While Open Educational Resources (OER) are increasingly used in higher education—often valued primarily for improving access and reducing costs—recent scholarship suggests their significance extends beyond financial considerations. In the context of business education, it is important to reconsider OER not just as low-cost alternatives to traditional textbooks, but as tools that can transform teaching methods and skills students develop. By engaging with frameworks such as knowledge democratization, experiential learning, and educational boundary-crossing, OER can be viewed as participatory and adaptable platforms that support the co-creation of knowledge and emphasize learning experiences relevant to real-world business practice, rather than simply viewed as a static curricular material.

This paper presents a conceptual framework that positions Open Educational Resources (OER) as fundamental elements in the creation of interactive learning systems characterized by their openness, collaborative nature, and adaptability to changes within the business world. By leveraging OER, educational environment can become more permeable, encouraging active participation among learners. The leaning outcomes achieve integration of industry perspectives in developing competencies such as digital literacy and the ability to work effectively in diverse teams. We propose to empirical investigate the influence of OER on learners’ perspective regarding the legitimacy of knowledge sources, their patterns of collaborative engagement, and their readiness to manage business challenges. In sum, positioning OER as enablers of participatory and adaptive learning systems broadens our understanding of their transformative potential in business education.

Finally, this paper outlines strategies for business schools aiming to adapt their curricula to better reflect current demands for inclusiveness and social accountability. It emphasizes that OER have the potential to democratize access to educational materials, and drive innovation in teaching. By leveraging OER, institutions can create more equitable learning environment, while ensuring that pedagogy remains responsive to diverse student needs and contemporary societal expectations. This perspective encourages educators to re-examine how business education is designed, and facilitated. Moreover, the paper advocates for ongoing experimentation and evaluation in light of continuous changes in the global business environment. Thus, recognizing the broader role of OER prompts a critical evaluation of educational frameworks to keep pace with evolving needs of society.

Keywords: Open Education Resources, knowledge democratization, collaborative learning, digital literacy, learning systems, learning outcomes.