scholarly journals SOCIAL INNOVATION: TOWARDS A NEW INNOVATION PARADIGM

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.

Author(s):  
Stijn Oosterlynck ◽  
Pieter Cools

To address unmet social needs and tackle complex societal challenges, social innovation initiatives often mobilise new actors, resources and/or approaches within specific fields of social action. Changing welfare mixes and the governance of various actors, instruments and resources are therefore key concerns for social innovation research. In this chapter, we analyse the changing welfare mixes in social innovation initiatives and their governance on the micro-level by looking at the networks of organisations and institutions behind these initiatives. We provide a descriptive analysis of the different welfare mixes of social innovation initiatives and their strategies and mode of governance and identify patterns and typologies in the governance of local social innovations. Particular attention is attributed to the role of public actors, resources and instruments. We use our empirical findings to assess the main tendencies on changing welfare mixes as identified in the scholarly literature.


Author(s):  
Sanja Franc ◽  
Mirjana Hladika

The global economy brings about new trends, challenges, and needs, which require new solutions. Social innovations can have a major role in satisfying unmet social needs and increasing overall well-being. Measuring social innovation is therefore an important task with the purpose of informing the stakeholders about the performance value that an innovation creates. Standard accounting tools often neglect social or environmental impact, and thus, new or adjusted methods need to be developed. The objective of this chapter is to analyze methods of measuring social innovation and discuss advantages and disadvantages of traditional measures versus new approaches with the purpose of better understanding the significance of social innovation in the global economy. The chapter consists of six parts. After the introduction follows the literature review. The third part of the chapter discusses different approaches to measuring innovations while the fourth part suggests some new approaches to measuring social innovations. The fifth part describes future research perspectives. The final part is the conclusion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonius Schröder ◽  
Daniel Krüger

Based on the results of the EU funded Social Innovation – Driving Force of Social Change (SI-DRIVE) project the major challenges and needs of education and lifelong learning worldwide are revealed, focusing on solutions via new educational practices delivered by social innovations and embedding civil society. Against this background, a more learner-oriented approach instead of institutional improvements is presented. Based on the results of SI-DRIVE’s global mapping of more than 200 innovative education initiatives and 18 in-depth case studies, the article spotlights the relevant settings and success factors of social innovations in education, leading to a system related typology of social innovation. New ways of repairing, modernising and transforming education as well as separated approaches are illustrated showing the underdeveloped, unexploited and unrecognised potential of this kind of innovation. For setting up a more innovation friendly environment, it is particularly important to realise a paradigm shift towards a learner perspective and rationality. More leeway and new governance structures for integrating and fostering social innovations and unfolding the potential of all societal sectors for enhancing education are necessary. This especially includes a more active and new role of universities in enabling, exchanging, moderating and researching social innovation.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2(75)) ◽  
pp. 101-111
Author(s):  
O.V. SADCHENKO

Topicality. Actual is the improvement of marketing technologies in the field of economics of experience in the conditions of sustainable development. Social innovations are of great importance for economic development, through the improvement of equipment and technologies, new business models to improve the quality of life of people and social infrastructure in accordance with global trends. The goal is to achieve sustainable development of society in which the satisfaction of environmental, economic and social needs is carried out in a balanced way. The current stage of development of the world economy has a tendency to transition to an information and communication society, where information is a commodity, but such a transition is possible only in conditions of sufficient provision of society with material goods. Marketing the economy of experience (impressions) is an additional human activity that relates to the market in the conditions of fierce competition and a saturated market, when its principles serve as the only possible way to ensure profitability and plus additional profitability of production, growth and development of the enterprise. Market orientation determines the main areas of economic activity and evaluates its results by the value of the final income.Thus, social innovations include new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that satisfy any social needs - from working conditions and education to the development of communities and health care, contributing to the expansion and consolidation of civil society. The concept of social innovation includes goods and services that will combine the intellectual and environmental needs of society, and this is one of the main directions of the economy of experience.An analysis of the existing experience in the field of marketing the economy of impressions gives reason to say that the problem of managing marketing experience (impressions) in promoting an environmentally balanced business and its implementation in both domestic and international markets has not been developed.Aim and tasks. The aim of the article is to determine, in the context of sustainable development, the basic directions of marketing the economy of experience by substantiating the theoretical and practical foundations of the formation of the mechanism of innovative and ecological development of society.Research results. The priority area for improving the mechanism for implementing the state economic and environmental policy is the reform of the legislative and regulatory framework for environmental management. For the effective solution of economic and environmental problems, a set of certain methods, techniques, technologies for the organization and management of industrial and economic activities is required. To manage events, it is necessary to form public opinion and mood, purposefully establish communication with various groups of the public, that is, changing the existing concept of socio-economic development can change the existing order. Sustainable socio-economic development of Ukraine is largely determined by the state of the environment and the level of use of natural resource potential. The need for a balance between the economy and the environment has led to the fact that marketing experience economics began to appear and stand out in the marketing system. Sustainable development targets are a high quality of life and a level of economic development, as well as environmental stability.The current stage of development of the global economy has a tendency to transition to the information society, where information is a commodity, but such a transition is possible only in conditions of sufficient provision of society with material goods. Thus, social innovations include new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that satisfy any social needs - from working conditions and education to the development of communities and health care, contributing to the expansion and consolidation of civil society. The concept of social innovation includes goods and services that will combine the intellectual and environmental needs of society, and this is one of the main directions of the economy of experience.Marketing experience economics in the conditions of sustainable development, that is, marketing changes in the sphere of economic and environmental relations, could become a lever for enhancing economic development. In modern theories of social development, there is a tendency to consider social innovation as economic, environmental, political, emotional, ethical innovation. This is argued by the fact that it is these structures that are the mechanisms for implementing changes that have matured in the depths of society, and without their help they simply cannot be implemented. The economics of experience is associated with the changes, so marketing approaches will reflect all the socio-economic-environmental changes in the interests of consumers and real estimates or assortment, quality and other parameters of products and services being produced and sold.Conclusion. The basis of the strategy of the economy of impressions (in particular, when developing the strategy of the “blue ocean”) is the innovation of value - this is not a competitive advantage, but what makes competition simply unnecessary due to the company reaching a whole new level. In contrast to the classical competitive approach, in order to use the strategy of innovation of value, it is not necessary to choose between low costs and high value. This strategy allows you to simultaneously create high value at low cost. The convergence of technologies, industries, markets, products, will expand the traditional boundaries of industries. In this regard, multidimensional studies of marketing systems that are part of integrated socio-ecological-economic systems, combined by information flows, are necessary. In the process of formation of market structures of the economics of experience, the task is to combine the interests of the economy, society and improve the natural environment. Reducing pollution and preserving natural resources becomes beneficial for the economy of impressions (experience, skill). The globalization of the world economy, facilitating the economic interaction between states, stimulates the growth of the economy of impressions, accelerates and increases the scale of the exchange of advanced achievements of mankind in the economic, scientific, technical and intellectual sphere, which, of course, contributes to the general progress of mankind.


Author(s):  
Georg Mildenberger ◽  
Gudrun-Christine Schimpf ◽  
Enrica Chiappero-Martinetti ◽  
Nadia von Jacobi

This chapter describes two empirical approaches with which social innovation and its potentially transformative role can be studied. Both are oriented towards the Extended Social Grid Model (ESGM) and strive to bring its abstract categories on the ground and facilitate empirical analyses; first an analysis of long-term comprehensive case studies; and second a mixed-method approach inspired by the capability approach for evaluating the impact of social innovations. Both approaches enter new ground in social innovation research and supply valuable insights into the nature of social innovation and how it can be examined. The historical approach reveals the complexities of social innovation trajectories; the agency oriented approach of the more quantitative study opens new paths for a measurement of social innovation impacts that can be applied in many situations.


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.


Author(s):  
SUZANNE ÉRICA NOBREGA CORREIA ◽  
VERONICA MACARIO DE OLIVEIRA ◽  
CARLA REGINA PASA GOMEZ

ABSTRACT Purpose: To propose a framework that involves the analysis of the dimensions of social innovation and the roles played by the organizational actor. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: The challenge here was to outline a framework within the Brazilian context, contributing as an instrument to the decision making of the organizational actor, serving as guidance to better comprehend social innovation initiatives that they promote, as well as characterizing the roles that they should play in order to better promote and advertise the implemented social initiatives. Key methodological aspects: The study was of qualitative nature, and the case was a network created by organizations of the civil society that manage social innovation (Articulação do Semiárido Brasileiro - ASA). The NGOs linked to ASA, which works within the Brazilian states of Paraíba, Pernambuco, and Rio Grande do Norte, were the analysis units of the case surveyed. The Analysis of Contents was adopted for data handling, supported by the software Altas.Ti. Summary of key results: The organizational actor has a leading role among social innovation initiatives, as a legitimate representative of society's interests in articulating bottom-up initiatives (actors); in identifying non-satisfied social needs (social needs); as a manager of social relationships, especially when it comes to governance and participation (process); pointer of innovative capacity of the ideas implemented (innovativeness and promoter of the social benefits provided in the community (social improvements and answers). Key considerations/conclusions: Based on the roles identified, it is possible to map out the actions of the organizational actors, helping them in their tasks of planning, implementing and disseminating social initiatives, which results in a model that is both operational and analytical.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eneyi Kpokiri ◽  
Elizabeth Chen ◽  
Jingjing Li ◽  
Sarah Payne ◽  
Priyanka Shrestha ◽  
...  

AbstractWhile social innovations in health have shown promise in closing the healthcare delivery gap, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), more research is needed to evaluate, scale up, and sustain social innovations. Research checklists can standardize and improve reporting of research findings, promote transparency, and increase replicability of study results and findings. This article describes the development of a 17-item social innovation in health research checklist to assess and report social innovation projects and provides examples of good reporting. The checklist is adapted from the TIDieR checklist and will facilitate more complete and transparent reporting and increase end user engagement.Summary pointsWhile many social innovations have been developed and shown promise in closing the healthcare delivery gap, more research is needed to evaluate social innovationThe Social Innovation in Health Research Checklist, the first of its kind, is a 17-item checklist to improve reporting completeness and promote transparency in the development, implementation, and evaluation of social innovations in healthThe research checklist was developed through a three-step process, including a global open call for ideas, a scoping review, and a three-round modified Delphi processUse of this research checklist will enable researchers, innovators and partners to learn more about the process and results of social innovation in health research


Author(s):  
José Hernández-Ascanio ◽  
Jaime Aja Valle ◽  
Ramón Rueda López ◽  
Miguel Jesús Medina Viruel

La innovación social es una cuestión que en las últimas décadas ha adquirido un interés creciente por parte tanto del mundo académico como por parte de actores sociales que prestan atención a la cobertura de necesidades y demandas sociales. Sin embargo, la innovación social plantea problemas en la construcción de su corpus teórico (en lo relativo a fundamentos de carácter conceptual y metodológico) que se traduce en dificultades de carácter praxeológico. Contribuir a esta fundamentación es una necesidad de primer orden para avanzar en la construcción de una agenda coherente en el campo de la innovación social. Es especialmente urgente abordar déficits identificados en tres focos: a) el ámbito de la consolidación de una definición canónica; b) aspectos metodológicos orientados a la facilitación de procesos; y c) la identificación de determinantes y condicionantes de la emergencia de procesos de innovación social. Este trabajo pretende avanzar en este sentido, utilizando como referencia el contexto de las organizaciones complejas, especialmente del Tercer Sector. Esta elección se debe a que la bibliografía confirma que son actores especialmente privilegiados en la facilitación de este tipo de procesos. La opción metodológica elegida es la aplicación de un enfoque de Teoría Fundamentada que ha sido triangulada mediante la aplicación de un panel DELPHI. Entre los principales logros alcanzados en el trabajo llevado a cabo es, como se ha dicho, la elaboración de un modelo teórico de explicación de los procesos de innovación social intencional, así como la identificación de sus principales capacidades relacionadas, a partir de las cuales se puede llevar a cabo el diseño de una herramienta de medición de la innovación social en organizaciones complejas del Tercer Sector.Social innovation is an issue that in recent decades has acquired growing interest both from the academic world and from social actors who pay attention to meeting social needs and demands. However, social innovation raises problems in the construction of its theoretical corpus (in relation to foundations of a conceptual and methodological nature) that translates into difficulties of a praxeological nature. Contributing to this foundation is a necessity of the first order to advance in the construction of a coherent agenda in the field of social innovation. It is especially urgent to address deficits identified in three foci: a) the scope of the consolidation of a canonical definition; b) methodological aspects aimed at facilitating processes; and c) the identification of determinants and conditioning factors of the emergence of social innovation processes. This work aims to advance in this sense, using as a reference the context of complex organizations, especially in the Third Sector. This choice is due to the fact that the bibliography confirms that they are especially privileged actors in facilitating this type of process. The methodological option chosen is the application of a Grounded Theory approach that has been triangulated through the application of a DELPHI panel. Among the main achievements in the work carried out is, as has been said, the elaboration of a theoretical model to explain the processes of intentional social innovation, as well as the identification of its main related capacities, from which can carry out the design of a tool for measuring social innovation in complex Third Sector organizations.


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