A values-based approach to radical innovation: facilitating the reinterpretation of core values through design-driven practices

This paper contributes to a growing body of literature on values-based approaches to innovation. In particular, we explore the role that core values should have in radical innovation processes and in guiding the ability of organisations in learning and unlearning, i.e., identifying and developing abilities and competences coherent with the values of the organisation. First, the paper provides a conceptual explanation: it clarifies and highlights the characteristics and implications that core values should have when considered within a radical innovation approach, in particular their ability to be embodied in design objects (meaningful to internal individuals and external customers), and their ability to be open to contingency, deriving their strength from their ability to evolve and be reinterpreted. Secondly, based on this, we put forward a design-driven and interpretation-based facilitation method to support organisations in making sense of their past and future core values and illustrate this method by positioning it when compared with other existing methods. An overview of the outputs of the method and their knowledge value for the organisation together with an illustration conclude the paper.