Open social innovation in response to grand challenges: promotor influence as change agent

Following on from the R&D Management COVID‐19 two‐part special issue editorial, this paper strives to deepen our knowledge of Open Social Innovation (OSI) in such grand challenge contexts through exploring the promotor role(s) and interventions in managing temporary organisations. Through an exploration of three case studies that emerged from a bottom‐up perspective, in response to the COVID‐19 grand challenge, this study highlights the central role played by promotors in leveraging OSI projects. The core elements of the George et al. (2016) grand challenge framework are explored within the cases, through a promotor theory lens, to understand how the promotor roles (power, process, technology and relationship) influence the emergence of the temporary OSI organisation to enable a societal contribution. The research recognises the potential of OSI as a response to future grand challenges, highlighting the importance of management routines, such as communicating and articulating the need, adoption of project management practices, leveraging network ties through promotors' credibility and co‐ordinating partners (& volunteers) for nurturing objective achievement. The research also highlights impediments that can curtail progress, which potentially impacts the longevity and outcomes of OSI. This study demonstrates the important role of promotors in initiating OSI communities to respond to grand challenges and given the complexity and enormity of the task, promotors must establish routines to engage and co‐ordinate a collective ecosystem, since they cannot execute alone. Thus, OSI communities require assistance from government and/or commercial entities to exploit and effectively co‐ordinate such OSI endeavours to ensure a meaningful contribution.