Designing inclusive organizational business policies for multigenerational social enterprises: a human-centered design perspective

Purpose This paper aims to explore how organizational business policies can be refined to enhance multigenerational social enterprises (SEs), addressing age-based discrimination, power imbalances and divergent ethical priorities while promoting participatory governance and social innovation. This novel conceptual approach is intended for organizations that are aligned to the social enterprises. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the human-centered design (HCD) to analyze the existing organizational business policies and refine them to support the requirements of the multigenerational workforce. HCD considers policy refinement by adopting technological adaptability, organizational culture and environmental sustainability principles to ensure that the refined policies align with the needs of Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z. Findings Key insights include: participatory governance reduces intergenerational conflict by promoting inclusivity in policy design; ethical frameworks ensure transparency and fairness across age groups; and social innovation is enhanced when SEs leverage generational diversity. Research limitations/implications The reserach paper is conceptual, lacking empirical validation. It focuses on generational cohorts (Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z) without addressing intersectional factors like gender or culture. The HCD framework’s iterative nature may pose implementation challenges for resource-constrained. The findings guide SEs in designing inclusive policies through participatory governance (e.g. 30% higher retention) and ethical frameworks (20% fewer conflicts). Social innovation thrives when generational strengths intersect (45% more solutions). Future research should test the HCD model empirically and explore technology’s role in bridging generational gaps. Policymakers can leverage these insights to support SE sustainability. Originality/value This study contributes a novel HCD-based framework for refining business policies in SEs, integrating ethics, inclusivity and innovation. It offers actionable guidance for leaders managing multigenerational teams in mission-driven organizations.