Regional prosperity via nonprofit innovation

As Plato put it “Our need will be the real creator” (c. 375 B.C.E.). This aphorism reflects enduring themes of today’s society, challenging us to bring together critical ideas of innovation, growth, and social progress; and, certainly, such notions have been interrogated in their interconnectedness in for-profits. Yet despite the nonprofit sector’s recognized significance and particular hurdles, these concepts remain largely understudied in an integrated way in the nonprofit literature. My PhD study examines these ideas in nonprofits, and I had the pleasure of sharing insights from my staged program of research at two recent international conferences as well as applying them in my board work and related activities.

Before these conferences, in mid-2023, my literature review, co-authored with Professor Sarah Jane Kelly and Professor Nicole Gillespie, was published in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Wiley. We offer a new conceptual model of how nonprofit boards can innovate for growth based on a first-in-field integrative-systematic review of the disparate literatures. We contribute by conceptualizing a unique multifactorial perspective, signalling that the relationship between nonprofit governance and organization performance may be mediated by innovation, pointing to a sector-specific relationship and, methodologically, through a first-in-field integrative synopsis via a set of competing models to reveal previously undetected relationships.

In August 2023, I was thrilled to be part of an international conference on business, management, and economics at Oxford University, which featured speakers from far flung countries such as Sweden, China, Germany, Uganda, Indonesia, United States, and Australia. It focused on innovation and I presented an overview of the findings from my three-phase investigation of nonprofit innovation governance. The conference certainly delivered on its keynote’s promise of revealing opportunities, challenges, and innovation’s increasing pace across all sectors.. It was exciting to learn about the amazing breadth of innovation research happening across the globe. I particularly enjoyed hearing about innovation’s combined opportunities and challenges, along with its increasing pace across all sectors; a research project about Swedish government support which enabled Swedish SMEs to survive and flourish during crisis; innovation in the German sharing economy; how the NutriScore, an innovative yet simple visual mechanism, can change consumer behaviour; and pharma disruption during COVID.

In October 2023, as Charley’s Chocolate Advisory Board Member, I participated in a productive strategy session followed by the Annual General Meeting at their chocolate plantation in far north Queensland. Before the AGM, I had the pleasure of meeting the fabulous Johanna Griggs and Charlie Albone plus crew from Channel 7 TV’s Better Homes and Gardens and watch their filming of our plantation and operations, Then I joined the inaugural workshop for cacao growers, chocolate makers, and chocolate lovers of the newly formed chocolate industry nonprofit, Cacao and Chocolate of Australian Origin (CACAO). We visited the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Queensland) research station in South Johnstone and heard about their latest research into growing high yield cacao plants and plant genetics. We were also treated to a guest lecture by visiting Professor Roberta Crouch from Flinders University on premium chocolate (and other specialty foods/beverages) and how consumers view country of origin. And we gained insights about the potential impact on demand for chocolate, especially premium chocolate, thanks to economist Pete Faulkner. Charley’s CEO Chris Jahnke shared with us the journey of starting Charley’s Chocolate cacao plantation too. Finally, we delighted in a guided tasting of a range of premium chocolate by Philippe Smets from Chocolat Philippe, Noel Kowald from Davies Chocolates, and Chris Jahnke from Charley’s Chocolate.

In November 2023, I then attended a regional futures conference of the Regional Sciences Institute and the Regional Studies Association held at RMIT University in Melbourne Australia. The colloquium showcased a diverse speaker line-up which included Agriculture Victoria’s Minister the Hon Ros Spence and European Commission’s VP Margaritis Schinas. It was an honour to present a discussion paper on the implications for policy and practice of my PhD studies plus chair a regional policy session. There were some key conference focal points for me from research projects and scholars at universities in Australia, Indonesia, Norway, Germany, and Poland. I heard how interdisciplinary research and collaboration with government and practice can help address global and regional challenges; that experimentation (with a portfolio), contestation, and deliberation (including collaboration with external stakeholders) are critical features of effective innovation policy to solve regional and urban problems; and that effective urban regeneration requires embedded processes to be “unmade” to make space for future regime, with Hamburg’s addressing of urban mobility issues providing useful lessons for similarly constrained urban centres. I also learnt how analysis of a 30-factor model shows societal resilience can be strengthened by enhancing retired people’s wellbeing through social networks and that Aceh Indonesia has a great history of leaders and that a series of privileged interviews revealed that effective leaders embody particular characteristics.

I especially enjoyed the fascinating group discussion in my panel which featured academics from the University of Canberra, Central Queensland University, and The University of Waikato New Zealand. And a real highlight for me was chairing a session on regional prosperity. It showcased a range of thought-provoking topics presented by colleagues from RMIT University and Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities Singapore.

It's been a fascinating period of sharing and applying my innovation research and learning from others in Australia and across the globe. I’m enjoying being part of a thriving global community of research and practice on innovation.