STR
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Seojin Kim
Drexel U., United States
Curba Lampert
Florida International U., United States
Mahka Moeen
U. of Wisconsin, United States
Angie Fairchild
Kenan-Flagler Business School, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
Timothy Ott
U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States
Minyoung Kim
The Ohio State U., United States
Vijayaraghavan Venkataraman
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, India
Eunhee Sohn
Georgia Institute of Technology, United States
Brian Silverman
U. of Toronto, Canada
Maria Roche
Harvard Business School, United States
Daniel Gross
Fuqua School of Business, Duke U., United States
J.P. Eggers
New York U., United States
Hye Young Kang
Ewha Womans U., Korea, Republic of
Raja Roy
New Jersey Institute of Technology, United States
Francisco Polidoro
U. of Texas at Austin, United States
In an era of significant societal challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss, how do we best tackle these complex issues? This symposium presents a reevaluation of traditional methods, spotlighting nuanced strategies in the realm of grand challenges (GCs). Addressing gaps in current GC literature, our symposium uniquely balances centralized, public coordination with decentralized, market-driven competition. Our set of five papers explore the microfoundations of societal problem-solving, traditionally depicted as a monolithic goal yet demanding systematic unpacking. Our inquiry of organizational modes spans from the roles of mission-oriented R&D programs, public-private partnerships to innovation tournaments, in the face of environmental and regulatory uncertainties. Our papers also employ diverse cutting-edge methods, including abductive reasoning, machine learning, and content analysis. This approach encourages the exploration of novel solutions to complex problems, particularly valuable in uncertain scenarios where not all variables are observable, and creative, interdisciplinary thinking is required. We examine a variety of high-risk, high-tech industries such as radar, autonomous vehicles, space exploration, carbon capture, and Covid testing. Challenging the prevailing emphasis on macro-level coordination, we unveil the transformative impact of competition and laissez-faire approaches. These studies collectively investigate how nuanced communication, regulatory dynamics, and collaborative efforts can reshape our understanding of GCs, offering innovative solutions and strategic insights. Join us to delve into the multifaceted world of GCs, where innovative approaches redefine societal problem-solving. This symposium is an invitation to rethink, rediscover, and respond to the most pressing challenges of our time with fresh perspectives and groundbreaking research methods.
Author: Daniel Gross – Fuqua School of Business, Duke U.
Author: Maria Roche – Harvard Business School
Author: Raja Roy – New Jersey Institute of Technology
Author: Francisco Polidoro – U. of Texas at Austin
Author: Curba Morris Lampert – Florida International U.
Author: Minyoung Kim – The Ohio State U.
Author: Angie Otteson Fairchild – Kenan-Flagler Business School, U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Author: Timothy Ott – U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Author: Mahka Moeen – U. of Wisconsin
Author: Seojin Kim – Drexel U.
Author: J.P. Eggers – New York U.
Author: Eunhee Sohn – Georgia Institute of Technology
Author: Vijayaraghavan Venkataraman – Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Author: Hye Young Kang – Ewha Womans U.