Innovation Studies, Social Innovation, and Sustainability Transitions Research: From mutual ignorance towards an integrative perspective?

Objective and methods
The proposed paper is a first attempt towards building an integrative analytical framework to study goal-oriented transformative change processes (GoTC), i.e., system-transforming processes that are guided by the ambition to tackle current or expected future societal challenges – severe problems or new opportunities – of various kinds. These changes can only start once a broad range of possible goals are considered by key stakeholders and the full spectrum of relevant actors are committed to act. Hence, there is a need for widening the scope of the current, partial conceptual models to consider the co-evolutionary interactions between technology, economy, and society to understand these changes. This claim is based on our focussed literature review of the three main relevant strands of literature, i.e., Innovation Studies (IS), Social Innovation (SI), and Sustainability Transitions (ST) research.
We consider the main conceptual frameworks – the key notions and approaches – used in the IS, SI, and ST literatures by distinguishing different types of change processes by their principal purpose and discussing the typical main actors and their interactions during innovation processes; the object and levels of change; the sources and types of knowledge (co-)produced, utilised, and diffused during the change processes; and how success and impact are defined and measured in the three strands. We also compare how diffusion and transformation mechanisms are understood in the IS, SI, and ST literatures.
For historical and sociological reasons these three strands have evolved in sporadic interactions with each other, and thus possibilities for mutual learning have been seized to a limited extent only – despite their common fundamental intellectual quest to explicate intentional change processes. These three strands each provide a perspective on GoTC, these perspectives are partial.
Contribution
A meaningful combination of these three strands, as well as mutual learning among their scholars, is needed as a foundation of a deeper and more germane understanding of GoTC in economy and society. We offer four building blocks for an integrative framework to analyse it: Rationales, overall goal, and specific objectives of change; Objects, types, and levels of change; Processes and mechanisms of change; A set of criteria to assess change. We claim that an integrative approach to GoTC can underpin more effective strategies and activities for various types of actors (businesses, social innovators, NGOs, and citizens as individuals), as well as more effective public policies. We also draw tentative governance, policy, and practical implications.