Exploring the dynamics of innovation for inclusive development systems: a study of the Nigerian growth enhancement support scheme

Date
2022
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Innovation remains central to industrial competitiveness and catching up and is crucial for providing targeted solutions to nagging development problems. This is because the innovation system (IS) framework, in principle, offers multiple learning pathways to issues of development and advocates context-specificity in the application. However, the problem with the framework is the limitation in accounting for the peculiarities of developing countries. Several authors have argued that there is a need to continuously modify the structural elements and processes to accommodate new sets of actors, institutions, and networks critical in the developing country context. This study contributes to the emerging literature on ISs and inclusive development by developing an analytical framework for assessing functional dynamics and performance. ISs performance is assessed by tracking how well the functions perform over time to determine policy interventions needed to strengthen the structural elements. The goal of the study is two-fold, to 1) develop an analytical framework for expanding the ISs framework to inclusive development; and 2) to show the utility of the framework in the I4ID context by generating insights into the functional dynamics and performance of an IS. The research design is the case study approach. It is operationalised using the Conceptual Framework Analysis (CFA) method developed by Jabareen (2009). This offers a qualitative procedure of theorisation for building and validating conceptual frameworks based on the Grounded Theory (GT) methodology. This study expands on previous works which adapt the systemic policy approach to assessing the performance of innovations in inclusive development (van der Hilst, 2012; Botha, 2017; van der Merwe, 2017). The systemic policy framework provides a guide for assessing innovation performance at a systemic level by combining the structural and functional approaches to identify systemic problems and proffer solutions (Wieczorek and Hekkert, 2012). To explore and develop critical insights into the performance of I4ID systems, the developed framework was applied to the GES scheme in Nigeria’s agricultural system through the event history analysis (EHA), qualitative analysis, and consultation of experts. Building on the work of Maarsingh et al. (2021), the study utilises the EHA to identify the functions and the relationship between them. It reveals the cumulative causation, motors of innovation, drivers and barriers to the evolution of the GES scheme. Key informant interviews and in-depth interviews were conducted with actors in the GES scheme to triangulate the findings of the EHA and further provide evidence to identify systemic problems hindering the growth of the I4ID system and possible policies for solving them. The study draws lessons from the Nigerian GES scheme to analyse the role of policy in the emergence of the I4ID system while also providing critical insights into the broader approach in the context of the I4ID system. While contributing to knowledge on the emerging field of the I4ID system, the study highlights some limitations in methodology and inclusivity. It suggests further areas of research, for instance, examining the broader policy structures, especially the political economy of the state and its influence on the performance of I4ID systems.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Innovasie bly sentraal tot industriële mededingendheid en opvanging en is noodsaaklik vir die verskaffing van doelgerigte oplossings vir kwellende ontwikkelingsprobleme. Dit is omdat die innovasiesisteem (IS) raamwerk, in beginsel, verskeie leerpadte bied vir kwessies van ontwikkeling en voorstanders van konteksspesifisiteit in die toepassing. Die probleem met die raamwerk is egter die beperking in die rekeningkunde vir die eienskappe van ontwikkelende lande. Verskeie outeurs het beweer dat daar 'n behoefte is om die strukturele elemente en prosesse voortdurend aan te pas om nuwe groepe akteurs, instellings en netwerke krities in die ontwikkelende landkonteks op te neem. Hierdie studie lewer by tot die ontluikende letterkunde oor ISs en inklusiewe ontwikkeling deur 'n analitiese raamwerk te ontwikkel vir die evaluering van funksionele dinamika en prestasie. ISs prestasie word geëvalueer deur die spoor van hoe goed die funksies oor tyd presteer om beleidintervensies te bepaal wat nodig is om die strukturele elemente te versterk. Die doel van die studie is tweeledig, om 1) 'n analitiese raamwerk te ontwikkel vir die uitbreiding van die IS se raamwerk na inklusiewe ontwikkeling; en 2) om die bruikbaarheid van die raamwerk in die I4ID-konteks aan te toon deur insigte in die funksionele dinamika en werkverrigting van 'n IS te genereer. Die navorsingsontwerp is die gevallestudiebenadering. Dit word geoperasionaliseer deur gebruik te maak van die konseptuele raamwerkanalise (CFA) metode wat deur Jabareen (2009) ontwikkel is. Dit bied 'n kwalitatiewe prosedure van teoretisering vir die bou en validering van konseptuele raamwerke gebaseer op die “Grounded Theory” (GT) metodologie. Hierdie studie brei uit op vorige werke wat die sistemiese beleidsbenadering aanpas om die prestasie van innovasies in inklusiewe ontwikkeling te assesseer (van der Hilst, 2012; Botha, 2017; van der Merwe, 2017). Die sistemiese beleidsraamwerk verskaf 'n gids vir die assessering van innovasieprestasie op 'n sistemiese vlak deur die strukturele en funksionele benaderings te kombineer om sistemiese probleme te identifiseer en oplossings te bied (Wieczorek en Hekkert, 2012). Om kritiese insigte in die werkverrigting van I4ID-stelsels te verken en te ontwikkel, is die ontwikkelde raamwerk toegepas op die GES-skema in Nigerië se landboustelsel deur die gebeurtenisgeskiedenis-analise (EHA), kwalitatiewe analise en konsultasie van kundiges. Voortbouend op die werk van Maarsingh et al. (2021), gebruik die studie die EHA om die funksies en die verhouding tussen hulle te identifiseer. Dit onthul die kumulatiewe oorsaaklikheid, motors van innovasie, drywers en hindernisse tot die evolusie van die GES- skema. Sleutel-informant-onderhoude en in-diepte onderhoude is gevoer met deelnemers in die GES-skema om die bevindinge van die EHA te trianguleer en verder bewyse te verskaf om sistemiese probleme te identifiseer wat die groei van die I4ID-stelsel belemmer en moontlike beleide om dit op te los. Die studie trek lesse uit die Nigeriese GES-skema om die rol van beleid in die ontstaan van die I4ID-stelsel te ontleed, terwyl dit ook kritiese insigte verskaf in die breër benadering in die konteks van die I4ID-stelsel. Terwyl dit bydra tot kennis oor die opkomende veld van die I4ID- stelsel, beklemtoon die studie sommige beperkings in metodologie en inklusiwiteit. Dit stel verdere navorsingsgebiede voor, byvoorbeeld die ondersoek van die breër beleidstrukture, veral die politieke ekonomie van die staat en die invloed daarvan op die prestasie van I4ID- stelsels.
Description
Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
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