Open up! An appeal for dialog between scholars of corporate political activity and open strategy

Abstract

We cross-fertilize insights from corporate political activity and open-strategy literature to propose a research agenda on open political strategy—or greater participation and visibility in firms’ actions aimed at shaping public policy. Incorporating ideas from open-strategy research, corporate political activity scholars can upgrade knowledge about firms’ political actions, and ensure their theorizing keeps pace with contemporary practice. Considering the specificities of corporate political activity, open-strategy scholars can extend the boundaries of their field, and generate fresh insights into how firms open up strategy in contexts previously unexplored. Through a more critical reading of open political strategy, we also raise broader questions—addressing its repercussions for broader society—that should chime more generally with scholars of strategy and organization, especially those interested in firms’ strategic responses to institutional pressures, and the “dark sides” of strategizing and organizing.