The Strategy Group is home to a diverse group of scholars united by a commitment to understanding major societal and organisational issues.

Research & Impact in Strategy

Stephen Osborne discusses public services research and its positive impact in providing resources for citizens to build value in their own lives.

Giovanni Formilan discusses his research on the creative industries, particularly in the music field. He investigates artistic identity, market dynamics, and patterns of mobility.

Andrea Wessendorf discusses her research into the influence of organizational and occupational dynamics on crisis management, social inequality, and the impact of rapid societal change, including the effectiveness of healthcare professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Strategy Group focuses on challenges at the nexus of organisation and society. In addition to work on organisational strategy, we also engage in research on, among others:

  • Social enterprises and societal transformation
  • Sustainability strategies
  • Big data and digital workers
  • Culture and creativity
  • Service management across the public and private sector

Relying on qualitative case studies and quantitative databases, our research investigates a variety of empirical settings, including public services, creative industries, digital platforms, high-tech firms, charity and non-business entities, and multinational corporations. Our work draws on institutional theories, theories of work and identities, power and organisation, socio-materiality, technology and innovation studies, market and organisational governance, and socioeconomic theories.

Members of the group have partnerships with local, national, and international organisations, and engage in collaborations with other groups, schools, and university wide structures, such as the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Group research

Strategic change and leadership

This strand includes themes of processes of strategic change, the development and practices of creative industries, and organisational and institutional change.

Strategic change research
Organisations and society

Investigating areas such as accountability and trust, inequality and marginalisation, and the impact of globalisation and neoliberalism on organisations.

Organisations and society research
Global and international strategies

Researching the internationalisation of digital platforms, transnational entrepreneurship, and top-level approaches to strategy, finance,and accountability worldwide.

International strategies research
Service management

Exploring accountability and leadership in service business, service management in the public and private sectors, and innovation and change in public services.

Service management research

Research centres and networks

Subgroups of the Strategy Group are involved with two principal centres and networks.

A group of people sitting and talking
Centre for Strategic Leadership (CSL)

The Strategy Group supports the Centre for Strategic Leadership, a research centre focused on fostering an interdisciplinary understanding of strategic leadership.

Visit the CSL Website
Business School Glass Exterior from Buccleuch Place
Centre for Service Excellence

CenSE’s mission is to co-produce and co-create innovative knowledge that will change profoundly how we understand and practice service management.

Visit the CenSE Website
Scaling Business in Africa

SBIA is an interdisciplinary impact consortium made up of researchers and industry practitioners working to inform the scaling of Africa's private sector through high-quality research, teaching, and engagement.

Visit SBIA

Research projects

Details of past and present research projects involving strategy are detailed on the Edinburgh Research Explorer.

View projects on Edinburgh Research Explorer


Seminar series

The Strategy seminars provides a platform to share ideas and leading research into understanding major societal and organisational issues. Speakers include renowned scholars from top UK and international institutions as well as industry practitioners.