Multi-stakeholder deliberation on dialectical divides: An operational principle of the systems of innovation

Deliberation on dialectical divides is key to the success of a knowledge management for development (KM4D) relationship, be it an interpersonal relationship or interinstitutional partnerships and linkages. A reflection on divides such as on the nature of knowledge as a public or private good is important in order to work through varying motivations influencing the formation of a partnership venture. Such a foresight needs to appreciate narratives of multiple stakeholders and interpret the phenomenon as contraries, such as dark and bright, rather than contradictories, such as black and white. In a formation period, shocks and challenges involved in a knowledge-based partnership are yet unknown, and as such a multi-stakeholder deliberation on all possible dialectical divides is important for success. However, imperfect information, human inability to process information correctly, and the rationality of an actor as influenced by the wider historical, socio-cultural, political and economic environment limit the deliberation process. In the theoretical context of Systems of Innovation (SoI) and the rubric of knowledge-based public-private partnership (PPP), this paper argues that multi-stakeholder deliberation on dialectical divides is more important than attempting to ignore or eliminate the divides. Eliminating or ignoring a divide would mean abandoning what may be a crucial stakeholder, and risks omitting an important holder or sharer of knowledge. The SoI has already been evolving in the context of low-income countries; however, its operational principles are not yet clear, and the deliberation of dialectical divides would be considered as an important operational principle of the approach.