Social Innovation through Information Provision

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter aims to explore how social innovation can be achieved through providing employees with information to enhance participation in decision-making.

Design/Methodology/Approach

The chapter takes a largely theoretical and discursive approach. Building on key theories on the links between information and decision-making, it explores the logic behind the potential for empowerment through providing information. Empirical examples are used to demonstrate some elements of the theoretical propositions.

Findings

The chapter demonstrates that there is a strong theoretical potential for enhancing employee participation through the provision of more and better information. It also suggests that organisations would benefit economically from this, because of a broader knowledge-base underlying business decisions. However, in many organisations the potential is either not recognised, or, for organisational design and cultural reasons, it is considered undesirable to increase employee participation.

Practical Implications

Organisations and employees need to increase their efforts in understanding how they can use IT to provide decision-makers, and in particular employees, with better information.

Social Implications

There is huge potential for social innovation through IS and IT that is currently under-exploited. Because people are exposed to IT in their daily lives so much, they are more likely to want to push for better use of IT and access to information in their organisations.

Originality/Value

This chapter provides an unusual angle on social innovation. Drawing on some key theoretical frameworks from the IS domain, it demonstrates a strong link between enhancing information provision and increasing employee participation.

Citation

Limburg, D. (2014), "Social Innovation through Information Provision", Human Resource Management, Social Innovation and Technology (Advanced Series in Management, Vol. 14), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 21-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1877-636120140000014007