scholarly journals Scaling up social innovation: a meta-synthesis

Author(s):  
RODRIGO LUIZ MORAIS-DA-SILVA ◽  
ADRIANA ROSELI WÜNSCH TAKAHASHI ◽  
ANDREA PAULA SEGATTO

ABSTRACT Purpose: This paper aims to analyze how features raised in the case studies in the field of social innovation, from the meta-synthesis methodology proposed by Hoon (2013), indicate factors that promote social innovation scalability Originality/gap/relevance/implications: The number of publications on SI, despite an increase perceived, is still limited. Consequently, researches dedicated to understand the scalability of the process of SI are still scarce, thus constituting a gap research. Key methodological aspects: To achieve the objective of this research, we followed the eight meta-synthesis steps proposed by Hoon (2013) which is an exploratory-inductive research design for synthesis of primary data collected through case studies whose primary purpose is to build theory. It was analyzed 66 articles identified in the Web of Science database, nine of them were selected to join this meta-synthesis. Summary of key results: The findings of this research can be summarized in the concept proposed "environment favourable to the scalability of a SI" with features of the internal environment, divided between aspects of the entrepreneur and the organization, and settings of the external environment, mediated (or not) by a bridge organization. Key considerations/conclusions: The findings of this study advance the SI literature in two main points: Concept proposition of "environment conducive to the scalability of a SI" and to draw attention to the field of study on the promoting factors of continuity and growth of a SI. As for the practical contributions, the results of the research can help social innovations managers in the expansion phase of its operations, suggesting some elements to consider.

Based on more than 30 case studies in eight different countries, this book explores the governance dynamics of local social innovations in the field of poverty reduction. The diverse team of contributors reflects on the trajectory of social innovation in European governance. They illustrate how different governance dynamics and welfare mixes enable or hinder poverty reduction strategies and analyse how such dynamics involve a diversity of actors, instruments and resources at different spatial scales. The contributions are based on research motivated by the standstill in the fight against poverty in Europe and the anxiety that conventional macro-social policies are insufficient to deal with the current challenges.


Author(s):  
JÜRGEN HOWALDT ◽  
DMITRI DOMANSKI ◽  
CHRISTOPH KALETKA

ABSTRACT Purpose: Against the backdrop of clear paradoxes and confusion in prevailing innovation policies, the contours of a new innovation paradigm, as elaborated in this paper, are becoming visible and causing social innovation to grow in importance. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: However, innovation research is still lacking sustained and systematic analysis of social innovation, its theories, characteristics, and impacts. The purpose of this paper is to focus on a theoretically sound concept of social innovation as a precondition for an integrated theory of socio-technological innovation in which social innovation is more than an appendage of technological innovation. Key methodological aspects: The paper presents first empirical results of the global research project "SI-DRIVE: Social Innovation - Driving Force of Social Change" and introduces key findings of a global mapping of social innovation initiatives. This quantitative mapping is based upon 1.005 social innovation initiatives. Summary of key results: The mapping underlines the broad range of actors involved in the mapped initiatives and thereby confirms the need for a cross-sectoral concept of social innovation. It reveals a high diversity of social needs and societal challenges addressed by the initiatives as well as a high dependency on networks. The results also show that 90% of the initiatives are scaling. Key considerations/conclusions: Finally, on the basis of these empirical results, a recourse to Gabriel Tarde's social theory allows us to widen a perspective which was narrowed to economic and technological innovations by Schumpeter and after him by the sociology of technology, and to include social innovations in all their diversity.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1894-1918
Author(s):  
Iraci de Souza João ◽  
Simone. V. R. Galina

In this chapter, it is possible to verify how social enterprises work on social innovations, as well as practices adopted by them to generate social innovation (SI). The SI is one of the ways of creating social value via solutions that enhance sustainable social welfare, and it is predominantly disseminated by organizations with a social mission like social enterprise. To verify how social enterprises work on social innovations, as well as practices adopted by them to generate social innovation, an exploratory study was developed. For primary data collection the technique of in-depth interviews with semi-structured script was adopted. The SI has the community as an active participant in the process, with successful innovation, in many cases, dependent on the collective capacity of people. The use of this technique for managing the processes of creative generation shows that companies organize themselves to manage the SI. Likewise, benchmarking was used in all three cases, supporting the theory that social innovation is not merely the fruit of originality, but also new applications for existing knowledge.


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Voltan ◽  
Claudia De Fuentes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the field of social innovation by examining institutional logics at the level of inter- and intra-organizational partnerships for scaling impact. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a set of case studies from the Stanford Social Innovation Review to analyze success in scaling social innovations applying the logic compatibility-centrality matrix proposed by Besharov and Smith (2014), which aims to reveal the potential for conflict in organizations based on the diversity of logics present and the degree to which they are compatible with each other. Findings The findings shed insight on how individuals and organizations are able to manage logic multiplicity in the context of partnerships for scaling social innovation. Originality/value The authors build on recent work that recognizes logic multiplicity in social enterprises resulting from their hybrid nature, and the authors add to the existing debate by introducing to the discussion contributions from cognitive theory that help explain why organizational cultures evolve and scale out the way they do.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Wulf ◽  
Jasmin Werker ◽  
Christopher Ball ◽  
Petra Zapp ◽  
Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs

Many different approaches have been developed to quantify and evaluate sustainability. Here a review is performed on sustainability assessment based on Life Cycle Thinking, which mostly means Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA). Until the end of 2018, 258 publications can be found, from which 146 include a case study. The highest number of publications appeared between 2016 and 2018 and, compared to the years before 2016, the number of authors has increased. However, in recent years the focus has been more on case studies than on methodological aspects of LCSA. The presented holistic approaches for LCSA are either too broad or too narrow for scientific guidance. Therefore, many questions concerning LCSA are still open, e.g., regarding definition of sustainability dimensions and the desire or need for multi-criteria decision-analysis. An underlying problem is the lack of discussion about sustainability concepts. The momentum in the community to perform case studies for LCSA should be used to also develop more guiding principles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1231
Author(s):  
Simo Sarkki ◽  
Cristina Dalla Torre ◽  
Jasmiini Fransala ◽  
Ivana Živojinović ◽  
Alice Ludvig ◽  
...  

Social innovations can tackle various challenges related to gender equity in rural areas, especially when such innovations are initiated and developed by women themselves. We examine cases located in rural areas of Canada, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, and Serbia, where women are marginalized by gender roles, patriarchal values, male dominated economy and policy, and lack of opportunities for education and employment. Our objective is to analyze five case studies on how women-led social innovation processes can tackle gender equity related challenges manifested at the levels of everyday practice, institutions, and cognitive frames. The analyses are based on interviews, workshops, literature screening, and are examined via the qualitative abductive method. Results summarize challenges that rural women are facing, explore social innovation initiatives as promising solutions, and analyze their implications on gender equity in the five case studies. Based on our results we propose a new concept: reconstructive social innovation cycle. It refers to is defined as cyclical innovation processes that engage women via civil society initiatives. These initiatives reconstruct the existing state of affairs, by questioning marginalizing and discriminative practices, institutions, and cognitive frames that are often perceived as normal. The new concept helps with to assessing the implications that women-led social innovations have for gender equity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariem Kchaich Ep Chedli ◽  
Teodora Bianca Floricel ◽  
Larisa Mihoreanu

Innovation remains a complex concept that can’t be analysed and researched by ignoring the definition and influences of all aspects and interactions which were identified in the innovation cycle. Consequently the paper initiate the development of a modern methodological framework to be applied for analysing business social innovations in its continuity to be used by companies to adapt their activities to the current market demands. These innovations are intended for running innovative company, with employees ready for new ideas. The research development has taken into analyse several approaches: the concept of social innovation, the manner of which social innovation can be analysed, focusing on methodological aspects and the third part presents the conclusions. Given the present economic crises effects, its societal and social consequences in a reduced interest for applied social innovation, people tend to choose not making changes in their life and work despite new and innovative ideas; this can be taken as an approach for to avoiding risks and activity disruptions. As results our expectations merge within the idea that a complex society requires complex answers at all problems and personalised applications of any new theory or idea. Therefore the purpose of the paper is to propose concrete ideas of social innovation that can be easily put into practice.


Author(s):  
Iraci de Souza João ◽  
Simone. V. R. Galina

In this chapter, it is possible to verify how social enterprises work on social innovations, as well as practices adopted by them to generate social innovation (SI). The SI is one of the ways of creating social value via solutions that enhance sustainable social welfare, and it is predominantly disseminated by organizations with a social mission like social enterprise. To verify how social enterprises work on social innovations, as well as practices adopted by them to generate social innovation, an exploratory study was developed. For primary data collection the technique of in-depth interviews with semi-structured script was adopted. The SI has the community as an active participant in the process, with successful innovation, in many cases, dependent on the collective capacity of people. The use of this technique for managing the processes of creative generation shows that companies organize themselves to manage the SI. Likewise, benchmarking was used in all three cases, supporting the theory that social innovation is not merely the fruit of originality, but also new applications for existing knowledge.


2020 ◽  
pp. 37-45
Author(s):  
Parulian Hutapea ◽  
Martani Huseini ◽  
Retno Kusumastuti

Indonesia has been looking for a way to improve its current policy applied for higher education institutions, which puts more weight on increasing publications in order to be able to survive in the future. They need to change their practices and behaviors in order to prepare for these future scenarios. One way to do it is by studying directly about the practices done at universities which become sources of innovation. This study is aimed at identifying the sources of innovation variables that have the highest leverage on research social innovation production. The study used a postpositivism paradigm by collecting 117 questionnaires and interviewing 24 informants from the University of Indonesia (UI). A system dynamic was used for simulation through Vensin PLE. The highest leverage to increase the number of publications, but not the patents and social innovations, came from a production loop consisting of UI research grants and rewards. However, the research rewards and grants cannot improve creativity and the innovation ecosystem. The University reward structure which put more weight on research publication output and ignore innovation ecosystem degrades the production of patent, social innovation as well as the teaching quality. Therefore, to set the priority of research publicity in the university the management of the university should not ignore the teaching and innovation practices.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-371
Author(s):  
Heiko Berner

Social innovations are targeted measures that are capable to resolve social problems (Rammert 2010) and they are directed towards an improvement of the situation (Gillwald 2000). Finally, they are directed towards an amelioration of the situation (Gillwald 2000). In Austria it is argued that ethnic business represents a type of social innovation (Haberfellner 2000). The question the paper addresses is if and to what extent ethnic business goes hand in hand with social developments and possibly boosts social change. Entrepreneurs of Turkish origin in Salzburg are the focus of analysis. The paper starts with a definition of the term ‚social innovation‘ (1), the issues of ethnic vs. migrant business (2.), followed by the description of the labour market situation of Turkish migrants in Salzburg and discrimination in the labour market (3.), and, to to round up, the analysis of biographic interviews with Turkish entrepreneurs in Salzburg (4.). The preliminary results show that there exist social problems such as the lower socio-economic situation of Turkish migrants in Salzburg and discrimination in the labour market. These problems can be seen as basis for the need of social innovations. But nevertheless Turkish run ethnic businesses in a strict sense of the word are no social innovation because they do not act against the problems in an intended way; they rather work on their own account. They may overcome disadvantages on the labour market but their actions are not directed towards overcoming the problem per se. It is much rather a transintentional aspect (Schimank 2010), which goes beyond the economic interest of the actors.


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