman, T., … & Wright, R. (2021, July). Management Education and Learning writers’ workshop. PDW Workshop submission #12394 panel, 81st Annual Virtual Meeting of the Academy of Management, (virtual).

Baumann, S., Wunder, T., Graybea, G., … & Wright, R. (2021, September). Back to the future: Lessons learned from online for in-person teaching. Workshop panel proposal accepted for presentation, Strategic Management Society. (Virtual) Toronto, Canada.

Baumann, S., Reisinger, S., Candace, T., & Wright, R. (2021, September). Successful methods for teaching strategic management. Workshop panel proposal accepted for presentation, Strategic Management Society. (Virtual) Toronto, Canada.

Baumann, S., Brown, J., Maijanen, P., Reisinger, S., Smith, R., TenBrink, C., Wright, R., & Wunder, T. (2020, September). The fun and challenges of collaborative teaching and learning. Workshop panel proposal accepted for presentation, Strategic Management Society. London, UK.

Fung, P., Zhu, R., & Wright, R. P. (2020, July). Learn to (un)learn during knowledge transfer using the FOCUSED APP for evidence-based progressive reflections, Accepted for presentation for the West East Institute WEI International Academic Conference, Harvard Faculty Club, Boston, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2019, August). Masterclass workshop: Increasing student interns’ cognitive complexity for a complex world using the F.O.C.U.S.E.D. framework. Accepted for workshop presentation to the 21st WACE World Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2019, July). Evidence-based progressive reflections during placement and coursework. Poster presentation, Symposium on Emerging Innovations and Evaluation of Technology Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) Pedagogies in Tertiary Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.

Wright, R. P. (2019, May). Developing reflective / reflexive practice through the F.O.C.U.S.E.D. App: The case of student internships and during university coursework. Conference Day of the Learning and Teaching @EdUHK Festival 2019, Hong Kong.

Wright, R. P. (2018, May). Transforming internship for transformative learning and reciprocal knowledge transfer between university and workplace. Conference Day of the Learning and Teaching @EdUHK Festival 2018, Hong Kong.

Wright, R. P. (2018, September). Strategy students’ cognition of opening up alternatives to complex challenges. Paper accepted for presentation, Strategic Management Society. Paris, France.

Wright, R. P. (2018, August). Using reflective / reflexive practice to stay F.O.C.U.S.E.D. in a complicated world, Accepted for presentation for the West East Institute WEI International Academic Conference, Harvard Faculty Club, Boston, USA.

Wright, R. P., & Zhu, R (2018, June). Evolution and validation of an innovative pedagogical framework for a VUCA world. Accepted for paper presentation to the World Association for Cooperative Education WACE 3rd International Research Symposium, Stuttgart, Germany.

Wright, R. P., & Yip, T. L. (2017, October). Teaching for knowledge transfer and back again. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society, Houston, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2016, September). A Strategic Thinking Framework to Help “Complicate” Our Students’ Learning. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society, Berlin, Germany.

Wright, R. P. & Jankowicz , A. D. (2014, September). Constructive alternativism, bi-polarity and duality in Kelly’s personal construct theory: Capturing organizational paradoxes in practice. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society, Madrid, Spain.

Wright, R. P. (Co-Session Chair with Margaret Cording, IMD) (2014, September). Teaching strategy philosophically (Panelist: Rajshree Agarwal, University of Maryland; Ruth Aguilera, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Elena Antonacopoulou, University of Liverpool Management School; Pamela Barr, Georgia State University; Joseph Harrison, Texas A&M University; Anita McGahan, University of Toronto; Corey Phelps, HEC Paris School of Management). American Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Madrid, Spain.

Wright, R. P. (Co-Session Chair with Vijaya Narapareddy, University of Denver) (2014, September). Alternatives takes on teaching strategy: Balancing the (ex)tensions (Panelist: Ross Coff, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Paul Friga, University of North Carolina; Kulwant Singh, National University of Singapore). American Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Madrid, Spain.

Wright, R. P. (2014, July). Organizational paradoxes: When opposites cease to be opposites. Sub-theme 32: Leveraging a Paradox Perspective to Reimagine, Rethink and Reshape Organization Tensions. Accepted for Plenary paper presentation at the 30th EGOS Colloquium 2014 in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Wright, R. P. (2014, June). Management Education Journal Editors’ Panel. With presenters: Steve Armstrong, Associate Editor, Academy of Management Learning & Education; Past Editor of International Journal of Management Reviews; Kenneth G. Brown, Editor, Academy of Management Learning & Education; Robert Wright, Associate Editor, Journal of Management Education. PDW Sunday program session for International Association of Chinese Management Researchers (IACMR) Conference, Beijing, China.

Wright, R. P. (2014, June). . Sunday PDW session: Academy of Management Learning & Education Paper Development Workshop. With presenters: Steve Armstrong, Associate Editor, Academy of Management Learning & Education; Past Editor of International Journal of Management Reviews; Kenneth G. Brown, Editor, Academy of Management Learning & Education; Carolyn Egir, Associate Editor, AMLE; Robert Wright, Associate Editor, Journal of Management Education, for International Association of Chinese Management Researchers (IACMR) Conference, Beijing, China.

Wright, R. P. (2014, Feb). Effective boards: a philosophical and psychological understanding of corporate board complacency through critical board activities. Accepted for presentation for the Centre for Leadership and Innovation (CLI) Research Symposium: New Frontiers of Leadership Round Table Discussion. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK.

Wright, R. P. (2013, September/October). Philosophical and psychological foundations of internal logic of practice of organizational complacency. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society, Atlanta, USA.

Wright, R. P. (Panelist) (2013, September/October). Bringing sustainability to life in the classroom; Sunday Session. As panelist, I shared the pedagogical innovation using in my classes based on the "staying F.O.C.U.S.E.D." game (http://myweb.polyu.edu.hk/~msleung/focused_dice.html); Other panelist speakers were: Tima Bansal, University of Western Ontario; Doug Bosse, University of Richmond; Irene Henriques, York University. American Strategic Management Society 33rd Annual Conference, Atlanta, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2013, August). Bringing teaching and research together through a “F.O.C.U.S.E.D. Dice” game. Accepted for proposal presentation at the inaugural AOM Teaching Conference at the American Academy of Management, Orlando, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2013, August). Revealing the internal logic of strategy-as-practiced. Accepted for paper presentation to American Academy of Management, Orlando, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2013, July). Using oppositional analysis grounded in personal construct theory to study the paradox of organizational complacency. Sub-theme track 46: Embracing paradoxes and tensions – implications for research, practice and teaching. Accepted for paper presentation at the 2013 EGOS Colloquium conference, Montreal, Canada.

Wright, R. P. (2013, Feb). Effective boards: a philosophical and psychological understanding of corporate board complacency through critical board activities. Accepted for presentation for the Centre for Leadership and Innovation (CLI) Research Symposium: New Frontiers of Leadership Round Table Discussion. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK. 

Wright, R. P., Mak, W-M (2012, August). The paradox of organizational complacency. Accepted for presentation at the 15th Cognitions in the Rough Roundtable Workshop American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Boston, USA.

Wright, R. P., Blettner, D., & Soparnot, R. (2012, October). Revealing the Internal Logic of Strategy as Practice. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 32nd Annual Conference, Prague, Czech Republic.

Wright, R. P. (2011, August). Conceptualizing strategic issues from a paradoxical tension. Accepted for paper discussion in pre-conference PDW (Professional Development Workshop) hosted by the following division of the American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, USA. (MOC, RM, OMT, OB, BPS, SIM and ENT).

Wright, R. P., Blettner, D., & Soparnot, R. (2011, August). Paradoxical tensions of cognitions-in-action. Accepted for paper presentation to Accepted for paper presentation American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2011, November). Paradoxical tensions in diagnosing strategic issues in a multi-polar world. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 31st Annual Conference, Miami, Florida.

Wright, R. P., & Laamanen, T. (Co-Chairs) (2011, November). Cognition in Practice – Cognitions of Top Level Executives. Strategy Process, Strategy Practice and Cognitions Pre-Conference Workshop: Organized jointly with the SMS Strategy Practice Interest Group of the American Strategic Management Society 31st Annual Conference, Miami, Florida.

Wright, R. P., Paroutis, S., & Blettner, D. (2010, August). Managerial cognitions of strategic tools usefulness: A strategy-as-experiential practice. Accepted for paper presentation American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada.

Wright, R. P., (2010, September). Cross-cultural cognitions of critical board roles in Hong Kong and Singapore listed companies. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 30th Annual Conference, Rome, Italy.

Wright, R. P. & Tang, Y. (2010, September). A theory of escalated organizational complacency: A multi-level conceptualization. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 30th Annual Conference, Rome, Italy.

Wright, R. P., Oviedo, L., Yakis-Douglas, B., & Oshannassy (2010, September). Strategic Issues at the Crossroads: A Collaborative and Open Strategy Session with Intel Corporation. Sunday Session Co-Chair and Co-Organizer. Accepted for Sunday pre-conference workshop, American Strategic Management Society 30th Annual Conference, Rome, Italy.

Wright, R. P., Brown, A., & Blettner, D. (2009, October). Strategic issues interpretation as discourse in an uncertain world. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 29th Annual Conference, Washington, DC., USA.

Wright, R. P., Blettner, D., & Soparnot, R. (2009, August). Towards a cognitive model of effective strategy practitioners. Accepted for paper presentation American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Chicago, USA.

Wright, R. P. & Soparnot, R. (2008, October). Making sense of top and middle managers’ cognitions of McKinsey 7S + 3 in practice. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 28th Annual Conference, Cologne, Germany. (Top 10 Finalists for Best Paper Award. Received Award for one of the Top 5 Best Papers for 2008 SMS).

Wright, R. P., Blettner, D., Paroutis, S.  (2008, August). Building stronger models through strategy-as-practice: The case of strategic tools usefulness. Accepted for paper presentation American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Anaheim, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2008, August). Making sense of cross-cultural constructs of board work. Accepted for Professional Development Workshop Roundtable paper presentation American Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Anaheim, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2007, October). Making sense of strategic tools usefulness: When theories-in-use determine the usefulness of theories. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 27th Annual Conference, USA.

Wright, R. P. (2007, October). Professional Development Workshop Case Presentation: Challenge of Strategizing while sustaining Competitive Advantage – Case of a major Hong Kong company (and the importance of need for executive reflection). Presentation to American Strategic Management Society 27th Annual Conference, USA.

Wright, R. P., & Cheung, N. (2007, October). Mapping strategic issues interpretations: How executives construe critical business issues. Accepted for paper presentation to American Strategic Management Society 27th Annual Conference, USA.

Milton, L. P., Wright, R. P., & Davies, H. A. (2007, August). Inside the black box: How directors conceptualize critical board roles and board effectiveness. Accepted for paper presentation at Symposium (BPS, MOC) American Academy of Management Annual Conference, Philadelphia, USA.

Wright, R. P., & Jankowicz, D. (2007, July 16-20). Making sense of international cognitions of effective directorship in Hong Kong and UK listed boards. Accepted for paper presentation at the XVII International Congress on Personal Construct Psychology, Brisbane, Australia.

Wright, R. P. (2006, November). When rigor meets relevance: Strategy-as-practice at the board level.  Presented at American Strategic Management Society Annual Conference, Vienna, Austria.

Wrigth, R. P. (2005, October). As strategists thinketh: How HR directors and board of directors construe strategizing. Presented at American Strategic Management Society, 25th International Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida.

Wright, R. P. (2004, August). Investigating complex managerial cognitions using the repertory grid technique.  Presented at the American Academy of Management, New Orleans, United States of America.

Wright, R. P., Butler, J. E., & Priem, R. (2003, June). Asian cognitions of the strategic management process. Presented at the Strategic Management Society Mini-Conference, Hong Kong, China.

Wright, R. P. (2002, August). Going beyond Kelly's homogenous elements in repertory grid applications: A look at public sector / private sector comparisons as a case in point. Presented at American Academy of Management Annual Conference, Denver, Colorado.

​