Positive system design for intergenerational innovation

Abstract

Digital technology is increasingly becoming a part of life and culture in society, and it must be consciously designed for the long-term benefit of humanity. Today, information systems are designed to do more than fulfill human duties or complete tasks. A widely adopted approach is a system design that focuses on the positive aspects of human-technology interaction. Positive computing is a design paradigm gaining traction because it emphasizes the importance of well-being as a bold goal to be implemented in system design. In this dissertation, technology design is part of an intergenerational environment aiming to facilitate information sharing regarding global startup innovation. Nevertheless, much of the research focuses on how technology can be used to facilitate intergenerational collaboration. On the other hand, very little is known about how technology can be "positively" designed to promote intergenerational innovation. Therefore, this dissertation applied Design Science Research (DSR) to inform and guide the creation of design principles through the lens of positive computing. The study results provide a holistic picture of the numerous barriers, well-being factors, competing concerns, and competencies that have been encountered in the context of intergenerational innovation and their implications. This dissertation is presented as a cumulative dissertation, answering three research questions divided into seven studies, consisting of nine articles.

Keywords: positive computing, intergenerational innovation, global startups