Managing technological innovation for social good: a systematic literature review

The past decades have seen a growing recognition of a need to develop novel solutions to effectively and efficiently deliver inclusive values to society. However, the evolving literature in innovation management, for example, in the discourse of social innovation or responsible innovation, has yet to produce a consolidated knowledge base for how technologies could be managed for social good. Hence, this systematic review attempts to synthesize relevant literature regarding managing innovation for social good with a particular focus on the critical role technologies play. By doing so, two contributions to knowledge are presented. First, we identify three streams of conceptualization describing managing technological innovation for social good that require further synergies. Second, the findings indicate that the social consequences of technology and technological advancements remain unclear, which we call for a more evident discourse of social impacts and social good in the innovation management field.