Josh Morton

Opening strategy through 'Jamming': exploring the process

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

Collaboration and knowledge sharing in open strategy initiatives

Abstract: The purpose of this paper 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 business strategy (Chesbrough and Appleyard, 2007). In light of these developments, this conceptual paper intends to present a typology of methods being utilised to enable collaboration and knowledge sharing in open strategy initiatives, providing case evidence found within an emerging stream of open strategy literature. Involving a wide range of stakeholders in strategy is not necessarily a new phenomenon. There is evidence, within organisations such as IBM, that projects to increase participation in strategy processes have been ongoing for some time. However, such practices have been largely under researched and it was not until a seminal paper by Chesbrough and Appleyard (2007), based on Chesbrough’s earlier work on open innovation, emphasised the need for a new, more open approach to strategy. Subsequently the term “open strategy” was devised, and various scholars and consultants have taken an interest, directly and indirectly, in this concept. Examples include research under the guise of “Open-source Strategy” (Newstead and Lanzerotti), “Opening Strategy” (Whittington et al, 2011), “Social Software and Strategy” (Haefliger et al, 2011), “Democratizing Strategy” (Stieger et al, 2012), “Strategy as the Practice of Thousands” (Dobusch and Muller-Seitz, 2012), “Strategizing Open Innovation” (Fai and Roath, 2013), and “Open Strategizing” (Berends et al, 2013). Dobusch and Kapeller (2013) consider that “the basic idea of open strategy making is to pool the knowledge, ideas or opinions of certain audiences”, indicating that open strategy shares resemblance to other collaborative and open initiatives. Theories such as the open-source movement and collective wisdom are relevant to the notion of open strategy, underlining how collaboration, harnessing the power of the crowd, and thinking outside the traditional confines of the firm can produce positive outcomes. Furthermore, the development of the knowledge-based economy has implied an important change in inter-intra organisational processes, including implementation of collaborative initiatives and knowledge sharing in more dynamic environments. Such theories are now being applied to the formation and practice of strategy, enabling consensus to be built around organisational and strategic issues to support business ecosystems (Chesbrough and Appleyard, 2007). The sharing of knowledge through organisational networks, such as in open strategy initiatives, may arise intentionally or naturally. Cases of open strategy, as explored in this paper, also indicate evidence of social technologies and web-based networks being used to magnify the opportunities within firms for collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation, around organisational strategy. Keywords: Open strategy, Knowledge sharing, Social technology, Collaboration. Words: 433

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 strategy-as-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.

Building and Maintaining Strategic Agility: An Agenda and Framework for Executive IT-Leaders

While much literature on strategic agility has focused on strategic flexibility and adaption at organizational levels, there is a need to provide specific guidance at lower, more discrete levels of analysis. This article focuses on the context of a particular professional group, executive information technology (IT) leaders, who have received attention in recent years for their evolving strategic role at the forefront of firms. It identifies and illustrates a number of practices these actors demonstrate in building and maintaining strategic agility, and it concludes by conceptualizing these practices in an agenda and framework for managers.

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. Despite mixed feedback regarding the Rosetta Stone concept from interviewees, solutions highlighted in literature combined with 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.