Open Science, Open Innovation and IS Governance

The capacity to build trust and openness is a critical factor for times of change. Indeed, the power of collaborative work and learning represents the building blocks of future societies. Competitiveness and innovation will need to promote cooperative behaviour as a form of overcoming the magnitude of changes that have to be faced. Such panorama is already present in agendas for action based in Open Science and in Open Innovation paradigms. Sustainability challenges address the integrated development of four spheres of action: ecological, economic, social and governance development. The need to negotiate, to manage conflicts and to promote peace-seeking behaviour is part of an inter-cultural dialogue that is already present in both business and public policy institutions. The core issue is that Quality Systems are positioned in strategic terms as fundamental ingredients of economic, social and political changes. This occurs because organisations already incorporate such interventions and are intrinsically and unavoidably contaminated by the dynamic nature and the innovative power of Quality Systems. Wishful thinking and self-fulfilling prophecies are positive answers to paradox. Beyond preaching to the converted, management methodologies exemplify changes in a learning-by-doing mode. The present paper offers an exploratory and reflective account of the challenges being faced by contemporary societies. Such inquiring mode may enable empowering Quality Systems interventions and offering inspirational and motivational arenas for action for both practitioners and scholars alike.

Quality management systems; Cooperative behavior; Open
science; Open innovation