Preparing for impact: Policy and government in social innovation

A subtle theme emerged to me within this week’s readings. Particularly in “Disruptive Technologies,” “Global Trends 2030,” and “The four global forces breaking all the trends” it became clear that government preparation for and response to innovations and disruptive changes to economies may not only influence the success of the change agent, but may also influence the extent of the effect these innovations have on society.

As is evidenced by the National Intelligence Council’s “Global Trends 2030” report, individual empowerment is rapidly increasing. The middle class is growing, higher rates of populations are becoming more educated, the diffusion of innovation is becoming increasingly more rapid, and levels of economic inequality are shifting. As innovative practices are fueling as well as occurring as a result of these trends, how does a government respond to innovation in changing contexts such as these?

In an economy such as the US, innovation is occurring everywhere. The authors draw our attention to the importance of energy storage to our future development. They also note, however, that it is important for governments and policymakers to prepare for the impact of such innovations before they are actually implemented in society.  In order to be well-prepared, leaders must ensure they are aware of possible game changers or disruptors, essentially so that current policies (or lack thereof) does not stymie the positive impact it may have. These methods will not only help make a greater social contribution, but they have the potential to help aid the organizations in their own operations as well.

Developing countries undergoing high rates of innovation and development experience a separate set of problems when it comes to policy making and even democratic processes. While in a developed country such as the United States citizens may demand the cheap implementation of more effective solutions, developing countries may require larger shifts in government such as a demand for more democratic processes. As the middle class increases and more families have money, countries may be forced to change governing practices in order to simply avoid conflict. it is also possible that when rapid development occurs in developing areas such as those that the authors of “The four global forces” refer to as “medium-size cities that many Western executives may not even have heard of and couldn’t point to on a map” change their policies, they may attract more investors and bolster economic activity through global interactions.

Overall, it was clear throughout the readings that policymakers may need to take a step away from the traditional model of the market place or even of innovation. Societies will benefit the most from the right set of policies in collaboration with change being implemented.