Orchestrating multiple actors for social innovation: the role of common grounding

About the Research

Through a 32-month inductive qualitative study, we explore how Green City Force (GCF), a NYC not-for-profit organization, successfully initiated and sustained collaborations with public, not-for-profit, and for-profit partners to produce new solutions to long-standing social and environmental issues. We found that GCF succeeded in doing so though not by focusing on building common ground with their different partners upfront as suggested by the literature on collaboration. Rather, they engaged in common grounding, which we define as the iterative process of sustainably engaging partners with diverse interests to collaborate in the production of social innovation. Common grounding involves three practices: delineating a flexible scope for collaboration; organizing catalytic events; and nurturing dialogical conversations. Delineating a flexible scope for collaboration allowed GCF to engage with diverse partners who entered the collaboration with different combinations of interests. Organizing catalytic events, which provided evidence of the value of the collaboration, reinforced partners’ engagement. Nurturing dialogical conversations, which fostered mutual understanding and trust between partners, sustained their collaboration over time. Our paper contributes to the literature on collaboration by showing how organizations can successfully orchestrate collaborations to create social innovation.

About Anne-Claire Pache

Anne-Claire Pache (pache@essec.edu) is a chaired professor in social innovation at ESSEC Business School. She received her PhD in organizational behavior at INSEAD. Her research lies at the intersection of organization theory and social innovation, with a particular interest in how organizations can bring about a positive impact on society and the planet. She has written four books and published articles in the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Organization Studies, and Journal of Business Ethics.

Date: Thursday 13 June, 2024

Time: 12:00-13:30 CEST

Venue: Room 1106, Building A (Zoom link provided to registered attendees)

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