The best of all imperfect worlds: participatory governance in a social innovation process to strengthen women’s economic independence in Germany

Purpose This paper aims to examine how ethical requirements that apply to participatory governance can be incorporated into practical application of politically initiated social innovation (SI) processes. The paper reflects on the approach used in a SI process aimed at strengthening the economic independence of women and provides recommendations for implementing these requirements in practice. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a case study combining reflexive analysis of participatory governance by the interdisciplinary research team and a retrospective participant survey to supplement the researchers’ assessments. The analysis focuses on three ethical challenges central to the literature on SI and participation: access and representation, discursive openness and power and impact. Findings The findings demonstrate that participatory processes in the context of politically initiated SI can be impactful, even under nonideal conditions. Important factors include early and actively supported participation; methodological diversity incorporating utopian elements; and the role of internal process and outcome advocates within the administration. Despite room for improvement, key results were politically adopted, and participants experienced themselves as empowered and impactful. Originality/value This paper describes how the theoretical requirements of participatory governance were reflected and implemented in a SI process aimed at strengthening women’s economic independence. It closes an important gap in the transfer of SI research findings into practice. The findings provide a sound empirical basis for designing participatory governance in other SI processes. The findings offer practical knowledge for shaping participation in the context of SI.