Misalignment as legacy of an industrial leader

This paper provides new insights into the nature of alignment and misalignment through a study of FertilChem, an Israeli multinational corporation. This paper also contributes to the growing body of research that disputes the tendency to use the alignment model as the single best way of guiding organisational strategic direction. While conventional views of alignment suggest that it is a rational and deliberate process, this study indicates that misalignment can also make sense, persist and even become instrumental in certain organisational circumstances. By using the misalignment model, the paper contributes to our understanding of how and why management tends to stick to a familiar strategy of action in spite of environmental threat.