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Making Distant Futures Actionable: Innovating for a Zero Carbon Future is a collaboration between the Centre for Organization and Time and four international research partners.

Summary

The project will investigate how synergies are created between short term-solutions and distant futures that lie beyond the strategic horizons of most companies.听An underlying idea of this project is that actors of different time orientations need each other for distant climate goals to be听met.听 鈥淚n reality we only have a very small window of time to make this happen,鈥� says听Majken听Schultz and Tor听Hernes, both professors听at听the Centre for Organization and Time听at the Department of Organization听at casino 168.

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The current problem when addressing the climate goals is听that听innovative听solutions are restricted by pressure for short-term performance and value-creation.听Long-term climate goals, on the other hand,听are abstract and听often听experienced as very distant.听Previous research has often assumed that the two are separate and even irreconcilable听which is what this project will try and find a solution to.听听

鈥淲ith less than a decade left to prevent long-term damage to the planet we are going to need to accelerate the green transition and bring these two together. Research shows that each of them will most likely fail if they stand alone. This project will show the two need each other,鈥� they add.听听

The听project听will investigate how听synergies are created between short term-solutions and distant futures that lie beyond the strategic horizons of most companies.听鈥淗ence,听the project title听鈥楳aking the distant future actionable鈥�, state Professor听Majken听Schultz and Professor Tor听Hernes, who听will听manage the听four-year听project听funded by Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Translating between short听and long-term

Current听research works from the assumption that all actors should aim at the long-term.听The project will challenge this assumption听and show听how short-term thinking is vital for thinking听for听the long-term, just as long-term thinking is vital for the short-term.听But the two-way influence is听not symmetrical. Therefore, the theoretical part of the project aims at developing 鈥淭emporal Translation鈥澨€撎齛听term to explain how short-term solutions can be projected into distant solutions and vice versa.听

鈥淚t is听a听bit like translating between languages, where we move back and forward with different words to frame similar meanings. Except that in our case we consider how translation takes place across time; how actors project on-going solutions into the distant climate goals and conversely, how emerging innovations may become part of something that is听materialised听10-20 years from now,鈥� they explain.听

鈥淥ur current research in a related project funded by Velux听Foundation,听shows how听novel solutions in sustainable packaging of dairy produce are created by Arla (also a partner of the听NNF-funded听project),鈥澨齌or听Hernes听states.听 听

鈥淥ur colleague,听postdoc researcher听Miriam听Feuls,听analyses听how听actors听from different functions collaborate to听ensure that innovative solutions are viable for the distant future. We find in that study that听actors听move back and forth (translate) between short-term and distant solutions through different sets of collaborative practices, such as听how future narratives frame their听economic and environmental听calculations, while听these听calculations enable them to modify future narratives听in turn,鈥� adds听Majken听Schultz.听

Different actors, different sectors

An underlying idea of this project is that actors of different time orientations need each other for distant climate goals to be met.听

The project will explore how different types of actors interact to 鈥渃o-create鈥� solutions that comprise both singular innovations and holistic solutions.听听

The project听is听organised听into three sub-projects, each one headed by a postdoctoral researcher (these are being recruited now).听Each sub-project will study focal companies in听a听sector听important to the听green听transition, but听organised听very differently: Food (Arla), life-science (Novo Nordisk) and energy (in process). In collaboration听with听each company, will select specific innovation projects that involve collaboration between different types of actors, such as universities, entrepreneurs, public听institutions,听or other corporations.听

鈥淔or each sector/sub-project, we will focus on what specific management challenges arise from translating between innovative solutions and climate goals. We do not expect to find one model, but rather a variety of models, which we intend to develop in ways that are听helpful听to managers,鈥澨齭ays听Majken听Schultz听and Tor听Hernes.听

The road ahead听听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听听

The project plans to host open seminars relevant to the research themes and participate in international conferences, such as European Group for Organizational Studies and Academy of Management.听The idea here is to expand the research agenda on organization, time and听sustainability in collaboration with the international听research听community听and represented by four international research partners.听

The project is also confronted with some interesting challenges.听鈥淚t is always a听challenge is to apply qualitative social science theorizing听in a听natural science setting. In our case we will听engage in听longitudinal studies of听specific innovation projects, often emerging from natural and technical sciences, and听analyse听them from a social science view.听In addition, our qualitative research requires close collaboration with the involved companies etc. and the ability to discuss our findings in ways that are meaningful to actors from the natural sciences,鈥� they听add.听

Also, it is听a challenge whether the innovation projects will remain as ambitious and relevant to climate change as they are expected to be.听鈥淲e will select the听innovation projects to be studied based on their current importance and future potential to the involved actors. We have听every reason to believe that management in our focal companies will stick to their priorities and future ambitions, but听as we have all learned this last year the world听is less predictable than we often assume,鈥澨齝oncludes听Majken听Schultz and Tor听Hernes.听

About the project听 听 听 听 听

Making Distant Futures Actionable: Innovating for a Zero Carbon Future听is a听collaboration between the听Centre for Organization and Time and听four international research partners:听Professor听Tima听Bansal, Ivey Business School (Canada), Professor Raghu听Garud, Penn State University (US) Professor Juliane Reinecke, Kings College (UK) and Professor Daniel Nyberg, University of Newcastle (Australia).听

To follow the project, sign up by emailing听sis.ioa@cbs.dk听to receive invitations and news updates.听听