Facilitating creativity and social sustainability: A mission impossible for the management of Fablabs?

Fabrication laboratories (Fablabs) can be perceived as new organizational forms and forerunners in interorganizational collaboration and in the usage of novel technologies. The missions and aims of such organizations often include the fostering of creativity, innovations, economic impact and social sustainability through the promotion of communitarian relationship and collaborative work. Yet, the challenges managers face in facilitating these rather abstract aims is vastly understudied. To address this research gap, we have studied the management of two Fablabs, in Italy and Finland, respectively. Drawing from cultural-historical activity theory, our analysis reveals a complex network of activity systems with contradictions within and between them. To facilitate creativity and social sustainability successfully in new forms of organization, the contradictions need to be recognized by the management. Overcoming the contradictions calls for change efforts and for the development of community and tools that will be shared by the management and other stakeholders.