We#nbsp;will not be#nbsp;able to#nbsp;solve climate problems or#nbsp;cope with poverty alone. Just like creating an#nbsp;innovative product. We#nbsp;understand what participation is#nbsp;and how participation helps to#nbsp;multiply resources of#nbsp;the organisation.
Today, we#nbsp;are all creators and contributors. Through social platforms, we#nbsp;write posts, capture photos and videos, and even produce music, sharing our thoughts and experiences with the world. This democratization of#nbsp;content creation has broken down the barriers that once separated cultural elites from the masses.
What is#nbsp;a#nbsp;culture of#nbsp;participation?
Technology continues to#nbsp;accelerate change, and sometimes this leads to#nbsp;serious problems that are too big for one person or#nbsp;a#nbsp;single organization to#nbsp;cope with. The solution lies in#nbsp;a#nbsp;culture of#nbsp;participation, or#nbsp;participation, and open innovation.
Participation brings a#nbsp;person who was previously only a#nbsp;consumer closer to#nbsp;the position of#nbsp;a#nbsp;producer. Collaborating, people are able to#nbsp;find more effective and innovative solutions. For example, let’s take the open source code#nbsp;— it#nbsp;is a#nbsp;text written using a#nbsp;programming language that another person can use for free. Open source allows you to#nbsp;integrate ready-made effective solutions of#nbsp;thousands of#nbsp;specialists around the world into new products: affordable programs, new useful applications and error-free websites. Another example, open medical data is#nbsp;changing the relationship between patient and doctor.
Participation gives access to#nbsp;the collective mind, helps to#nbsp;better formulate the real needs and problems that people are concerned about and use this information to#nbsp;create new products and services.
A#nbsp;culture of#nbsp;participation and communities has been described in#nbsp;the 2000s by#nbsp;the American philosopher and culturologist Henry Jenkins. He#nbsp;insists that development of#nbsp;technologies and social media is#nbsp;an#nbsp;unprecedented cultural experience where everyone becomes an#nbsp;author.
We#nbsp;all produce content: we#nbsp;write posts, shoot photos and videos, record music, filling the digital environment with our own thoughts and experiences. Previously, this was only available to#nbsp;cultural elites, but thanks to#nbsp;technology, it#nbsp;is#nbsp;becoming a#nbsp;thing of#nbsp;the past and everyone can enjoy it.
In#nbsp;doing so, we#nbsp;not only produce customized products, but also team up#nbsp;with other people. For example, people create fan communities to#nbsp;interact with the author and formulate a#nbsp;request for the content they need. If#nbsp;such a#nbsp;community is#nbsp;a#nbsp;core of#nbsp;the target audience and does not ask for something beyond, most likely, the author will meet halfway. So#nbsp;a#nbsp;person can create his own product in#nbsp;complicity with other people and the author of#nbsp;the original content.
Nike invites customers to#nbsp;participate in#nbsp;the design of#nbsp;their sneakers. A#nbsp;user is#nbsp;offered ready-made models of#nbsp;shoes and elements that can be#nbsp;changed: from the colour and material of#nbsp;the lining to#nbsp;the laces.
Collective intelligence to#nbsp;solve the global problems of#nbsp;the company
Microsoft is#nbsp;one of#nbsp;the first companies to#nbsp;realize that the old top-down approach to#nbsp;innovation needs to#nbsp;be#nbsp;changed. The company decided to#nbsp;move away from the premise that only executives and innovation departments can come up#nbsp;with good ideas#nbsp;— so, they created a#nbsp;special center called "The Garage".
The purpose of#nbsp;the center is#nbsp;to#nbsp;encourage employees and direct the organization on#nbsp;the path of#nbsp;innovation. If#nbsp;an#nbsp;employee sees something that can be#nbsp;improved, he#nbsp;does not have to#nbsp;wait for someone else to#nbsp;notice and fix it#nbsp;— he#nbsp;can go#nbsp;to#nbsp;The Garage and develop his idea.
At#nbsp;first, the center organized a#nbsp;special hackathon for employees, but it#nbsp;became obvious that it#nbsp;was not enough for people to#nbsp;simply implement their own ideas#nbsp;— they want to#nbsp;help solve the global problems that the company is#nbsp;facing.
Power of#nbsp;the local community
The culture of#nbsp;participation changes the passive role of#nbsp;the consumer to#nbsp;the role of#nbsp;the actor. This is#nbsp;true not only for online spaces and local communities. Participation is#nbsp;a#nbsp;civil and collective practice that helps to#nbsp;solve the problems of#nbsp;residents of#nbsp;local territories. A#nbsp;simple example is#nbsp;crowdfunding support for public and charitable initiatives. For example, landscaping, creating public spaces or#nbsp;helping other people. By#nbsp;joint efforts, residents can solve problems that bother them, but do#nbsp;not attract the attention of#nbsp;official authorities.
Crowdfunding helps to#nbsp;bring together a#nbsp;large number of#nbsp;interested people, represent their interests, use resources and multiply by#nbsp;the resources of#nbsp;the project itself. For example, initially Facebook was a#nbsp;social network of#nbsp;one campus, but over time it#nbsp;has grown into one of#nbsp;the main tools of#nbsp;modern communication. There are many such small projects, and they all need help.
Harnessing and developing the creative potential of#nbsp;billions of#nbsp;people around the world will determine the pace of#nbsp;human progress in#nbsp;the future. Therefore, it#nbsp;is#nbsp;important for a#nbsp;modern person not only to#nbsp;passively consume, but also to#nbsp;create something of#nbsp;their own.