University of Oxford and University of Zurich
2nd Open Strategy Workshop
25-26 June 2025
David Seidl, Richard Whittington, Violetta Splitter, Eero Vaara, Robin Engelbach, and Winky Wu
The Open Strategy Workshop brings together both academic and practitioner communities to reflect on current research and practice in open, inclusive strategic processes. Across two days, participants engage in expert panel discussions, poster sessions, practitioner exchanges, and networking – all aimed at taking stock of the field and charting a shared path forward.
PRE-CONFERENCE
Even before the conference started, we gathered for a walking tour of New College, guided by Richard Whittington and Basak Yakis-Douglas. New College is one of Oxford’s oldest and most architecturally fascinating colleges, founded in 1379. It has served as a filming location for productions such as Harry Potter, Mamma Mia! 2, and His Dark Materials. The college was located right next to our joint dinner venue, the traditional pub King’s Arms.
-
- DAY 2
- Boundary of Openness – Leonhard Dobusch & Jessica Crewe-Brown
- Inclusion – Aljona Zorina, PhD, HDR & Robin Engelbach
- Transparency – Basak Yakis-Douglas & Christoph Brielmaier
- Actors – Jeanine Porck & Joanna Jagiello
- Contexts – Christiane Belluci & Theresa Füreder
- Technology & AI – Josh Morton & Thomas Ortner
- Grand Challenges – Theresa Langenmayr & Christian Bruck
- Team Innsbruck: Julia Hautz, Leonard Dobusch, Thomas Ortner
- Team Zurich: David Seidl, Theresa Langenmayr, Benjamin Grossmann-Hensel
DAY 1
On Day 1, we welcomed an inspiring mix of researchers and practitioners from around the world to explore the evolving field of Open Strategy. From early morning roundtables to insightful afternoon panels, the day was filled with rich exchanges and community-building moments.
The morning featured a dedicated Paper Development Workshop for PhD students, alongside a panel discussion on publishing in top-tier journals – led by Richard Whittington, David Seidl, Violetta Splitter, and Josh Morton.
The official opening in the Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre began with welcomes from Richard Whittington, Violetta Splitter, Robin Engelbach, and Winky Wu – building on the momentum of last year's Zurich workshop and setting the stage for this year's Oxford edition.
This was followed by a thought-provoking keynote by Christian Stadler on "Open Strategy: What Executives Actually Want/Need?", moderated by David Seidl.
Poster Session I showcased a range of existing paper ideas, sparking insightful dialogue about the Open Strategy phenomenon and its sub-topics.
We closed the afternoon with an engaging Practitioner Panel featuring Nicole Ebber (Wikimedia Deutschland e.V.) and Tuula Antola (Omina Finland), moderated by Eero Vaara – which highlighted the challenges and opportunities of Open Strategy in praxis.
In the evening, we gathered for our conference dinner at St Peter's College, University of Oxford – offering time to reflect, connect, and celebrate the field we're collectively shaping.
After a light breakfast, we launched straight into an Expert Panel on Open Strategy and Technology, featuring insights from Josh Morton (University of Leeds) and Aljona Zorina, PhD, HDR (IÉSEG School of Management), moderated by Richard Whittington.
We then transitioned into the Open Strategy World Café, where participants joined one of seven thematic tables for roundtable discussions on key topics in Open Strategy.
The second Poster Session followed, offering a chance to reflect on ideas from the café and dive into posters centered on "Tools & Techniques: Measuring and Enabling Openness" and "Strategy in Motion: Praxis, Evolution & Reflexivity."
A highlight of the Oxford edition: The Oxford Union Style Debate on the motion "This house believes that Open Strategy is a sham!" Moderated by Violetta Splitter, the debate delivered sharp arguments, playful provocations, and critical reflections on Open Strategy's future.
We concluded with a heatfelt Farewell Luch, rounding off two days of engaging dialogue, new ideas, and community exchange. The Open Strategy Workshop was organized by a dedicated team of scholars from Oxford and Zurich. It was a pleasure to collaborate across institutions and bring this event to life through joint effort and a shared vision.
We would like to thank Robin Englebach and Winky Wu for the fantastic organization of the 2nd Open Strategy Workshop! The inspiring content, compelling sessions, and seamless execution made the event truly exceptional. It was evident how much thought and dedication went into every detail!
We already look forward to next year's workshop at Universität Innsbruck!
Pre-register already here.