Lessons for Responsible Innovation in the Business Context: A Systematic Literature Review of Responsible, Social and Sustainable Innovation Practices

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing conceptual debate on responsible innovation, and provides innovation practices and processes that can help to implement responsible innovation in the business context. Based on a systematic literature review of 72 empirical scholarly articles, it was possible to identify, analyse and synthesise empirical findings reported in studies on social, sustainable and responsible innovation practices in the business context. The synthesis of the included articles resulted in a refined framework for responsible innovation in the business context. This framework includes an overview of innovation practices and processes that can enhance the dimensions of responsible innovation: anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, deliberation, responsiveness and knowledge management. Additionally, knowledge gaps are identified and a research agenda for responsible innovation is proposed. This review can therefore serve as a next step in the theoretical and practical development of responsible innovation in general, and in the business context in particular.

Agricultural Innovation and the Role of Institutions: Lessons from the Game of Drones

“…A way to deal with this is, as suggested by Stilgoe et al (2013), to adopt an inclusive approach and let different stakeholders become parts of the process. This is also stressed by Lubberink et al (2017) who put forward the importance of deliberation.…”

“…Therefore, regarding innovation, we argue that the stewardship lies on many parties-especially the innovators, adopters, and institutions-and must therefore be inclusive in its art. Hence, as Stilgoe et al suggests, all parties have a responsibility that includes anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion and responsiveness, and as highlighted by Lubberink et al (2017), this must be part of the knowledge management in an innovation process.…”

“…mad-cow crisis, he proposes investigation of ''the impact of 'negative synergies' between complex technologies, social institutions and critical infrastructures'' (p. 369). A recurrent theme in this ethics-related literature is that societal and environmental concerns are or should be connected to innovation (Nordgren 2012;Attfield 2014;Lubberink et al 2017;Long and Blok 2017). Thus, responsible innovation is related to the sustainability perspective (The European Commission 2011; Blok and Lemmens 2015).…”

“…Lubberink et al 2017). Stilgoe et al argue that responsible innovation actors should embed anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness in their management of innovation processes.…”

A critical hermeneutic reflection on the paradigm-level assumptions underlying responsible innovation

“…Over the last years, several literature reviews of RI have been undertaken (Burget et al 2017;Lubberink et al 2017;Timmermans 2017;Wickson and Carew 2014). These were consulted to identify the different accounts of RI put forward by the RI discourse (first requirement).…”