Process of becoming: a relational turn in scenario planning

Scenario planning emanates from ‘strategy’ rooted in a ‘substantive’ mode of thinking that unproblematically presumes an organization-environment dichotomy. By viewing stability and change as antitheses where one works at the expense of the other, such a conceptualization does not account for the counter-intuitive and unintended consequences of planned action. We therefore propose an alternative mode of theorizing which draws inspiration from a processual worldview. We develop and apply this understanding to scenario planning at a leading Scottish whisky producer. In doing so, we expose the limitations of traditional scenario planning. Then by applying ‘relational thinking’, we address these limitations and demonstrate how a processual re-conceptualizing not only revitalizes scenario planning but also furthers its functional utility while designing goals, actions and aspirations for organizations.