Firm Socialization: ambidexterity or new Business Paradigm?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7433/s126.2025.05Keywords:
stakeholder capitalism, stakeholder theory., social engagement, ecosystem, business modelAbstract
Frame of the Research: This work focuses on the interaction between the stakeholder management approach in an open innovation (eco)system.
Purpose of the paper: The authors address the changing role of social actors, public institutions, and companies and how, if they operate as ecosystem components in an open innovation context, they can contribute to answering social and environmental challenges using new technologies and leveraging modular support from a heterogeneous set of actors.
Methodology: This work presents a conceptual model to support scientific advancements in understanding the relevance of the stakeholder management approach and how it is present in ambidexterity firm purposes.
Results: Using a peer-to-peer open innovation perspective sheds light on the role of stakeholders as social and/or economic agents that, based on their stake in one or more specific issues, could create, adapt, and lead the ecosystem to answer for social, environmental and economic issues, further align corporate objectives with social and environmental performance.
Research limits: This work presents a conceptual model that does not enter into the specific motivations of each single actor, leaving them to further research attempts.
Practical implications: The conceptual model may help modern companies to understand how adopting a stakeholder management perspective, the research to find an innovative solution to socio-environmental issues may be aligned, thanks to feedback loops with the usual economic performance.
Originality of the paper: The recent years’ scenario, characterized by Grand Challenges post the COVID-19 pandemic, such as those related to climate change, demographic, and geopolitical issues, calls for new solutions leveraging science, technology and innovations, activating policymakers, entrepreneurs and no profits to supply real, shared are repeatable, answers to these national and global needs with a high likelihood of global impact.
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