Strategic prescriptive theories in the business context of an emerging economy

Three strategic theoretical concepts–design, planning and positioning–are examined for their relevance to the business context of Ghana. For design, the Ghanaian culture on respect for elders and authority is argued to be partly responsible for the ‘accepting’ nature of subordinates. Formal planning by organisations is mostly found with large companies and multinationals due to the influence of parent organisations. Firms seek to position on service reliability, value for money, branding, social responsibility and others. The paper contributes to knowledge and practice in African business by developing propositions around which organisations can achieve competitive advantage in the Ghanaian business setting during the application of the strategic concepts discussed.