The evolution of power asymmetries in interorganisational open strategy

Strategy work in interorganisational networks requires openness to pool expertise and resources. Although all organisations contribute, their influence is unevenly distributed throughout the strategy process. Despite extensive research on power in interorganisational relationships, little is known about how power asymmetries develop and what triggers organisations to mobilise power resources. We conducted a qualitative longitudinal case study of a healthcare network in Germany covering a five-year observation period. Our first finding is a temporal hierarchy in the volatility of power resources: social power resources are highly volatile and can change rapidly, whereas structural power resources remain remarkably stable. Our second finding is that two catalysts explain when and why organisations activate dormant power resources. Our third finding is that open strategy principles function as informal governance mechanisms in interorganisational networks. For policymakers, our model can inform the design of governance arrangements that account for the self-enforcing normative character of open strategy.