The breadth-depth matrix of inclusion in strategy-making (Schmid & Dobusch, 2026)
Looking back, I can hardly remember a research project where the research gap was so glaringly obvious to me: while open strategy research investigates transparent and participatory approaches to strategy-making, over more than a decade of Open Strategy research not a single article addressed its relationship to traditional forms of workplace democracy. This is particularly stunning since increasing transparency and participation in strategy are key tasks of works councils and codetermination regulations in many continental European countries.
Yet, there are several reasons for this omission:
- There is an inherent top management bias in strategy research as top management is defined as the acting subject in traditional strategy theory
- Another bias in strategy research is an overwhelming focus on the Anglo-Saxon realm, while traditional workplace democracy as a topic is predominantly pertinent in continental Europe and frequently published in languages other than English
- In addition, open strategy research reflects that most empirical cases of strategy-making labelled as ‘open’ are mostly management-led and temporary initiatives.
Give this situation, it was by no means certain that the research essay by Felix Schmid and myself on “Open Strategy and Traditional Workplace Democracy: Bridging Breadth and Depth of Inclusion” was to be easily published. Consequently, I am all the more pleased to report that it has just been accepted for publication at Strategic Organization. The abstract reads as follows:
Continue reading “New Article in Strategic Organization: »Open Strategy and Traditional Workplace Democracy: Bridging Breadth and Depth of Inclusion«”
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