The Origins And Institutionalization Of SWOT Analysis: From An Underappreciated Strategy Tool In Theory To A Widely Adopted Viral Idea In Strategic Management Practice

The central aim of this dissertation is to explore the evolution of ‘viral’ strategic ideas from the early days of long-range planning to the present. This study addresses several key research gaps: the abstraction in academic discourse, the revisionist tendencies in the history of strategic planning, the reification of everyday strategy tools, and the limited appreciation of archival research methods.

The dissertation uses SWOT analysis as a metaphor due to its ambiguous origins in the literature, serving as a lens to examine the broader evolution of strategic management ideas. The over-arching research question is:
How can understanding the historical origins, evolution, and global diffusion of SWOT analysis, enhanced by archival research and AI tools, contribute new insights to strategic management theory and practice today?

To address this question, the research traces the development of the original SOFT approach, exploring how this early strategy concept morphed over time into what we now recognize as SWOT. It highlights how iterations of the tool appeared in the literature while the original methodology became diluted and largely forgotten. The dissertation also investigates the first documented use of SWOT analysis, examining why this initial publication faded into obscurity.
Five specific research objectives are set to fill these gaps in the existing SWOT analysis literature, with a focus on understanding the historical trajectory, adaptation, and dissemination of strategic planning tools within both academic and practical contexts. These objectives aim to bridge historical and contemporary perspectives in strategic management research, providing a deeper appreciation of the role of archival methodologies in uncovering the origins and transformations of widely-used strategy frameworks.