Powerplay in the C-Suite: How the Chief Strategy Officer's Perceived Discretion is Constrained by other Top Managers

Chief strategy officers (CSOs) often perceive a varying degree of managerial discretion. We develop and test a model on how structural, expert, and prestige power affect the CSO's perception of discretion across different decision domains and its consequences for the firm's strategy. Using archival and unique survey data of 116 CSOs of European firms, we find some support for these relationships, however, notably, reveal that these effects depend on the power of other top managers, specifically the CEO and the chief operating officer (COO). By considering individual-level differences in the CSO's perception of discretion as well as the powerplay with other top managers, the study contributes to research on managerial discretion and functional top managers.