Short answer
When designing for social impact, move beyond a single user or organization and actively involve a network of diverse stakeholders in every stage of the design process.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Industry and Innovation (2023)
- Method
- Literature review and conceptual framework development
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Addressing complex societal challenges requires a shift from organization-centric innovation models to collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches involving diverse stakeholders. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Industry and Innovation. Using Literature review and conceptual framework development, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for social impact, move beyond a single user or organization and actively involve a network of diverse stakeholders in every stage of the design process.
Multi-stakeholder collaboration is key to effective social innovation.
Addressing complex societal challenges requires a shift from organization-centric innovation models to collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches involving diverse stakeholders.
Industry and Innovation · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Existing open social innovation models are often based on corporate open innovation, which is inadequate for complex social problems.
- 02Effective social innovation requires the concerted efforts of diverse stakeholders from various sectors throughout the entire innovation process.
- 03A transition to a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral perspective (OSI 2.0) is needed for successful social innovation.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing for social impact, move beyond a single user or organization and actively involve a network of diverse stakeholders in every stage of the design process.
How to apply
When initiating a design project aimed at societal challenges, map out all potential stakeholders (businesses, government, non-profits, communities) and design engagement strategies that foster their active participation from problem definition to solution scaling.
Project actions
- 01Identify all potential stakeholders for your design challenge.
- 02Consider how your design can facilitate communication and collaboration between these stakeholders.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a timely and relevant conceptual framework for understanding social innovation.
- +Synthesizes diverse research streams (open innovation, user innovation, social innovation) into a coherent perspective.
Limitations
The conceptual nature of OSI 2.0 means specific practical tools for orchestration are still developing. Real-world implementation may face significant challenges in aligning diverse stakeholder interests and resources.
Reliability & validity
The conceptual nature of the paper means reliability and validity are assessed through the robustness of the literature review and the logical coherence of the proposed framework, rather than empirical testing.
Think critically
To what extent can the principles of OSI 2.0 be applied to smaller-scale community-based design projects, or is it primarily relevant for large-scale societal challenges?
Design Principles
"Design for collaborative ecosystems, not isolated solutions."
Traditional innovation frameworks, often designed for corporate environments, are insufficient for tackling 'wicked' social and ecological problems. A more inclusive and coordinated approach is necessary to effectively diagnose issues, generate ideas, develop solutions, and scale impact.
What This Means for Your Design
To solve big problems like climate change, we need to work together across different groups, not just have one company try to fix it alone. This means designing ways for everyone to contribute from the start.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this paper when discussing the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaborative approaches in your design process, especially when addressing societal or environmental issues.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The research by Gegenhuber and Mair (2023) emphasizes that addressing complex societal challenges necessitates a departure from organization-centric innovation models. Their work advocates for an 'Open Social Innovation 2.0' (OSI 2.0) approach, which recognizes the critical role of multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral collaboration throughout the entire innovation process, from problem diagnosis to impact generation. This perspective is vital for design projects aiming for broad societal impact, as it underscores the need to actively involve diverse groups in co-creating and scaling solutions.
Source
Industry and Innovation
Open social innovation: taking stock and moving forward*
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about multi-stakeholder collaboration is key to effective social innovation?
- When designing for social impact, move beyond a single user or organization and actively involve a network of diverse stakeholders in every stage of the design process. Evidence: Industry and Innovation (2023).
- Why does "Multi-stakeholder collaboration is key to effective social innovation." matter for design?
- Traditional innovation frameworks, often designed for corporate environments, are insufficient for tackling 'wicked' social and ecological problems. A more inclusive and coordinated approach is necessary to effectively diagnose issues, generate ideas, develop solutions, and scale impact.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing for social impact, move beyond a single user or organization and actively involve a network of diverse stakeholders in every stage of the design process.
- What were the main findings?
- Existing open social innovation models are often based on corporate open innovation, which is inadequate for complex social problems.. Effective social innovation requires the concerted efforts of diverse stakeholders from various sectors throughout the entire innovation process.. A transition to a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral perspective (OSI 2.0) is needed for successful social innovation.
- What research method was used?
- Literature review and conceptual framework development.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Industry and Innovation.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When initiating a design project aimed at societal challenges, map out all potential stakeholders (businesses, government, non-profits, communities) and design engagement strategies that foster their active participation from problem definition to solution scaling.
- What are the limitations?
- The paper focuses on conceptualizing OSI 2.0 and outlines areas for future research, rather than providing empirical validation of specific orchestration mechanisms.