Scientific Paradigm of Strategizing: Ontological and Epistemological Foundations

Abstract

The article presents a theoretical reconstruction of the ontological and epistemological foundations of the scientific paradigm of strategizing, drawing on an analysis of the works of Vladimir Kvint’s school of strategizing and of classical approaches to the study of strategy and strategic management. The relevance of the study stems from the contradiction between the substantial development of applied areas of strategizing and the insufficient conceptual elaboration of its underlying ontological and epistemological foundations. The study aims to identify the subject matter of strategizing, clarify the ontological status of development opportunities, and elucidate the distinctive character of strategic knowledge.The methodological framework comprises theoretical reconstruction, categorical analysis, comparative interpretation of scientific concepts, and the systematization of the propositions advanced by the school of strategizing. The study establishes that the immediate subject matter of strategizing is the development of a complex socio-economic system within a space of alternative long-term opportunities, whereas strategy is the result of research and choice. The ontological foundation of strategizing lies in the existence of a plurality of objectively conditioned development opportunities that are associated with uncertainty but cannot be reduced to it. The epistemological foundation is strategic knowledge formed through monitoring, forecasting, the identification of patterns and trends, and the assessment of competitive advantages and constraints.The scientific novelty of the study lies in substantiating the functional relationship between these two foundations: the plurality of opportunities makes strategic choice necessary, while strategic knowledge provides the analytical basis for justifying that choice. The proposed two-level reconstruction clarifies the distinctions between strategizing, forecasting, planning, and the preparation of a strategy document, and establishes a conceptual basis for subsequent research into the axiological and methodological foundations of strategizing.