Browsing by Author "Edlmann, Frederick Robert Peter"

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    Facilitating stakeholder engagement in innovation platforms : an ecosystem perspective within the South African health context
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Edlmann, Frederick Robert Peter; Grobbelaar, Sara; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Industrial Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa’s public healthcare sector is overburdened and underresourced, stifling the country’s primary healthcare delivery system. The burden on the public healthcare sector could be relieved through the alleviation of the population’s ill-health by focusing on the social determinants of health, such as living conditions and levels of social cohesion. This research considers socio-economic empowerment of those marginalised members of society living at the base of the pyramid (BOP) to improve factors contributing to poor health. Innovation platforms (IPs) offer opportunities to empower the marginalised. IPs draw together diverse stakeholders, which may include the marginalised, to pool resources and knowledge and collaborate around a specific set of challenges. IP participants contribute towards the development of context-specific innovation solutions to complex problems. Understanding and managing stakeholder engagement in networks of diverse stakeholders is complex; more so with the participation of the commonly marginalised. This research aims to develop a conceptual framework and management tool to better understand and manage the engagement practices of IP stakeholders. In a grounded theory approach, the research used a systematic literature review, a traditional literature review, semi-structured interviews and case studies as data collection methods. The research output was evaluated progressively. The framework’s development began with the analysis of relevant literature in the systematic literature review to identify good engagement practices present in IPs. Subsequently, the first part of the evaluation verified the findings of the systematic literature review using a subject matter expert interview and a theoretical case study, to further investigate these engagement practices. The preliminary framework was then compiled using the insight gained. The second part of the evaluation sought to confirm the content and structure of the preliminary framework. Semi-structured interviews with four subject matter experts informed this process. Where gaps were identified in the framework, the necessary modifications were made to address these. This led to the development of an enhanced conceptual framework. A ‘framework overview canvas’ was developed to complement the conceptual framework and further simplify the conceptualisation of stakeholder engagement in IPs. A process for using the enhanced conceptual framework and its overview canvas was subsequently developed and applied in a case study for the final round of evaluation in this research. The innovation ecosystem perspective was applied to analyse an existing IP in the case study. The case study found the conceptual framework to be suitable and relevant as a tool for managing stakeholder engagement in IPs. Final modifications were made to the conceptual framework and a ‘process canvas’ was developed to assist potential users in the application of the tool. The management tool for stakeholder engagement in IPs has three elements: (1) the final conceptual framework; (2) the framework overview canvas; and (3) the process canvas. The tool is flexible in its application and may inform the development of new IPs or facilitate improved stakeholder management in existing IPs. This tool is not limited to IPs or to the South African health context; it remains relevant to other stakeholder network architectures and several other sectors.