Enabling Foresightfulness: A Framework for Building a Futures-Oriented Organization
Enabling Foresightfulness: A Framework for Building a Futures-Oriented Organization – OCAD University Open Research Repository

Enabling Foresightfulness: A Framework for Building a Futures-Oriented Organization

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Frenette, Chantal and Fribance, Robin (2020) Enabling Foresightfulness: A Framework for Building a Futures-Oriented Organization. [MRP]

Item Type:	MRP
Creators:	Frenette, Chantal and Fribance, Robin
Abstract:	The practice of organizational foresight is known to have significant benefits when utilized as an input into strategic decision-making and strategic planning. There are, however, recognized limitations with organizations’ abilities to integrate and enact insights derived from foresight. This report aims to understand those limitations by seeking to uncover the barriers and enabling conditions associated with integrating foresight within organizations. The research for this report is grounded in human-centred design and follows a problem finding, problem framing, and solutioning process, and is supported by a social constructivist point of view, which emphasizes knowledge building and knowledge transfer through collaboration and active engagement. In addition to background research, industry interviews with expert foresight practitioners, and a survey of organizational strategists were used to determine the barriers and enabling conditions associated with organizational foresight. Key findings include three principles for successful integration of foresight within organizations. Those three principles are: first, the prioritization of the collective over the individual and the recognition that having individual capacity does not translate into having collective capacity; second, foresight is viewed as an organizational activity, meaning that futures-thinking and foresight practicing brings strategic foresight to life in an organization and makes integration achievable; and third, that the organization sees itself as a system, and in that system all the elements and their interrelationships are used to sustain the thinking and the practice of foresight. Stemming from the three principles, this report concludes by making recommendations for both foresight practitioners and organizations that engage with foresight. The report identifies opportunities for further research related to the recommendations.
Date:	2020

http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/3159/1/Frenette_Fribance_2020_MDes_SFI_MRP.pdf