Figure 1.
Characteristics of companies investigated
| Case No./informant | Industry | Description |
|---|---|---|
| I1 | Design | A company with 10 years of market experience operating in digital design. Employment: five to ten people (five employees and additional co-workers cooperating on specific projects). |
| I2 | Performing arts | One of the most dynamic cultural institutions, a music theater with a long history. Employment: approximately 60 employees. |
| I3 | Architecture | Studio with 9 years of market experience, a good reputation, and a very well- known brand. It specializes in the design of public spaces and public buildings, as well as in commercial projects, many of which are carried out abroad. Employment: eight employees and additional co-workers in specific projects. |
| I4 | Advertising | A company operating since 2004, offering advertising, mainly on the Internet/ social media. Employment: three employees and two additional co-workers. |
| I5 | Photography | Freelancer specializing in press photography and reportage. Moreover, a member of the management board of a foundation operating to support cultural and artistic development, creative environments, and artists and to promote photography, audiovisual media, and reportage. |
| I6 | Fashion | A company involved in clothing design, a brand that has been available in the market for 9 years. Employment: four employees. |
| I7 | Software | A company operating in the market for over 5 years; its main activity is creating software and IT systems based on customers’ needs/ideas. Its second pillar is the creation of management systems (with reporting documentation) for universities. Employment: seven employees (various forms of cooperation). |
| I8 | Computer/ video games | The company has been in the market since 2014. The main project is an educational strategy game that combines elements of typical tycoon strategy games with educational features (running the company). Employment: nine employees. |
Research categories
| Category | Transparency | Inclusion | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process | Dealing with differences in transparency expectations | The selection process of actors involved in strategy-making and search for vulnerable partners | Process |
| Process | Dealing with reduced external actors’ understanding of internal organizational issues | Dealing with time constraints | Process |
| Process | The necessity of moderating dialogue and enhancing responsiveness | The necessity of searching for tools/solutions that support inclusion and adapting them to different stakeholders | Process |
| Process | Reducing the level of unnecessary bureaucracy | Dealing with reduced trust in stakeholders | Culture |
| Culture | The necessity of creating a sense of the organization’s trustworthiness | The necessity of enhancing the commitment of individual actors | Culture |
| Strategy | Dealing with the dilemma of sharing resources | Dealing with shallow and short-term relationships with stakeholders | Culture |
| Strategy | Maintaining competitive advantage despite revealing sensitive information | Challenging the status quo: strategy-making process not only for top managers | Strategy |
| Structure | The necessity of imposing the required changes on the organizational structure | The necessity of deciding about the level of interference with the strategy | Strategy |
| Structure | Dealing with greater exposure to regulatory influence | Changing the hierarchical structures within organizations | Structure |
| The dilemma of strategy approval: democratic or top managers | Structure |