Workshop in Oxford - exploring the latest research on open strategy, practical examples and future perspectives

Richard Whittington hosted a tour on New College campus area.

 Oxford gardens offered beautiful working environment.

The second Open Strategy Workshop was held at the Saïd Business School of the University of Oxford in June, bringing together researchers, doctoral students, and business experts to discuss open strategy research and practices. Doctoral researchers Heini Merkkiniemi and Maiju Viiki participated in the event and presented research conducted in the Experience Economy program.

During the two intensive days in the historical setting of Oxford, participants delved into the latest research on open strategy, including practical examples and future prospects. Professor Christian Stadler from Warwick Business School gave a keynote speech "Open Strategy – What Executives Actually Want/Need?" which addressed the practices of managing open strategy work. In the panel "Challenges of Open Strategy in Practice," moderated by Professor Eero Vaara, Nicole Ebber from Wikimedia Germany and Tuula Antola from Omnia Espoo, Finland, shared their experiences in leading open strategy processes. The "Open Strategy and Technology" panelists, Josh Morton from University of Leeds and Aljona Zorina from IESEG School of Management, discussed AI applications in strategy processes with Professor Richard Whittington from Oxford.

Heini Merkkiniemi and Maiju Viiki presented the Experience Economy Program at Said Business School.

The facilities and environment of the University of Oxford made a significant impression. In addition to the interesting presentations, the best part of the event were the small group discussions in the university's garden on current topics in open strategy research. The traditional banquet hall of St Peter’s College provided a historical setting for networking dinner among international top researchers and experts. The event culminated in an Oxford Union-style debate led by professor Violetta Splitter between Zurich and Innsbruck research teams. The Innsbruck team won the tight debate and welcomed everyone to the 2026 Open Strategy Workshop in Innsbruck.

Christian Stadler ‘s presentation “Open Strategy – What Executives Actually Want/Need?”.

More information about the Open Strategy network: https://openstrategynetwork.com/news-events/

Authors

Heini Merkkiniemi and Maiju Viiki