Sunday, December 05, 2010
Pro-innovation Bias?
...
" Innovation research seems to be built on a fundamental assumption that 'innovation is good', which limits the ability of decision makers and change agents to anticipate unintended and undesirable consequences. Hence, a central theme is to develop an understanding of how this bias is constructed in order to explore how it could be deconstructed.
Another central theme of the project is the separation of discourses on desirable and undesirable consequences. More specifically, undesirable consequences of innovation can potentially follow from all types of innovation. These consequences are to some (unknown) degree studied in disciplines such as biology, medicine, environmental studies and sustainable development, and theories are constructed within perspectives drawing on sociology, CMS, STS, etc. Innovation research, however, seems to have implicitly isolated itself from considering them. The separation of discourses in this manner can have dangerous implications. One is that innovation studies have become "routinized". Another is a case of self-defeating purpose; as change agents receive little practical guidance from innovation researchers on how to consider undesirable consequences, they may cause unnecessary suffering among stakeholders, thereby reducing the net value of an innovation. Yet another is a self-feeding vicious circle; unless undesirable consequences are highlighted by innovation researchers, funding bodies see little point in funding such studies, thereby further reducing research.
Project information
Site of research
Hanken School of Economics/Department of Management and Organisation
Period
December 2008-
Research Team
Professor Karl-Erik Sveiby (karl-erik.sveiby (at) hanken.fi, +358 (0)50 4320 160)
Ph.D. Pernilla Gripenberg (pernilla.gripenberg (at) hanken.fi , +358 (0)40 3521 338)
M.Soc. Sc. (Social Psychology), Doctoral candidate Beata Segercrantz (beata.segercrantz (at) hanken.fi, +358 (0)40 3521 500)
Events
Workshop May 5-7, 2010
The aim of this workshop is to encourage researchers to undertake research on consequences of innovation. In this field of research both theoretical and methodological development are needed due to the in-built pro-innovation bias in innovation theory. Undesirable consequences of innovation are notoriously complex, multi-faceted and multilevel and they transcend artificially created scientific boundaries. They require multi-disciplinary research and cross-boundary dialogue. They are difficult, but not impossible to study.
The objective of the workshop is to bring together a group of 15-30 innovation researchers to explore alternatives to mainstream innovation research by addressing how unintended and undesirable consequences of innovation could be brought into the research agenda of the innovation research field. We want to go beyond the 'pro-innovation bias'. To do so another important aim of the workshop is to produce a publication. Inspired by two keynote speakers, Professor Nancy Harding and Professor Jan Fagerberg, the participant will work in small groups throughout the workshop brainstorming, planning and partly writing the future publications. The approach will be critical but the contributions can draw upon a variety of perspectives ranging from mainstream approaches to critical realist and postmodern thought. Topics include contributions on, for example:
• dominant discourse of innovation research that marginalize discourses of unintended and undesirable consequences
• policy
• corporate social responsibility
• any other relevant topic brought forth by participants
Location: Hanken School of Economics, Department of Management and Organization,
P.O. Box 471, 00101 Helsinki, Finland
Inquires: Please contact beata.segercrantz (at) hanken.fi
The researchers' papers and bios can be downloaded.
Selected Publications
Sveiby, K.-E., Gripenberg, P., Segercrantz, B., Eriksson, A. & Aminoff, A. (2009). Unintended and Undesirable Consequences of Innovation. ISPIM Conference The Future of Innovation. Vienna, June 21-24, 2009. (Available on http://www.sveiby.com/articles/UnintendedconsequencesISPIMfinal.pdf)
Sveiby, K.-E. (2009). Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Development as Told in Traditional Stories, Sustainable Development 17 (6): 341-356. (Available on http://www.sveiby.com/articles/AborigPrincipSustainability.pdf)
Segercrantz, B. (2009). Towards a (more) critical and social constructionist approach to New Product Development projects. Ephemera 9 (2): 182-194. (Available on http://www.ephemeraweb.org/journal/9-2/9-2segercrantz.pdf)
Gripenberg, P. (2005). ICT and the shaping of society: Exploring human-ICT relationships in everyday life. Ph.D. thesis, Hanken School of Economics. Helsinki: Edita Prima Ltd. (Available on http://dhanken.shh.fi/dspace/bitstream/10227/115/2/143-951-555-874-3.pdf)..."