Responsible research and innovation (RRI) as a driving force for change in corporate communication: New forms of governance and participatory structures

Authors

Keywords:

Responsible Research and Innovation, RRI, Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Corporate communication, Organizational communication, Innovation, Stakeholders, Governance, Citizen participation.

Abstract

Nowadays, the emerging discipline of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has great acceptance among the scientific community in general. Nevertheless, its presence in social sciences has not reached the development obtained in other disciplines. Studies describing RRI application to areas such as business, and more specifically, corporate communication, are scarce. The objective of this study is to show the possible application of the principles of the emerging RRI discipline to business and corporate communication, as well as the main barriers and benefits that could arise. For this, we provide a documentary review of the existing literature and an analysis of fifteen semi-structured interviews with Spanish experts in RRI. Likewise, the article addresses the relationship between RRI and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As a main conclusion, we observe that RRI has the potential to become the driving force for new forms of governance and communication, but requires changes in corporate philosophy and performance, as it is a bottom-up participatory movement, promoted by the objective of a sustainable society for future generations. In addition, this study represents a contribution to the current discussion regarding the application of the principles and processes of RRI beyond the academic field.

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Author Biographies

Noelia Garcí­a-Castillo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid y Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Noelia Garcí­a Castillo es Investigadora Posdoctoral del departamento de Teorí­as y Análisis de la Comunicación de la UCM, especializada en Comunicación, RRI y grupos especialmente vulnerables. Tras 9 años de experiencia docente e investigadora, actualmente también es profesora en el Departamento de Traducción e Interpretación y Comunicación Multilingí¼e de la Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Ha participado en varios proyectos de investigación entre los que destacan "RAISD" y "FoTRRIS" (Programa H2020) y otras iniciativas financiadas por el Ministerio de Economí­a y Competitividad, el Ministerio de Educación (Programa FPU) y el Banco Santander.

Tamara Bueno-Doral, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Tamara Bueno Doral es Profesora e Investigadora de la UCM desde 2008. Doctora en Comunicación Audiovisual y Publicidad, también ha trabajado como realizadora, productora y comisaria de exposiciones.  Especialista en RRI y comunicación aplicada a colectivos de especial vulnerabilidad. Ha sido miembro activo en una decena de proyectos de investigación competitivos y financiados por MINECO, CAM, UE, entre otros. Es autora de 24 publicaciones. repartidas entre revistas indexadas en las bases de datos más reconocidas por la comunidad cientí­fica y capí­tulos de libro publicados por editoriales de prestigio.

Liisa-Irene Hí¤nninen, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Liisa Hí¤nninen es Profesora e Investigadora del departamento de Teorí­as y Análisis de la Comunicación de la UCM, especializada en sostenibilidad, RRI y públicos vulnerables, con más de 20 años de experiencia en proyectos de investigación e innovación educativa, ha colaborado con más de 100 entidades del tercer sector. Actualmente participa en varias iniciativas europeas, entre ellas el proyecto Erasmus+ KA 2 "CREMO" y los H2020 "Risewise" y "RAISD", además del recién terminado "FoTRRIS". Aporta experiencia en gestión estratégica de comunicación de sus años como dircom de varias entidades. 

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Published

2020-05-22

How to Cite

Garcí­a-Castillo, N., Bueno-Doral, T., & Hí¤nninen, L.-I. (2020). Responsible research and innovation (RRI) as a driving force for change in corporate communication: New forms of governance and participatory structures. Profesional De La información, 29(3). Retrieved from https://revista.profesionaldelainformacion.com/index.php/EPI/article/view/72911

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 3 (2020): Relaciones Públicas

Section

Research articles

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