Abstract

This study examines the significance and contextual use of Responsible Innovation (RI) in emerging markets. It is based on a qualitative study of 31 semi-structured interviews with business leaders from Asia. The research examines the implementation and understanding of RI principles—anticipation, inclusivity, reflexivity, and responsiveness—within environments marked by institutional instability, cultural diversity, and infrastructure unpredictability. The research deductively validates the enduring significance of traditional RI principles and inductively identifies four emergent characteristics that enhance them: institutional inefficacy, professional governance, contextual factors, and culture. These findings collectively underscore the imperative for a Responsible Investment (RI) framework tailored to emerging-market circumstances that transcends Eurocentric paradigms.
The study offers several contributions. It shows that the current RI model, which is based on classical ideas, is universal in theory. However, it needs to be changed for each case and made bigger by adding more parts. It offers a mixed conceptual framework that brings together old RI ideas with new ones. The study demonstrates how businesses in emerging markets address institutional deficiencies through self-regulation, leveraging professional associations to gain legitimacy, adapting to shifts in the physical and political landscapes, and integrating cultural values into their operations. Practical consequences include strategic guidance for managers and politicians seeking to reconcile innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in resource-limited environments. The study lays the framework for future RI research in non-Western contexts.

Keywords: Responsible innovation, Emerging markets, Asia, Institutional inefficacy, Professional governance, Cultural embeddedness, Reflexivity, Anticipation, Inclusion, Responsiveness.