The Benefits and Challenges of Open Strategizing in the Dutch Water Infrastructure

Keywords
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Issue Date
2024-08-28
Language
en
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This master thesis explores the benefits and challenges of open strategy practices at individual, group, and organizational levels within Vitens. Open strategy emphasizes stakeholder inclusion and transparency in strategy development. Through qualitative analysis of 16 semi-structured interviews and policy documents, the study reveals specific benefits and challenges at each level. At the individual level, benefits include access to diverse knowledge and increased commitment through contributions. However, challenges include reduced speed, flexibility, and control, unmet expectations, and compromised competitiveness, trust, and understanding. At the group level, benefits include access to broader knowledge sources and greater stakeholder input. The main challenge is reduced speed, flexibility, and control. At the organizational level, benefits include broader knowledge access, wider stakeholder input, and openness advantages. Challenges involve reduced speed, flexibility, and control, along with undermined competitiveness, trust, and understanding, and the pressure of strategy burdens. This research contributes to open strategy literature by providing detailed insights and exploring these practices in the previously unexplored infrastructure sector. It also examines potential relationships between strategic concepts at different organizational levels and the nuanced impacts of open strategy.
Description
Citation
Supervisor
Faculty
Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen
Specialisation