Seminars topic: In dynamic environments, why are some organizations able to quickly gain strategic momentum, while others with similar resources or strategic intent lag behind? Strategic Affordance Theory (SAT) redefines strategy as the utilization of affordances—emergent opportunities stemming from interactions between actors and their environments. SAT proposes a “3×2 framework” consisting of three activation channels (technological surges, market emergence, and institutional openness) and two catalytic factors (capability acquisition and feedback speed) to explain the formation of early strategic momentum. Distinct from resource-based views (RBV), dynamic capability theory, institutional legitimacy perspectives, and Austrian economics which emphasize internal capacities, SAT highlights the role of emerging affordances before an organization reaches maturity. It offers a new perspective to understand strategic growth, capable of predicting early momentum and guiding strategic pivots aligned with organizational development.

Scholars Background: ZHANG Xu is the Mannes Chair Professor of Entrepreneurship at Baylor University. His research focuses on how entrepreneurs and executives act under uncertainty to discover and grow ventures. His work has appeared in leading entrepreneurship journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and Journal of Business Venturing, as well as top-tier management journals including the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, and Strategic Management Journal. To date, he has received over USD 1.5 million in basic research funding and more than USD 1 million in applied research support, spanning multiple national science foundations. Prior to academia, he worked across various industries and founded several startups, with academic experiences in Australia, South America, and China.

Time and Location: 4:00 PM, 28 May · Room A723, School of Management

Language: CN