GELENA - State of Progress
As the progress of the GELENA modules differs we here document the current status and some (intermediate) results.
Module 1: Theoretical Concepts
A literature review formed the starting point to develop a conceptual basis for the overall project. Several internal concept papers (e.g. on learning theories, (sustainability related) social learning, theories of institutions, management of innovations) were helpful in this respect.
Until now, three internal workshops were held on "sustainability", "learning", and "participation". Furthermore, working groups were established to address the following issues:
- Boundary Spanning Activities: On the relation between the inside and outside of companies
- Participatory product development in business theory
- Governance: Companies as political actors
- Interorganisational learning in networks
- Consumers and theories of institutions
Cultural science approaches of business theory have been addressed by several GELENA members in the framework of the "Research group companies and societal organisation (FUGO)" at the University of Oldenburg. Some intermediate results of this work have been published in the volume "Perspektiven einer kulturwissenschaftlichen Theorie der Unternehmung".
Within this module we topically and conceptionally prepared the workshops "Companies – Society – Sustainability" (Oldenburg, 2004) and "Companies: Partaking in a Sustainable Society" (Berlin, 2006). Currently we we prepare the final conference on "Societal Learning and Sustainability" in Berlin.
The project-related qualification theses also profited from this manner of theoretical interaction. In addition, each team member reports his/her recent progress on a regular basis and receives constructive criticism.
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Module 2: Organisational Learning
Starting from theoretical concepts from module 1 we developed an analytical frame and research hypotheses for the empirical part. We also set up interview guidelines and a standardised questionnaire, which were used in summer 2004 in six companies (two companies each from the fields of needs housing & construction, mobility, and information & communication). The companies chosen had already gotten down to environmental or sustainability questions. In each company, various employees from the divisions management, R & D, and environment/sustainability were interviewed regarding their experiences with the internal realisation. The results of this study as well as a comparative cross-comparison has been published in 2006 as a book under the title "Organisationales Lernen und Nachhaltigkeit".
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Module 3: Institutionalisation of Sustainability
Based on an extended literature review on the fields of needs housing & construction, mobility, and information & communication we conducted 32 interviews with experts of companies and manufacturers' associations, consumers' organisations, NGO's, science, the media and politics. A theoretically focused analysis of these interviews across the fields of needs providing recommendations for (political) action has been published as "Institutionalisierung von Nachhaltigkeit" in 2005.
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Module 4: Methods of Participatory Product Development
Work in this module started with a literature review which was followed by case studies on participatory methods. Analysis of the case studies focused on the notion of participation, the degree of involvement of participants, the process goals and whether these could be reached, learning processes, empowerment of participants, and the inclusion of sustainability and climate protection. Data were generated by reviewing documents and additional semi-structured interviews. Among the methods covered by the ten case studies were the Lead User Method, Product Clinic, Consumer Constructive Technology Assessment, Script Approach, and Stakeholder Dialogues.
Evaluating these case studies provided us with important recommendations regarding process control, preparation and postprocessing for the development of a participatory method within GELENA (module 6). Furthermore, it turned out that direct, non-mediated dialogue between companies and product users occurs rarely. Additionally, we found that several of the concepts we analysed focused on stakeholders rather than involving consumers directly.
These insights resulted in the development of the INNOCOPE method for participatory product development, which is about to be tested in module 6.
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Module 5: Integrated Modelling Approaches
Model use during the participatory product development process is twofold. First, the connections between greenhouse gas emissions and climate change are explained in an expert talk with the aid of model results from literature. Later on, the newly developed interactive model ECOCLASS to calculate the greenhouse gas balance of a given product is provided, which can be used directly and interactively by the participants. With this model, changes in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from product changes and changed usage patterns can be examined.
The ECOCLASS model is finished and has already been applied. It builds upon the GEMIS database, while the user interface and the data visualisation have been completely redesigned. You may download ECOCLASS here.
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Module 6: Participatory Product Development
The INNOCOPE process (INNOvation through COnsumer-integrated Product dEvelopment) has been tested in a pilot study. INNOCOPE consists of three consecutive workshops. Participants are consumers as well as company representatives from three different divisions. Consumers have been recruited in order to ensure social and demographic diversity. The EcoClass model from module 5 has been used in the second workshop. The three workshops are being held within 6 months to leave enough time for the company to take up ideas from the participants and work on their realisation in between. This is important to get feedback on workshop results from the production side, and to allow for reflection and discussion among the participating consumers. In addition we monitored learning processes and mechanisms via face-to-face-interviews and observation of behaviour during the workshops.
The most visible result of the pilot study was the development of a pedelec which is currently being marketed in Germany as "Swizzbee 25L". Furthermore, we found that consumers adopted a more conscious treatment of information on products and climate change as well as a more differentiated argumentation on product use and climate protection. Fro the companies, results were similar, but generally less pronounced. A comprehensive overview on the results is found in the book "Gesellschaftliches Lernen und Nachhaltigkeit" which appeared in spring 2007.
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Module 7: Public Relations and Knowledge Transfer
Initially, a project flyer and the project website (www.gelena.net) have been developed. The latter has been completely revised in 2004. During the project, work in this module focused on scientific publications in refereed journals, books, and GELENA working papers. The GELENA project has been presented on numerous national and international conferences and events. A handbook on the INNOCOPE process also picks up experiences from the pilot study. It is directed to companies and other practitioners and can be downloaded at no cost (PDF, 5.6 MB, in German only).
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