/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// DESIGNERS AS CHANGE AGENTS IN EMERGING ECONOMIES AN INSIDER-OUTSIDER APPROACH TO COLLABORATIVE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WITH VIETNAMESE SMES Shauna Jin, Marcel Crul, Han Brezet Design for Sustainability, Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft s.jin@tudelft.nl ABSTRACT This paper, written for the doctoral colloquium of IASDR 2011, calls for explicit consideration of ethics and culture in design for emerging economies. A theoretical framework combining collaborative stakeholder approaches with insider-outsider (I/O) dialectics is proposed as a way to operationalize the ethical element of sustainable development within emerging economies. Three replication case studies are planned to develop and test the validity of the theoretical framework within the context of product innovation projects with Vietnamese SMEs. Keywords: Sustainable development, design globalization, cross-cultural research. INTRODUCTION It is important to consider ethical issues in development because failing to do so can cause the marginalization of local people and promote cultural imperialism. For example, production technology transfer in the traditional handicrafts sector can unwittingly cause local people to lose, or prejudice them against, valuable traditional production skills that can be more sustainable than their replacements. Design interventions should thus aim to improve the quality of life of the people involved without a decrease in cultural and social aspects, and one step further, aim to create a design conscience and leave behind the power of creation and ownership within the group involved (Romeiro, 2010). This research examines the ethical role of designers as agents for transformative change in emerging economies. Development is inherently value-laden, and connected to concepts of good social change. However, this component is often missing or not explicit in research that focuses primarily on the scientific component of development. In the following, the need for the integration of cultural and ethical considerations in development is established from the initial research question: how can designers contribute to authentic sustainable development in cross-cultural, emerging economy contexts, especially regarding Vietnam? Insider- outsider (I/O) hybrid collaboration is proposed as a way of negotiating ethically and culturally aligned process and results in product innovation projects. This research proposes to reframe and adapt existing collective stakeholder approaches within the I/O dialectic in three product innovation case studies involving cross-cultural design teams working collaboratively with Vietnamese small and medium sized enterprises (SME) inter-clusters. The results will be three replication case studies, to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the collective learning process. BACKGROUND The concept of sustainable development was first introduced in Our Common Future, by the World Commission on Environment and Development as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Bruntland, 1987). In this first sense, the concept of sustainability was mostly interpreted in environmental terms. However, the definition has grown to also include social and economic components together forming “the Triple Bottom Line” of “People,” “Planet,” and “Profit” (Elkington, 1997). Though this approach is necessary, it is not enough when addressing sustainable development in the context of the complexity of the world. Our lack of understanding regarding the implications of