How Assemblages Change When Theories Become Performative: The case of the Blue Ocean Strategy

Assemblages are the actors, artefacts or practices that are intertwined with and co-produce theories. Despite being at the core of the performativity process, assemblages have been overlooked in recent performativity studies. Thus, this study examines how assemblages are changed by theories during performativity. It builds on the case of the historical development of the Blue Ocean Strategy: a management theory that proposes the creation of new market spaces, rather than competing within existing ones. The study shows a process model in which the theory changes the assemblages that change reality and enlarges its scope in turn. It offers implications both for performativity and for practice.