Trajectories of Social Innovation

Author(s):  
Gudrun-Christine Schimpf ◽  
Georg Mildenberger ◽  
Susanne Giesecke ◽  
Attila Havas

The chapter deals with the trajectory of social housing as a social innovation in European countries from the nineteenth century to the present. The long-term analysis of this comprehensive case study is guided by the Extended Social Grid Model (ESGM). Following a short description of seven different phases of social housing, the chapter turns to the role of social powers and the capability approach. All in all, the involvement of various actors and social networks in shaping a successful innovation becomes visible. Another important point is the insight that social innovations have to adjust to ever changing contexts du their trajectory. The analysis sheds light on supporting conditions of successful social innovations and reflects on the co-evolution of social and business innovations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-38
Author(s):  
Tatiane Martins Cruz Pirotti ◽  
Cláudia Cristina Bitencourt ◽  
Kadígia Faccin ◽  
Caroline Kretschmer

Social innovations are important tools for minimizing or solving social problems. However, significant challenges remain in managing social innovation development for long-term survival and expanding its social impacts to generate scalability. This process can be supported by dynamic capabilities and their microprocesses. By conducting a single case study, we aim to contribute to the stream of research on management of social innovation that analyzes the ways in which dynamic capabilities can influence the scalability process of social innovation. Our contribution arises from generating an understanding of how and why dynamic capabilities influence the social innovation scalability process.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Heinisch

Citizen science has become a world-wide phenomenon. Especially for citizen science projects that have a global reach, translation is crucial to overcome language and cultural barriers to reach members of the public. Translation, understood as the transfer of meaning (of a text) from one language into another language, is crucial for the transmission of information, knowledge and (social) innovations. Therefore, this paper examines the role of translation and terminology used in citizen science projects and how translation can foster (or impede) social innovation through citizen science activities. Based on a set of predefined criteria derived from the social innovation literature, this paper analyzes the factors that contribute to (social) innovation in citizen science by means of translation. A specific focus of the case study is on the aspects of agency, institutions, and social systems. The results demonstrate that translation in citizen science may support a change of social practices as ingredients of social innovations. Additional research is needed to further understand the implications of translation in citizen science and its effects on social innovation. Nevertheless, this work has been one of the first attempts to examine the relation between translation, citizen science and social innovation.


2018 ◽  
pp. 179-200
Author(s):  
Stijn Oosterlynck ◽  
Andreas Novy ◽  
Yuri Kazepov ◽  
Pieter Cools ◽  
Tatiana Saruis ◽  
...  

This chapter discusses the potential of social innovations as effective policies and actions to reduce poverty. Social innovations are driven by an unconventional mix of actors and apply multidimensional approaches to respond to social needs that are not adequately met by macro-level welfare policies. The chapter first gives a brief overview of the history of social innovation as an academic concept and an important concept in current European policies to combat poverty. It then turns to the implications of adopting a social innovation perspective for our understanding of poverty. We stress the multidimensional and relational character of poverty, highlight the importance of place-based developments and their multilevel governances, and point out the crucial role of participation and empowerment. Finally, we present preliminary lessons for anti-poverty strategies based on our extensive case-study analysis, stressing the important link to broader strategies to foster social cohesion, the value of bottom-linked approaches, and the importance of collective empowerment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Mohammed Alqahtani

<p>Innovation has been regarded as one of important impetuses to gain competitive advantages and achieve sustainable development for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the past thirty years. However, SMEs in China have currently confronted a lot of problems impairing their innovation performance. This study aims to identify the main challenges hindering successful innovation of Chinese SMEs. Based on the previous academic studies, there are five research variables are developed and evaluated: lack of financial support, inadequate research and development (R&amp;D) activities, the shortage of technical and skilled employees, weak entrepreneur orientation, improper governmental and legal environment. Furthermore, the primary data are collected by structured-questionnaires from 120 SMEs in Beijing. According to the research results analyzed by SPSS, it reveals that lack of financial support and inadequate R&amp;D activities are major challenges for Chinese SMEs to achieve innovation. The shortage of technical and skilled employees as well as the improper governmental and legal environment is other barrier. Therefore, more responsibilities and actions should be taken by the government and SMEs themselves to enhance the innovation capability of Chinese SMEs. On the other hand, only one factor—weak entrepreneur orientation, is not regarded as a key challenge. This indicates Chinese entrepreneurs have increasingly realized the significant role of innovation played in the survival and long-term prosperity of SMEs recently.</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1690
Author(s):  
Beniamino Callegari ◽  
Ranvir S. Rai

Organizational ambidexterity is widely recognized as necessary for the economic sustainability of firms operating in the financial sector. While the management literature has recognized several forms of ambidexterity, the relationship between them and their relative merits remain unclear. By studying a process of implementation of ambidextrous capabilities within a large Scandinavian financial firm, we explore the role of top-down reforms and bottom-up reactions in determining the development of sector-specific innovative capabilities. We find that blended ambidexterity follows naturally from the attempt to correct the tensions arising from harmonic ambidextrous blueprints. The resulting blended practice appears to be closely related to the reciprocal model of ambidexterity, which appears to be a necessity rather than a choice, for large firms attempting to develop innovative capabilities. Consequently, we suggest to re-interpret current taxonomies of ambidexterity not as alternative blueprints, but rather as stages in a long-term process of transition.


2020 ◽  
pp. 101269022097920
Author(s):  
Gareth Wiltshire ◽  
Nicola J Clarke ◽  
Cassandra Phoenix ◽  
Carl Bescoby

In the context of an increasing clinical need to better support self-managemt for people living with long-term health conditions an interest in the role of social networks has emerged. Given that sport participation often provides opportunities for social engagement, a space to explore Self-managemt at the intersection of medical sociology and the sociology of sport has opened up. This article presents findings from an exploratory qualitative study with organ transplant recipients who have participated in Transplant Games events – national and international multi-sport competitions for organ transplant recipients. Our findings illustrate how sport-based Social networks serve as resources for health-related knowledge, provide participants with additional affective support and help shape health expectations for the future. Although sport-based Social networks were seen as an overwhelmingly positive resource for our participants, it is plausible that harmful unintended consequences could arise for patients with existing Self-managemt issues. As such, it is recommended that people seeking to use sport as a tool to enhance illness Self-managemt should consider the various and powerful ways that Social networks can be impactful and anticipate the potential consequences accordingly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-303
Author(s):  
Marta Mori ◽  
Ronan McDermott ◽  
Saut Sagala ◽  
Yasmina Wulandari

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how culture, including traditions and social structures, can influence resilience and how culturally sensitive relief operations can put affected people and their context at the core of any interventions. Design/methodology/approach A case study of the Mt Sinabung volcano area in Indonesia was undertaken. As part of the case study, an analysis of interventions was conducted, which was complemented by semi-structured interviews with Karo cultural experts and humanitarian organisations. Findings Culture influences the manner in which the Karo people react to volcano eruptions with varying implications for recovery. In addition, relief organisations which understand people’s actions through a cultural lens have better managed to tailor programs with long-term impact, thereby avoiding aid dependency. Practical implications Practical examples of disaster management activities that adequately account for the beneficiaries’ way of living prior to the eruptions are provided. Aid actors are provided with guidance concerning how to better tailor their activities in line with a cultural lens. Originality/value The study provides empirical grounding for claims concerning the role of culture in planning interventions in Indonesia and other similar contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lwando Mdleleni

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of university in promoting, generating and sustaining social innovation (SI). It aimed to understand how higher education institutions have extended their contribution beyond the traditional function of teaching and research to perform in socio-economic problem-solving. It looks at the kinds of contributions which universities potentially make to SI processes, and the effects that this has on the direction and magnitude of SI, and by implication social development. This was done by drawing lessons from a SI project that the University of the Western Cape has been involved in, i.e. Zenzeleni Networks Project. Design/methodology/approach To address the research question with this framework, the author adopted an exploratory research design using a case study. This research is qualitative, exploratory and descriptive, based on a case study built with secondary data. Findings This paper submits that universities can potentially function as key role players in promoting SI initiatives and fostering social transformations. Universities contribute with different kinds of resources and inputs to foster new SI ideas. Originality/value The paper suggests that socially innovative university projects may contribute to community social sustainability maintaining social cohesion by increasing social capital and providing resources for the empowerment of the marginalised communities. In so doing, they contribute to overcome social exclusion and promote more sustainable forms of development at community level. More research is needed on how universities can build community networks with local community partners, who can use the insights of academic research to replicate interventions and move to scale.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
Shruti . ◽  
C V Rajashekhar ◽  
Manjunatha Adiga

Apasmara (epilepsy) is defined as the apagama (deterioration) of smriti (memory) associated with bibhasta cheshta (seizures) due to derangement of dhi and satwa, mainly related to vata and rajo dosha vitiation, which effects both Sharira (body) and Mana (mind). The present antiepileptic drugs control the seizure attack, but long-term use generates adverse effect at cognitive level and leads to behavioral disorders, hence there is need of safe and effective treatment which not only controls seizure attack but helps to cure the disease. A 44-year-old man approached Kayachikitsa OPD with the complaints of frequent seizure attacks, since from at the age of one and half year with regular oral antiepileptic drugs medications (allopathic), the dose of medications increasing yearly and he was not satisfied with treatment, so he was advised with Panchakarma treatment starting from Deepana, Pachana, Vamana (medicated emesis), Virechana (medicated purgation), Basti (medicated enema), Shirodhara along with palliative treatment. After each treatment it was observed that the patient was satisfied with treatment and the complaints of seizure attack reduced in frequency and duration with improved quality of life. Palliative treatment was advised to continue along with modern medications.


2012 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 127-132
Author(s):  
Bhanu B Panthi

This research attempts to identify the existing condition of the community managed forest based on the assumption that it will serve as a proxy for the condition of other forests in the mid hills region of Nepal. The research area has an atypical variation in altitude and diverse pattern of vegetation. This study mainly focuses on estimating carbon content in the forest and identifying the species that has more carbon storage capacity. The research signifies the role of forests in mitigation of ‘Global warming’ and ‘Climate change’ by storing carbon in tree biomass. These types of community based forest management programs are significant for their additional carbon sequestration through the avoidance of deforestation and degradation. The carbon sequestration have a significant contribution to environmental benefits, any shrinkage of forests have an enormous impact on CO2 emission with long term consequences. Thus, the development and expansion of community managed forests provide many benefits to the adjacent community and globally at large.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v12i0.6490 Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 12 (2011) 127-32 


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