scholarly journals Tackling societal challenges together Co‐creation strategies and social innovation in EU policy and funded projects

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Meister Broekema ◽  
Lummina G. Horlings ◽  
Elles Bulder
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
Eu Policy ◽  
Societal Challenges

scholarly journals Social Innovation as a Prospect for the Forest Bioeconomy: Selected Examples from Europe

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludvig ◽  
Zivojinovic ◽  
Hujala
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Forest Sector ◽  
Forest Owners ◽  
Eu Policy ◽  
Urban Economic Development ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Rural And Urban

Very recently, social innovation has become a subject of investigation in forest research. Earlier on, social innovation turned into a term used in EU policy strategies for addressing social issues and the self-empowerment of local people, as well as for tackling economic, social, or environmental challenges. The question of how the forest bioeconomy might profit from social innovation remains. The article examined the forest bioeconomy from the perspective of social innovation features: How is social innovation reflected in the forest bioeconomy? The forest sector is identified as one principal supplier sectors in the updated European Bioeconomy Strategy. In the strategies’ general objectives of job creation and employment through the green economy, we detected some links to social innovation. In contrast, the EU Social Innovation Initiative includes social aspects via addressing collective action, integration of vulnerable social groups, and rural and urban economic development, without mentioning explicitly the forest sector. In order to make use of both EU policy documents, it is necessary to enquire on the overlaps. This research focused on the communalities in their policy goals as a reference framework for systematically identifying specific forest bioeconomy activities fitting into both realms. With example of these activities, we showed how the forest bioeconomy plays a unique role in addressing hitherto unmet needs with the development of new types of services. There is rich potential in the forest bioeconomy for private forest owners and producers with activities that range from social biomass plants to collectively organized charcoal (biochar) production in remote rural areas. Most of these are service innovations, while some combine services with product innovations. Our findings challenge positions that regard economic and social issues as strictly separated. As a result, they are identified as two combined complementary sources of income for Europe’s forest owners.

scholarly journals EMERGING PLACES OF SOCIAL INNOVATION (POSI): A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION IN CITIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70
Author(s):  
Nicholas Ardill ◽  
Fabiano Lemes de Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Production Of Space ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Process Theories ◽  
Social Empowerment

Social innovation is recurrently positioned as an important collaborative element in helping cities to transition and address human needs and societal challenges to enhance the health, wellbeing, and welfare of citizens. To address a call for more sector-specific research on the spatiality of social innovation, and also further understanding of the process dimension of social innovation, this article presents a conceptual framework of the process of social innovation. By combining social innovation insight from process theories and urban spaces discourse the article indicates that of social innovation in the co-production of space can be grouped into four major processes: 1) Identification of human needs or societal challenges to sustainable development; 2) Development of social relations in systems or structures; 3) Provision of opportunity for social empowerment; 4) Reflection of socio-spatial development practice. Applying this framework, the article examines how productive green infrastructure emerges in the urban landscape as a Place of Social Innovation (POSI).

Embedding Social Innovation: Shaping Societal Norms and Behaviors Throughout the Innovation Process

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 963-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrike Purtik ◽  
Daniel Arenas
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Change Processes ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Societal Norms ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Different Characteristics

New products and services that tackle grand societal challenges often require changes in societal norms, values, and expectations. This research investigates the question of how innovating actors shape these informal institutions throughout the innovation process by drawing on the literature on social innovation and institutional theory. In a comparison of four case studies, we observe that all innovating actors under study engage in a diverse set of practices to challenge and shape societal norms and expectations as well as user habits and routines throughout the innovation process. These activities can be clustered into unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral change processes, depending on the number of actors involved. Our findings highlight how different types of direct and indirect interactions between innovating actors and users along the innovation process shape the understanding of social innovation, and stress the central role of physical experiences and positive emotions among (future) users. Thereby, we provide for a more nuanced view of how companies that aim to bring technologies with different characteristics of innovativeness to the market shape the informal institutional environment throughout the different phases of the innovation process.

scholarly journals RTI Policy Note on Evaluating Social Innovations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Streicher ◽  
◽  
Angela Wroblewski ◽  
Klaus Schuch ◽  
Sybille Reidl
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evaluation Design ◽  
Technology And Innovation ◽  
Research Technology ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
And Diffusion

Expectations of research, technology and innovation (RTI) policy are shifting towards effectively addressing major societal challenges. Due to its potential to increase innovative dynamics, to develop new knowledge and create new solutions, social innovation is increasingly promoted. This raises questions about (potential) effects and impacts of social innovation. The assessment of impacts is a rather new topic in this field, respective research is still in its early stages. This paper proposes to focus on the change of social practices within RTI ecosystems when assessing social innovation. The ecosystem approach is not only a helpful concept to analyse the emergence and diffusion of social innovation in a specific context, it can also be used to support and guide policy design. Implication for evaluation design are discussed and analytical categories presented. A set of measurement dimensions is proposed that can be used in evaluation designs and for future research.

scholarly journals Social Innovation for Work Inclusion – Contributions of Swedish Third Sector Organizations

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Lindberg ◽  
Johan Hvenmark ◽  
Cecilia Nahnfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Working Life ◽  
Market Failures ◽  
Third Sector Organizations ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Holistic Approaches ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Labor Market Policies

The innovative contributions of third sector organizations (TSOs) to tackle work-related societal challenges are increasingly acknowledged in policy and research, but rarely in Nordic working life studies. The article helps fill this knowledge gap by an empirical mapping of efforts by Swedish TSOs to promote work inclusion among people considered disadvantaged in the regular labor market, due to age, disabilities, origin, etc. Previous studies of social innovation help distinguish their innovativeness in terms of alternative or complementary ways to perceive and promote work inclusion in regard to Swedish labor market policies. By combining various measures for providing and preparing work opportunities, addressing their participants through individualistic and holistic approaches, and managing work inclusion by varying organization, funding, and alliances, the mapped cases seem to innovatively compensate for government and market failures in the work inclusion domain to some extent, while also being limited by their own voluntary failures.

scholarly journals The Role of Agency in the Emergence and Development of Social Innovations in Rural Areas. Analysis of Two Cases of Social Farming in Italy and The Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4440
Author(s):  
Cristina Dalla Torre ◽  
Elisa Ravazzoli ◽  
Marijke Dijkshoorn-Dekker ◽  
Nico Polman ◽  
Mariana Melnykovych ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Social Farming ◽  
The Many

Social innovation is considered a relevant concept to tackle societal challenges and needs in rural areas and to promote smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. The characterising sector of rural areas is agriculture; therefore, the focus of this paper is on social innovation in the field of social farming. Among the many factors leading to the emergence and development of social innovation, agency has been considered relevant in the literature on transformability and transformative social innovation as it is the ability to turn contextual difficulties into opportunities for social innovation and for inclusive growth. This paper proposes an evaluation framework to assess the different dimensions of agency by triangulating quantitative with qualitative data and by using indicators. This paper adopts a case study approach, analysing two cases of social farming in Italy and the Netherlands. The results show that the social innovation idea and the resilience of the agency are among the most relevant dimensions for the emergence and development of social innovations. Finally, this paper discusses the three most relevant factors for agency to lead to social innovation: idea and embeddedness of the agency, transformability of the context through agency´s resilience, and agency as catalyst for empowerment.

scholarly journals Societal challenges and business leadership for social innovation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola M. Pless ◽  
Matthew Murphy ◽  
Thomas Maak ◽  
Atri Sengupta
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
Second Order ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Leader ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Stakeholder Perspective

Purpose Today’s pressing global societal challenges are urgent and require substantial solutions and innovations that tackle the roots of a problem. These challenges call for new forms of leadership, stakeholder engagement and innovation. This paper aims to examine whether, why and how business leaders engage in social innovation. The authors argue that leadership perspective and motivation are important drivers for developing substantial social innovations suited to resolving societal challenges at their roots. More specifically, the authors propose that intra-personal factors (degree of care and compassion), an inter-relational perspective of leadership (shareholder versus stakeholder) and the corresponding leadership motivation (personalized versus socialized) may unveil what quality of social innovation (first-order versus second-order solutions) is pursued by a business leader. Implications for future research and practice are provided. Design/methodology/approach The authors revisit the concept of social innovation and explore its connection with care and compassion. They suggest a series of propositions pertaining to the relationship between different configurations of leadership and different forms of social innovation. Findings Responsible business leaders with an integrative leader trait configuration (stakeholder perspective, socialized motivation, high degree of care and compassion) are more likely to foster substantial second-order social innovations for uprooting societal problems than business leader with an instrumental leader trait configuration (shareholder perspective, personalized motivation, low degree of care and compassion). An organization’s stakeholder culture plays a moderating role in the relation between leadership and social innovation. Social implications This paper reveals a path for conceptualizing leadership in social innovation from a stakeholder perspective. Future research should investigate the role of business leaders, their mindsets, styles and relational competencies in co-creation processes of social innovation empirically. If the development of substantial second-order social innovations requires leaders with a stakeholder perspective and socialized approach, then this has implications for leader selection and development. Originality/value This paper advocates for new kinds of leaders in facilitating and sustaining social innovations to tackle global societal challenges.

Modalities of governing the welfare mix

2019 ◽  
pp. 63-90
Author(s):  
Stijn Oosterlynck ◽  
Pieter Cools
Keyword(s):  
Social Action ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Innovation Research ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Welfare Mix ◽  
Micro Level

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.

Emerging Digital Social Innovation in Youth Work Practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 62-81
Author(s):  
Haslinda Abdullah ◽  
Hamizah Sahharon
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
Youth Work ◽  
Youth Workers ◽  
Rapid Progress ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
Alternative Solutions

Recently, the field of social innovation (SI) is making rapid progress and this development is being supported by unprecedented opportunities for digital technology. However, digital social innovation (DSI) should be seen as part of a youth work practice where alternative solutions can be found to improve the living conditions of communities and young people. DSI encourages young people to explore how innovative technology can be used to address societal challenges. To date, no studies have been conducted to support youth workers in the areas of digitalization and SI. This book chapter, therefore, explores the relevance of DSI to youth work practices. This chapter gives an overview of the meaning of SI, DSI, and a renewed focus on DSI and related concepts in youth work practice. It concludes with a framework for DSI in the field of youth work and the implications of indicators.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document