Innovation barriers facing small black-owned architectural and landscape architectural firms in South Africa.

Abstract

Innovation within the built environment is a fundamental catalyst for competitiveness, sustainability, and sectoral transformation. Despite this, emerging Black-owned architectural and landscape architectural practices in South Africa encounter systemic impediments that stifle their innovative capacity. This dissertation investigates the multidimensional barriers to innovation within these firms and identifies strategic pathways to the adoption of Open Innovation frameworks. The study adopted a qualitative research design anchored in an interpretivist paradigm and a phenomenological strategy. This methodological approach facilitated an indepth exploration of the lived experiences of ten purposively selected practitioners across private practice, public infrastructure departments, and non-profit organisations. Primary data collected through semi-structured interviews were synthesised using thematic analysis. The findings revealed seven critical themes: financial fragility, collaboration deficits, structural client bias, regulatory constraints, mentorship limitations, internal capacity gaps, and disparate levels of open-innovation awareness. The research demonstrates that a deficit does not hinder innovation in creativity, but by an entrenched "Vicious Cycle of Exclusion." These interlocking structural and historical constraints restrict resource flows and knowledge sharing, preventing firms from engaging in collaborative experimentation. Drawing on Treacy and Wiersema’s (1993) Value Disciplines, the findings reveal that systemic pressures force emerging, Black-led firms into "operational excellence" modes focusing on survival at the expense of innovation-driven "product leadership." The study concludes that meaningful transformation requires a departure from symbolic inclusion toward structural reform. Key recommendations include implementing tiered fee structures, inclusive procurement frameworks, and formalised mentorship networks. By dismantling systemic barriers, the sector can unlock the latent potential of Black-owned firms, fostering an environment where Open Innovation can flourish. This research contributes to the discourse on built-environment transformation by bridging the gap between innovation theory and the socio-economic realities of South African professional practice.