scholarly journals Integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion into social innovation education: a case study of critical service-learning

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Otten ◽  
Máille Faughnan ◽  
Megan Flattley ◽  
Samantha Fleurinor

Purpose Social innovation education aims to equip students with the skills and mindsets to pursue sustainable and just solutions to complex challenges, yet many programs fail to address the power dynamics underlying unjust social structures. This paper aims to examine a social innovation course that integrates equity, diversity and inclusion principles through critical service-learning. Design/methodology/approach Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews of 25 students and 5 key informants in a qualitative, single case design to understand multiple perspectives on significant factors in transformative learning. Document review and auto-ethnographic insights provide additional case background. Findings Students identified the service experience as unique and high impact. Significant factors included the atypical service structure, the EDI framework, and the partner organization as an exemplar in the field. Students displayed a spectrum of learning, from recall and comprehension to critical evaluation, new worldviews, and behavior change. Research limitations/implications The findings of this qualitative study pertain to one partnership but are generalizable to theories. These findings are plausibly transferable to other experiential social innovation courses embedded in elite, private, predominately white research universities. Originality/value This empirical case examines a unique pedagogical and curricular innovation. By seeking to understand factors and outcomes of experiential learning, this study contributes to the literature on social innovation education and critical service-learning. The analysis produced novel insights for faculty and institutions aiming to integrate equity, diversity, and inclusion goals into social innovation programs.

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 2499-2516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Schofield ◽  
Phil Crowther ◽  
Leo Jago ◽  
John Heeley ◽  
Scott Taylor

PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to theory concerning collaborative innovation through stakeholder engagement with reference to Glasgow City Marketing Bureau’s (GCMB’s) management strategies, which represent UK best practice in events procurement, leveraging and destination branding.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts a case study design to facilitate an in-depth evaluation of the destination marketing organisation’s (DMO’s) critical success factors. Multiple perspectives on GCMB’s collaborative innovation are achieved through semi-structured interviews with senior managers from the bureau, key stakeholders and other DMOs.FindingsGCMB’s success results from long-term, extensive, collaborative engagement, a unique institutional structure and sustained political and financial support through to transformational leadership, strategic event selection and targeted marketing through “earned” distribution channels.Research limitations/implicationsThe study takes a single case study approach and focusses on GCMB’s event-led branding strategy. Given the importance but relative neglect of long-term inter-personal relationships in collaborative innovation, future research should focus on the development of social capital and adopt a longitudinal perspective.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insights into the collaborative innovation process with a range of stakeholders, which underpins GCMB’s events strategy and its leveraging of the city brand. In particular, the study highlights the need for entrepreneurial leadership and the development of long-term relationships for effective engagement with stakeholders.Originality/valuePrevious research has focussed on outcomes and neglected pre-requisites and the process of collaborative innovation between destination stakeholders. This study examines this issue from the perspective of a successful DMO and presents a conceptual framework and new engagement dimensions that address this gap in knowledge.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 579-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwang-Sing Ngui ◽  
Mung-Ling Voon ◽  
Miin-Huui Lee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of an academic service learning course in a foreign university branch campus in Malaysia, and its outcomes in terms of student learning. Drawing on the transformative learning theory and case study research, it discusses three forms of learning that characterise the students’ experience, namely, instrumental, dialogic and self-reflective. Design/methodology/approach A case study of the Social Innovation Internship course at the Sarawak campus of Swinburne University of Technology was conducted. The case study draws on self-reported data gathered from the logbook entries of 60 students who enrolled in the course in 2015. Findings Thematic analysis of the data indicates that instrumental, dialogic and self-reflective learning are reflected in the students’ descriptions of learning about the community partners, the challenges in running a social enterprise, managing diversity and discovering the values and beliefs that shape one’s perceptions and identity. Originality/value The findings from the study add to the growing body of research on the impact of academic service learning on various stakeholders as well as on managing course activities in order to fulfil learning objectives. The case study confirms that service learning is an appropriate model for university-community engagement that generates mutually beneficial outcomes for the partners. In particular, it demonstrates how the service learning experience provides students with the opportunities to engage in instrumental, dialogic and self-reflective learning.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Kasturi Das ◽  
Ritika Mahajan

PurposeThe paper makes an endeavour to explore the efficacy of service learning (SL) pedagogy in inculcating the value of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with a focus on management education in India.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology comprises a systematic survey of select relevant literature on SL and applying a novel approach to bring out certain key traits of SL initiatives. The paper also tries to decipher how the identified key traits could be regarded as contributing to the ethos of DEI among the learners. Based on insights from the systematic literature review and identified research gaps, an in-depth study of three SL initiatives in India, have been undertaken to demonstrate how implementation of the SL pedagogy in management education creates an impact on the attributes of DEI and inculcates an inclusive mindset.FindingsAlthough the design, process and learning outcomes of SL pedagogy varies depending on the context, there is commonality in the core attributes that emerges from the literature review which has a potential impact on inculcation of the values of inclusion and appreciation of diversity. The select case studies successfully expand on the list of these identified relevant attributes. The findings have also been corroborated by participants' reflection.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is, however, limited in its scope of assessing the impact in creating an inclusive mindset. To gauge whether such impact is pervasive and persists in the long run, one needs to examine if these values are carried forward by the participants in their professional and daily life. It would, therefore, be more meaningful to carry out a primary survey of the participants, who took part in such SL initiatives, to understand whether the values have really been assimilated in the real life. This is outside the scope of this paper but does open the scope for further research.Practical implicationsThe paper would be highly relevant for the accreditation agencies who are increasingly prescribing the role that business schools can and should play towards inculcating the ethos of diversity and inclusion among future business leaders and managers. For the administrators of business schools and other higher education institutions who may be considering how to incorporate the ethos of diversity and inclusion in the curriculum and pedagogy, the paper will provide some direction through the SL route. The detailed exposition of the three SL initiatives will enlighten the administrators or the faculty responsible for designing and delivering any SL programme in other business schools or higher educational institutions as to how to go about developing and delivering such an initiative. To the extent such SL initiatives succeed in leaving a lasting impact on the participants regarding ethos of inclusion and diversity, the business implications in the long run could be immense.Social implicationsThe purpose of the paper by itself establishes its social relevance. The very fact that the paper is focused on SL initiatives that involve social problem-solving approaches through hands-on working on social projects and working with communities the social implications are rather obvious.Originality/valueGiven the paucity of information and analysis on potential fit of SL for fostering DEI especially in developing countries, the present paper contributes to the existing body of literature and aptly fills the void. It builds a theoretical construct relating SL with the traits of DEI and then bridges theory and practice by demonstrating the efficacy of three SL programmes in Indian context to internalise the elements of DEI.


2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 596-607
Author(s):  
Eugenia Panitsides ◽  
Eirini Andromachi Kiouka

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain meaningful insights in the learning background, experiences and potential of Muslim minority women in Western Thrace. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data were obtained through 12 semi-structured interviews, which underwent a three-level qualitative analysis, following the “grounded theory” methodology. Findings It was depicted that Muslim minority women in Western Thrace are susceptible to patriarchal gender norms governed by stereotypes that restrict women to reproductive and caring roles and deprive them of the fundamental human right to education. Although the data suggest that learning in adulthood evidently bears some transformative dynamic, the limited adult learning experiences of some interviewees in this study are far from accounting for any substantial transformation at the personal or community level. Research limitations/implications Subjectivity, biased responses and a limited sample are among research limitations, impeding the generalization of the results and calling for further investigation. Originality/value The originality of the study stems from providing a difficult to reach sample of underprivileged women with the opportunity to express their views and perceptions as regards education and learning, drawing on the identification of specific areas for potential interventions in order to transform their lives and communities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 224-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ericka Costa ◽  
Caterina Pesci ◽  
Michele Andreaus ◽  
Emanuele Taufer

Purpose Drawing on the phenomenological concepts of “empathy” and “communal emotions” developed by Edith Stein (1917, 1922), the purpose of this paper is to discuss the co-existence both of the legitimacy and accountability perspectives in voluntarily delivered social and environmental reporting (SER), based on different “levels of empathy” towards different stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts an interpretive research design, drawn from Stein’s concept of empathy by using a mixed-method approach. A manual content analysis was performed on 393 cooperative banks’ (CB) social and environmental reports from 2005 to 2013 in Italy, and 14 semi-structured interviews. Findings The results show that CBs voluntarily disclose information in different ways to different stakeholders. According to Stein, the phenomenological concept of empathy, and its understanding within institutions, allows us to interpret these multiple perspectives within a single social and environmental report. Therefore, when the process of acquiring knowledge in the CB–stakeholder relationship is complete and mentalised (level 3, re-enactive empathy), the SER holds high informative power, consistent with the accountability perspective; on the contrary, when this process is peripheral and perceptional (level 1, basic empathy), the SER tends to provide more self-assessment information, attempting to portray the bank in a positive light, which is consistent with the legitimacy perspective. Originality/value The concept of empathy introduced in this paper can assist in interpreting the interactions between an organisation and different stakeholders within the same social and environmental report. Moreover, the approach adopted in this paper considers different stakeholders simultaneously, thus responding to previous concerns regarding the lack of focus on multiple stakeholders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Ljungkvist ◽  
Börje Boers ◽  
Joachim Samuelsson

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the development of the five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) over time by taking a founder’s perspective. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on an in-depth single-case study. It combines semi-structured interviews in the company with archival data, such as annual reports, press clips and interviews in business magazines. Findings The results indicate that the EO dimensions change from being personalized and directly solution-oriented to being intangible value-creation-oriented. Originality/value By suggesting ownership-based EO configurations, this study contributes insights into how different ownership forms propel EO. These configurations – that is, personal, administrative based and intangible focused – show the impact of the EO dimensions and provide a systematic and theoretical understanding of EO change over time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 1399-1414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Vézina ◽  
Majdi Ben Selma ◽  
Marie Claire Malo

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the organising of social innovation in a large market-based social enterprises from the perspective of dynamic capabilities and social transformation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses the process by which Desjardins Group launched the Desjardins Environment Fund as the first investment fund in North America to integrate environmental screening. It uses longitudinal single case analysis and a theoretical framework based on Teece’s three dynamic capabilities.FindingsResults show that dynamic capabilities can be conceived as stages in the process of social innovation. Sensing refers to the capability to identify a societal demand for social transformation. Seizing capability is about shaping societal demand into a commercial offer. Reconfiguring concerns organisational innovation to integrate actual and new knowledge through innovative routines. Microprocesses of both path dependency and path building are in action at each of the three stages.Practical implicationsThis paper shows that managing dynamic capabilities is central to social innovation in the context of a large social business and provides genuine managerial input via an analysis of the microprocesses at work in the social innovation process.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the operationalization of Teece’s dynamic capabilities model. In mobilising a framework in the field of management of innovation, it contributes to the understanding of the process of social innovation and develops the organisational mechanism for multiscalarity of social innovation as a condition for social transformation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15
Author(s):  
Vicki Stewart Collet ◽  
Jennifer Peñaflorida

PurposeThis study aims to consider how lesson study (LS) supports international graduate assistants (IGAs) teaching in settings that are culturally different from their own prior experiences as learners.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a single-case design to understand LS, including two IGAs and a domestic GA teaching at a US university. Data sources include audio recordings and field notes from LS sessions and lesson observations, data collected from online interactions, and individual interviews.FindingsQualitative analysis indicates IGAs felt their instruction improved as a result of participation, and they incorporated instructional practices aligned with norms in their new context. Through practical work with a narrow focus, IGAs collaborated with one another and with a more-experienced other. This created a context that reduced IGAs' cognitive dissonance, resulting in transformative teacher learning.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest LS might provide supports for transformative learning for IGAs and other teachers, especially when they experience cognitive dissonance, such as that caused by culturally different classroom expectations.Originality/valueThis paper speaks to the identified need for supporting IGAs' understanding of values and norms undergirding pedagogy in their new contexts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1925-1948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jantje Halberstadt ◽  
Jana-Michaela Timm ◽  
Sascha Kraus ◽  
Katherine Gundolf

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on how service learning approaches are able to foster social entrepreneurship competences. The aim of the paper is to formulate a framework of key competences for social entrepreneurship and to give first insights in how service learning actually has an impact on change in students’ set of competences. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative data collectionmethods of learning diaries of the students and semi-structured interviews, including 40 master’s students studying at a German university in interdisciplinary learning settings and five instructors from the same universities. Analysis was carried out by means of qualitative content analysis. Findings This paper provides empirical insights about the competences that are being fostered by service learning. From these, a framework for social entrepreneurship competences is being derived. Research limitations/implications The set of competences should be further investigated, as it was derived out of a small data set. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to use the set of competences for social entrepreneurship as a basis for future research and on a longer-term perspective, which lead to substantial implications for educational practice. Practical implications This paper includes implications for new perspectives on service learning in the light of the development of a relevant framework for social entrepreneurship competence, having significant implications for educational practice in social entrepreneurship education. Originality/value With this paper, the authors fulfill the need of a framework of social entrepreneurship competences that serves as a foundation for educational practice and further research in the context of service learning and beyond.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjaya Chinthana Kuruppu ◽  
Sumit Lodhia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of accountability as it relates to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) evolving through a period of considerable change in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth single case study of a large NGO working in Sri Lanka is presented. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with a range of NGO employees and stakeholders, undertaking participant and non-participant observation and document analysis. Findings This paper shows how accountability is a contested notion that is shaped by struggles among stakeholders within a field. The authors explore how the “widespread field” consisting of the aid context in Sri Lanka and internationally is rapidly shifting. This creates unique pressures within the “restricted field” of the case NGO and its constituents. These pressures are manifested in the contest between the different capitals held by various stakeholders to shape the NGO. The nature of access to these capitals is important in the way that the NGO is shaped by external forces, and also by the individuals within it. Research limitations/implications This study adds fresh perspective to the growing body of work in NGO accountability. The paper highlights the tensions NGOs face through a holistic application of a Bourdieusian conceptual framework. The authors show how the habitus of the organisation is shaped in such a way that conceptions of accountability were captured by powerful external and internal constituencies. Ultimately, the nature of an organisation’s agency is questioned. Practical implications The authors present a more nuanced understanding of forces which shape accountability in an NGO setting which is of practical relevance to NGOs and their stakeholders. The authors highlight the struggle for an NGO to maintain its agency through resisting external forces that impact on its operations. Originality/value This study presents a comprehensive and holistic application of Bourdieu’s concepts and their interactions in an organisational setting. The struggle to harness various forms of capital in the field, shapes doxa and the habitus of NGO actors, illuminating the role of symbolic violence in the creation of an organisational identity.


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