Open Innovation in public media

Open Innovation in media

How open is innovation at public broadcasters?


Today we discuss Open Innovation (OI) at public broadcasting
companies in Germany. A topic that has not really been dealt with
up until now. As part of Sophie's research, she tried to answer
two questions:


“To what extent does public broadcasting practice OI?”


“Which requirements does public broadcasting need to fulfill in
order to be able to optimally implement OI?”
Differences between the broadcasters

Large public broadcasting firms have the
financial means to look beyond company boundaries and try out
different innovation practices but because of their size, there
are still many structures slowing them down, flat hierarchies and
systematic knowledge management is difficult to establish.


Small public broadcasting firms have an open
corporate culture, in which internal knowledge exchange is a
matter of course and necessary. Hierarchies are sometimes less
pronounced, which means that managers are much closer to the
editors. However, they lack the means and influence to transfer
this exchange of knowledge to externals or to other broadcasting
firms and make a difference.
Obstacles to OI

A very homogeneous workforce in terms of education and social
background.


Inhibitions to move outside the public-broadcasting cosmos.


BUT


Tendencies that the public broadcasters open up, begin to work in
an interdisciplinary way and think outside the box, can be found.


The focus of the new offerings is increasingly on social media
which has a positive effect on the possibilities of conducting OI
together with the users.
Possible solutions

Integrating a systematic OI strategy and also connecting it to
HR. It is important to create a conducive environment for the
people to engage in OI.


More diversity within the staff. Building more cross functional
teams with people with different cultural and functional
backgrounds, education, age and gender.