The affordances of technology and strategic roadmapping: An exploration of its instrumental, symbolic, and political functions

Scholars agree that the roadmapping process and product both have multiple benefits for organizations in terms of strategic planning and coordination of strategic activities. However, the social and organizational aspects surrounding strategic and technological roadmapping are still poorly understood. By mobilizing the literature on strategic tools-in-use, and the theory of affordances, this paper explores the practical affordances of roadmapping. Our results, based on a longitudinal study of the development and dissemination of a roadmap within Hydro-Québec, show that the roadmapping process and product fulfill three main types of function: instrumental, symbolic, and political. We also find that the coordination and alignment benefits are highly dependent on the political affordances of the tools that individuals anticipate in the conduct and dissemination of roadmapping.