Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which the concept of learning organization can support the embedding of responsible innovation (RI) in organizations. Design/methodology/approach: Based on literature in the fields of corporate social responsibility, learning organizations and quadruple helix collaborations, the authors constructed the responsible learning organization (RLO) framework for RI. With the framework, the authors want to show that the RLO can enable RI within organizations. Findings: Based on this framework, the distinction is made between, on the one hand, the learning processes inside the organization, which resemble reflexivity, and, on the other hand, the learning processes that take place with stakeholders outside the organization, which resemble the other three core processes of RI: anticipation, inclusion and responsiveness. Based on these insights, the authors argue that if an organization wants to do good on innovation, which is seen as the core of RI, organization’s core values should guide that. Practical implications: Organizational core values should be developed by means of learning inside the organization. Therefore, the process of reflexivity should be stressed more, and employees should be empowered to take part in developing these values, which in return can guide the organization as a compass through all the uncertainty it will encounter during the learning outside the organization when interacting with stakeholders. Originality/value: The RLO framework for RI shows what learning processes organizations should facilitate first and what content should be at stake during these learning processes to embed RI. Furthermore, the framework puts emphasis on reflexivity as a condition for responsiveness, inclusion and anticipation.

To address societal challenges, research and innovation approaches, involving a wide range of actors, are increasingly promoted by policy communities. This paper explores the practice of Quadruple Helix collaborations for responsible innovation and how these implement the theoretical ambition of including actors from different societal sectors in innovation, including actors from the fields of arts, media and civil society, which is conceptualized as the Fourth Helix in this concept. Referring to cross-sector collaboration literature and based on an empirical investigation, we explore which actors, representing the Fourth Helix, actually engage in innovation collaborations, how this engagement plays out in practice, and the institutional and systemic dynamics involved in output and value creation. We rely on data from three Social Labs in Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands, which constitute qualitative, change-oriented research processes, where we researched and engaged with actors from cases constituting- or aiming for a Quadruple Helix collaboration. This was accompanied by a desktop study including qualitative interviews of 51 further cases. We find that the actual engagement of actors from civil society is fragile and that forces beyond Quadruple Helix cases impact these quite firmly in some cases.