Legitimation through openness: managing organisational legitimacy through open strategy in a pluralistic context

This research explores how an open strategy approach can be used to manage organisational legitimacy in a pluralistic context, characterised by the competing demands of key stakeholders. Open strategy demonstrates an interest in strategising processes becoming more inclusive and transparent (Hautz et al., 2016). Open strategy work to date has focused on its uses and implications, and how strategic inclusion and transparency are being displayed in different organisational contexts. Much open strategy literature also associates the central purpose of open strategising activity with organisations seeking to manage legitimacy (e.g. Chesbrough and Appleyard, 2007; Whittington et al., 2011; Tavakoli et al., 2017), particularly through ensuring that their actions are desirable in the opinion of key stakeholders (Suchman, 1995). Whilst a small number of studies have explicitly focused on open strategy and legitimacy, these do not go beyond illuminating legitimacy as a potential effect (Gegenhuber and Dobusch, 2017) or outcome (Luedicke et al., 2017). Absent has been research attempting to specifically understand open strategy as a process of legitimation (Uberbacher, 2014), and there remains a need to unpack and elevate the significant potential of open strategy approaches for managing legitimacy further. To address this gap, this research presents an in-depth single case analysis of an organisation undertaking the development of a new four-year strategic plan using an open strategy approach. A number of data collection methods were used, including completion of 30 semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and collection of significant social media and documentation data, to explicate the concepts of open strategy and organisational legitimacy, addressing the question; How does an open strategy approach represent a process of legitimation for managing the competing demands of organisational stakeholders? . A pluralistic context, a UK-based professional body, is the basis for the empirical work. It is acknowledged that interrogating the intricacies of strategising in pluralistic contexts, and the inherent competing demands of stakeholders, might offer new perspectives, and a useful means of expanding the contextual base of practice-based strategy work (Jarzabkowski and Fenton, 2006). However, studies of open strategy in pluralistic contexts remain near non-existent in the literature (Lusiani and Langley, 2013). In the organisational legitimacy literature, there is much discourse on how legitimacy is managed and gained through specific legitimation processes and strategies, and increasingly such a focus has been adopted to recognise how organisations might manage legitimacy demands in contexts defined by plurality, amidst diffuse power and divergent objectives (Denis et al., 2007). In this study, a practice-based activity theory framework is used (Jarzabkowski 2005; Jarzabkowski and Wolf, 2015) to explore legitimacy in relation to organisational direction and priorities, and as a means of redefining the organisation s core goals in an enactment of strategic openness. The work here conceptualises how the case organisation has adopted a plethora of open strategising practices for legitimacy effects (Suddaby et al., 2013), providing a detailed account of how different dynamics of open strategising activity connect to specific forms of legitimation over time. The findings indicate that different open strategy dynamics represent the case organisation switching between distinct approaches to legitimation, as a means of managing the competing legitimacy demands of organisational stakeholders in a flow of activity. Through this narrative, a greater perception of legitimation as a core purpose of open strategy is provided. Overall, this research offers an important contribution by accentuating the principal relevance of organisational legitimacy in open strategising, particularly through elevating legitimacy beyond being understood as an effect or outcome in open strategy work. Further, this more explicitly brings open strategy into close alignment with the organisational legitimacy literature and its theoretical conceptions (Lawrence et al., 2009; Suddaby et al., 2013), which is imperative for understanding the potential importance of open strategy as a means of legitimation

Collaboration and knowledge sharing in open strategy initiatives

The field of open strategy research arises from increasing interest in the phenomenon of openness in strategy research and practice, and how this presents a radical change from established theories of organisational strategy. In light of these developments, this conceptual paper demonstrates how web based collaborative tools are being utilised to enable collaboration and knowledge sharing in open strategy initiatives, with evidence derived from an emerging stream of open strategy literature. A concise overview of this literature is also introduced to give background to the topic. Ultimately the paper uses case examples to show how organisations are practicing open strategy, whilst also highlighting the potential for open strategy as a device for organisational collaboration and knowledge sharing, both internally and externally

Open strategy initiatives: open, IT-enabled episodes of strategic practice

The concept of openness has become widespread in organizations, driven by the advent of the internet and advances in information technology, with open approaches now a particular interest to information systems researchers. Open principles have more recently been adopted by organizations in a strategic context, through openness in strategy processes. Widely labelled ‘open strategy’, research into the phenomenon has primarily focused on increased transparency and participation in strategy-making, with less attention on the actual practice of open strategy. In particular, there has been limited focus on its episodic nature, with open strategy, in many cases, representing temporary instances of strategic ideation within the wider operational and strategic conduct of organizations. This paper intends to extend current open strategy definitions by conceptually expanding Hendry and Seidl's (2003) framework for studying ‘strategic episodes’, helping to explain the temporary complexion of the phenomenon. This analysis also explores how information systems are central to this form of open, ITenabled strategic practice. We introduce empirical data from two case studies to conceptualize the intermittent nature of what we define as ‘open strategy initiatives’, and conclude by outlining what this on-going research intends to contribute in the future

Towards a Rosetta Stone for translating data between information systems

Information systems are an important organizational asset and offer numerous benefits. However, organizations face continued challenges when upgrading ageing information systems, and the data contained within, to newer platforms. This article explores, through conversations with information systems professionals in four organizations, the potential development of a ‘Rosetta Stone’, which can translate data between systems and be used to help overcome various challenges associated with their modernization. Despitemixed feedback regarding theRosetta Stone concept from interviewees, solutions highlighted in literature combinedwith participant feedback presented theories for its development, primarily as a tool to enable meaningful interpretation of data, rather than direct translation. The conclusion reflects on data collected to recommend a framework for how the tool might be developed and has the potential to be of significant interest to practitioners, open-source communities and organizations

Opening strategy through 'Jamming': exploring the process

Jamming is a term which is increasingly common in case studies and literature, both academic and nonacademic, especially where topics such as social technology, collaboration and innovation are a predominant focus. An IBM expression which represents their use of social technologies to connect actors to collaborate in an ‘online conference’ environment, these ‘Jams’ are usually focused, time-limited events surrounding a particular theme or set of topics. Jamming has also become an almost customary example presented in literature on the topic of ‘open strategy’, especially the IBM ‘InnovationJams’, which in the past have opened strategic conversation to actors across the entire organisation. Open strategy itself arises from increasing interest in the phenomenon of openness in strategy research and practice, and how this represents a paradigm shift from the more traditional, top-down role of strategic planning. In light of these developments, this short paper offers a brief overview of the Jamming concept, particularly in the context of a case study into its use in a collaborative open strategy initiative, involving IBM and a public defence organisation. It concludes with a selection of questions which could direct future research

Exploring the roles of external facilitators in IT-driven open strategizing

This paper examines the different roles external facilitators have in information technology driven open strategizing. Using a strategyas-practice lens and drawing on two empirical cases of open strategy in organizations, our paper highlights four emerging roles of external facilitators which we call; structuring, promoting, moderating and analyzing. In concluding the paper we call for further research relating to external facilitators and open strategy

An analysis of antiseptic and antibiotic properties of variously treated mosses and lichen.

General EcologyLichen, a symbiosis between algae and fungus, and sphagnum moss are both able to fight against bacteria. In this experiment, we tested whether moss and lichen have antibiotic or antiseptic properties on human-affecting bacteria, and to find out which types of mosses and lichen have the strongest of these properties. We collected samples of fruticose lichen, foliose lichen, crustose lichen, red sphagnum moss (Sp. 1) and green sphagnum moss (Sp. 2) from Bryant Bog and placed them into 160 Petri dishes with bacteria. We also recorded the pH of each type, to see if it had a relationship with bacterial growth. Although pH was not found to be related to antiseptic and antibiotic properties, treatments of each taxon were found to make a difference in the inhibition of bacterial growth. The abilities lichen and sphagnum moss to fight off bacteria were determined after they were plated for five days with gram-positive bacteria in an incubator at 35C. From our test, we were able to draw the conclusion that fruticose, when crushed, was a strong antibiotic compound, and ground green sphagnum moss (Sp. 2) was a strong antiseptic compound.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78342/1/Morton_Winters_Smith_2010.pd

Open Strategy and IT: A review and research agenda

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Masses, radii, and orbits of small Kepler planets : The transition from gaseous to rocky planets

We report on the masses, sizes, and orbits of the planets orbiting 22 Kepler stars. There are 49 planet candidates around these stars, including 42 detected through transits and 7 revealed by precise Doppler measurements of the host stars. Based on an analysis of the Kepler brightness measurements, along with high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, Doppler spectroscopy, and (for 11 stars) asteroseismology, we establish low false-positive probabilities (FPPs) for all of the transiting planets (41 of 42 have an FPP under 1%), and we constrain their sizes and masses. Most of the transiting planets are smaller than three times the size of Earth. For 16 planets, the Doppler signal was securely detected, providing a direct measurement of the planet's mass. For the other 26 planets we provide either marginal mass measurements or upper limits to their masses and densities; in many cases we can rule out a rocky composition. We identify six planets with densities above 5 g cm-3, suggesting a mostly rocky interior for them. Indeed, the only planets that are compatible with a purely rocky composition are smaller than 2 R ⊕. Larger planets evidently contain a larger fraction of low-density material (H, He, and H2O).Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Towards a Rosetta Stone for translating data between information systems

This article was accepted for publication in the journal, Business Information Review [Sage Publications / © The Authors]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0266382115616235Information systems are an important organizational asset and offer numerous benefits. However, organizations face continued challenges when upgrading ageing information systems, and the data contained within, to newer platforms. This article explores, through conversations with information systems professionals in four organizations, the potential development of a ‘Rosetta Stone’, which can translate data between systems and be used to help overcome various challenges associated with their modernization. Despitemixed feedback regarding theRosetta Stone concept from interviewees, solutions highlighted in literature combinedwith participant feedback presented theories for its development, primarily as a tool to enable meaningful interpretation of data, rather than direct translation. The conclusion reflects on data collected to recommend a framework for how the tool might be developed and has the potential to be of significant interest to practitioners, open-source communities and organizations