Connect and affect - How stakeholder interactions facilitate technological change
Due to the COVID-19 crisis measures the PhD defence of Sikke Jansma will take place (partly) online in the presence of an invited audience.
The PhD defence can be followed by a live stream.
Sikke Jansma is a PhD student in the research group Communication Science (CS). His supervisor is prof.dr. M.D.T. de Jong from the Faculty of Bahavioural, Management and Social Sciences (BMS).
Present-day societies are facing grand societal challenges, and various technological innovations that are being developed might contribute to the solution. Such innovations require the involvement of different stakeholders who have their own interests in, stakes in, and perceptions of the desirability of technological change. This dissertation presents the interactions between stakeholders that influence the development and implementation of technological innovations and thereby contribute to technological change.
This dissertation addresses various empirical studies that describe different technological innovations (i.e., GM food, nanotechnologies for health and sustainable technologies), include various types of stakeholders (i.e., entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, citizens and end-users) and are based on several research methods.
The results show that relevant interactions can be differentiated in ‘window-out’ processes and ‘window-in’ processes. The window-out processes relate to interactions that aim for a positive perception of the innovation in support of the creation of legitimacy. Legitimacy of technological innovations should be approached as multi-dimensional concept based on the cognitive, normative pragmatic, and regulative pillar. Relevant interactions include sharing knowledge and information, framing, networking and lobbying and address one or more of these pillars. The window-in processes emphasize the inclusion of stakeholders’ needs and values in the innovation process to create socially robust innovations. These needs and values can be related to various aspects of the innovation: the design, development, use, implementation, innovation system, communication and technical aspects. Relevant interactions include collaborating with other stakeholders, adapting to the social environment, public engagement, and co-creation.
The research reflects on the role of communication in innovation processes and provides insights in the stakeholder interactions that affect the development and implementation of technological innovations. This provides relevant insights for communication science, STS, and science communication.
