The Strategy of the Objective: A Hermeneutic Approach to Strategy

The Strategy of the Objective: A Hermeneutic Approach to Strategy | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Strategy of the Objective: A Hermeneutic Approach to Strategy Rodrigo This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9449467/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Strategic theory has offered innumerable methods for achieving objectives, yet it has largely neglected the objective itself. Although objectives are commonly represented as a desired end state, there exists a relative will on the part of the opposing actor that resists that outcome and therefore also forms part of the final conditions. The objective is therefore intimately linked to the understanding of the other will. To address this complexity, this article proposes a hermeneutic approach grounded in the premise that actors communicate their intentions through the effects their actions imprint upon reality. These effects are changes that, as such, can be measured across the structural variables of modern conflict. In this way, they can be mapped and interpreted within conceptual spaces of competition or conflict, offering a point of departure for identifying and adjusting strategic objectives in line with the evolution of such behaviour. International Relations Philosophy Conceptual spaces Hermeneutics fsQCA Strategy Gray zone Hybrid warfare South China Sea Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files Structuralmatrixofgenericdata.xlsx Structural matrix of generic data Embeddingcorrelationscript.pdf Embedding correlation script READMELinkingtheColabNotebook.md README – Linking the Colab Notebook Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9449467","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research 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