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

Abstract

We cross-fertilize insights from corporate political activity (CPA) and open-strategy literatures 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, CPA scholars can upgrade knowledge about firms’ political actions, and ensure their theorizing keeps pace with contemporary practice. Considering the specificities of CPA, 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.