The processes of creating solutions in the context of uncertainty: case studies of companies creating solutions in relation to Sub-Saharan Africa

The Ph.D. thesis work has been conducted in collaboration with access2innovation.com, Aalborg University and University College of Northern Denmark. The purpose of the thesis is to inform wider discussions of how commercial instruments can be utilised in the pursuit of solving complex social problems in developing countries, profitably.

The thesis is a process study of commercial companies in order to learn how they make sense and organize solutions over time. Three cases taken from the access2innovation program are studied. The hypothesis guiding the research suggests that companies who attempt to create solutions must reach outside the company, by enrolling (adding and subtracting) actors over time, for viable solutions to emerge.

The conclusion of the project suggests that companies that are able to create solutions, do so by having relations to defining actors. Defining actors narrow the agenda, which increases the speed by which experiments are conducted, and experiments are crucial as part of the learning processes needed in order to find viable solutions. But another issue seems pertinent: the ability of the defining actors to change or move when the experiments fail.

The results are particularly relevant for other programs looking to leverage the capabilities of commercial companies as part of the overall agenda of solving complex social problems in developing countries.