How social entrepreneurship can contribute to upscale social innovation practices?

In this paper, we address the research question of to what extent is it possible to discern theories of change being built into the business practices of nascent social enterprises in ways that lay foundations for the subsequent upscaling of their social innovations? We argue that social enterprises that are ‘ready-to-upscale’ are those that clearly produce a solution to an underlying problem, and where their activities are clearly derived from the underlying problem, and also those activities clearly connect forward to deliver consistent solutions. We apply a Theories of Change approach to the concept of social entrepreneurship as a means of setting a criterion for ‘ready-to-upscale’, studying six Sri Lankan micro-social enterprises in which we can trace stories of impact. This provides a means to develop a model of the ways that social entrepreneurship creates the foundations for structural changes that reduce systematic inequalities, and offers social enterprise funders a framework to better stimulate emergence of social enterprises ready-to-upscale and deliver social innovation.

DESIGNING THE FUTURE IN EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES OF RUSSIAN YOUTH

Представленная статья реализует попытку авторов осмыслить на основе деятельностно-активистского подхода конструирование будущего в образовательных стратегиях российской молодежи. На базе концептуального социально-эмпирического анализа авторы статьи приходят к выводу о том, что большинство молодых россиян разделяют позиции адаптивности, актуализма в качестве выбора образовательной стратегии. Это определяется факторами объективного и субъективного характера, где объективизация социальных условий выступает влияющей на субъективный выбор молодежи. Отмечая значимость социальной и территориальной дифференциации, авторы статьи обосновывают положение о конструировании будущего, о формировании образов жизни и набора жизненных целей российской молодежи как возможности ухода от ограниченности прагматического поворота в образовании. В качестве заключительного суждения определяется взаимосвязь между ориентацией на квалифицированную деятельность и конфигурацию ответов на изменения в образовательной системе. Делается вывод о том, что в отечественной социально-гуманитарной науке назрела необходимость осмысления образовательных стратегий российской молодежи как способности российской молодежи конструировать образ будущего с учетом нарастания влияния социальных инноваций. The presented paper implements the authors' attempt to understand, on the basis of an activist approach, the design of the future in the educational strategies of Russian youth. Based on a conceptual socio-empirical analysis, the authors of the publication conclude that most young Russians share the positions of adaptability, actualism as a choice of educational strategy. This is determined by factors of an objective and subjective nature, where the objectification of social conditions acts as an influence on the subjective choice of youth. Noting the importance of social and territorial differentiation, the authors of the paper substantiate the provision on the design of the future, on the formation of lifestyles and a set of life goals of Russian youth as an opportunity to escape the limited pragmatic turn in education. As a final judgment, the relationship between the orientation to skilled activities and the configuration of responses to changes in the educational system is determined. It is concluded that in domestic social science and humanities there is a need to understand the educational strategies of Russian youth as the ability of Russian youth to design the image of the future, taking into account the growing influence of social innovations.

Proactive Corporate Sustainability via Social Innovation—A Case Study of the Hennes & Mauritz Grand Challenge in Bangladesh

The purpose of the study is to explore how a multinational enterprise can use social innovations to drive change and solve grand challenges in an emerging market context. This paper brings market-shaping literature into a sustainability context, particularly by studying the implementation of social innovations in an emerging market context. Specifically, the study involves an in-depth qualitative study of H&M’s fair living wages program in Bangladesh. We find that H&M is tackling utterances of grand challenges revealed by orchestrating social innovation in collaborations with local stakeholders. Social innovation is carried out in ongoing projects involving multiple stakeholders. The study contributes to current literature by revealing that multinational enterprises indeed can use social innovation to drive change in emerging markets, although this requires long-term commitment, an ability and willingness to shape the surrounding business environment, and a prominent standing among key stakeholders.

Introduction

In 2020, for the first time in history, there were more people in the world aged 60 years and over than there were children below the age of 5 years. The population aged over 65 years is projected to increase from one billion in 2019 to more than two billion in 2050, and those aged over 80 years are projected to increase from 143 to 426 million, with the largest increase occurring in the developing world (UN World Population Prospects, 2019). This demographic trend constitutes the largest global health challenge, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The European Union has set it as one of the major challenges in Horizon 2020 and it has important societal implications (European Commission, 2020). The proportion of retired individuals will increase, leading to an increased ratio between those who have exited the workforce and those still active in the labour market. Thus, ageing represents a global societal and scientific challenge requiring integrated efforts, multidisciplinary translational research approaches and social innovations that build on ideas of potentials and capabilities, emphasising the value of old age.

“Thinking outside the Box”: Social Innovations Emerging from Academic Nursing-Community Partnerships

Nurses comprise the largest group of healthcare workers in the world. Increasingly, nurses in higher education institutions are collaborating with not-for-profit and community-based organisations to devise programs, projects and interventions that benefit both their students’ education and individuals in the community. This chapter describes an integrative review of these academic nursing-community partnerships, focusing on the nurses’ roles, the students’ role and the lessons learned from the partnership strategies that blend the expertise of the community members and nurses in higher education.

Building Theories-in-Practice on Social Innovation in Disability Nonprofit Organizations

This chapter discusses the key theoretical and empirical steps undertaken throughout the authors' previous-but-related mixed methods studies on social innovation in nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the Australian disability sector with the aim of using the key findings of these studies to develop ‘theories-in-practice' in disability NPOs. In this chapter, the authors summarize the associated theory-building processes deployed to explain how disability NPOs develop and implement social innovations and the societal ‘system-level' impacts of such innovations. These theory-building processes involve two broad phases, and the culmination of these phases (grounded in the abductive logics of inquiry, complexity theorizing, and set-theoretic methods) leads to the development of several ‘theories-to-practice' that not only convey the interactivity of contextual causal mechanisms leading to social innovation by NPOs, but also outline change-oriented solutions for managers who are working to address complex social challenges.

Pathways towards Enhancing HEI’s Role in the Local Social İnnovation Ecosystem

Social innovation as a potential way of looking for new ways to combat the most challenging social problems is underdeveloped in Croatia and Europe. This chapter assesses the contribution of specific Higher education institute (HEI) to developing a social innovation ecosystem in the Zagreb agglomeration area (and beyond) in several dimensions: (a) research and evidence that informed social innovations (SI) and wider policies; (b) education; (c) creating networks and advocating, and (d) community engagement. Additionally, the introduction of the service-learning program is presented to illustrate that contribution. The capacity of the higher education institutions in fostering the development of the social innovation ecosystem is discussed through the prism of the local and national education, science and public (social) policy development in Croatia.

Comunidade Ribeirinha Santo Ezequiel Moreno: inovações sociais em torno do açaí relacionadas à organização ## Santo Ezequiel Moreno Community: social innovations around açai berry related to the organization

A pesquisa aborda inovações sociais relacionadas ao agroextrativismo do açaí na comunidade ribeirinha Santo Ezequiel Moreno (SEM), município de Portel, arquipélago do Marajó, estado do Pará. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi identificar e analisar as principais inovações sociais relacionadas ao agroextrativismo do açaí e que apresentam influência direta da organização deste território. O método utilizado foi o de estudo de caso e a pesquisa realizada entre setembro de 2018 e julho de 2020, os dados foram coletados com a participação dos ribeirinhos seguindo etapas da pesquisa, sendo aplicadas análises qualitativas e quantitativas descritas em forma de sistematização. Foram identificadas duas inovações sociais na comunidade SEM conforme Bignetti (2011) e debates que consideram organização como objeto e processo social, que estão interligadas através de ajuda mútua dos comunitários facilitadas pela autogestão de todas elas, além disso, apresentam o Fundo Solidário Açaí (FSA) como inovação social base em função do processo de construção que despertou maior organização e cooperação entre os comunitários. O Manejaí é uma inovação social que revela resultados da organização comunitária presente na comunidade Santo Ezequiel Moreno que transpassam o território e aplicam com êxito a ideia de territorialidade. ABSTRACTThe research addresses social innovations related to açaí agroextractivism in the Santo Ezequiel Moreno (SEM) riverside community, Portel municipality, Marajó archipelago, state of Pará. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the main social innovations, resulting from the agroextractivism of açaí and which have a direct influence on the organization of this territory. The method used was the case study and the data were collected with the participation of riverside dwellers following stages of the research, applying qualitative and quantitative analyzes described in the form of systematization. Two social innovations were identified in the SEM community according to the outline proposed in the research, which are interconnected through the mutual help of the community facilitated by the self-management of all of them, in addition, they present the Fundo Solidário Açaí (FSA) as a social innovation based on the process construction that aroused greater organization and cooperation among community members. Manejaí is a social innovation that reveals results of the community organization present in the Santo Ezequiel Moreno community that cross the territory and successfully apply the idea of territoriality.

Social R&D in Four Portraits: An Exploratory Study of the Eerging Feld of Social Research and Development in Canada’s Nonprofit Sector

Since 2015, Canadian practitioners and funders have been adapting research and development (R&D) principles and practices to the context of social purpose organizations (SPOs) to increase the trans-sectoral capacity to generate social innovations. As a result, Social R&D is rapidly gaining popularity among a diversified array of organizations. This article distills the findings of a mix-methods exploratory study and offers a typology of four different Social R&D conceptualizations and practices. An analysis of the literature and of the empirical findings indicates a general lack of shared understanding about what Social R&D entails as a concept or a process. Further precision of meaning is needed to judge of Social R&D’s specific value or to responsibly support its implementation through policy.