scholarly journals Technology Transfer for Social Entrepreneurship: Designing Problem-Oriented Innovation Ecosystems

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Francesco Gerli ◽  
Veronica Chiodo ◽  
Irene Bengo

Innovation systems are increasingly oriented towards the solution of societal and environmental problems. Social entrepreneurship can be regarded as a market-based actor, inherently aimed at finding solutions for these problems. The development of technologically advanced social entrepreneurship represents an outcome of problem-oriented innovation systems, requiring a closer link between social and technological innovation. Nonetheless, the literature has not yet explored a key element of these innovation systems: the technology transfer processes, which may enable social entrepreneurial organizations to act as innovation actors leveraging on technology. This paper investigates the relationship between the technology transfer processes targeting social entrepreneurship and different models of problem-oriented innovation ecosystems. The paper relies on a multiple-case-study design, including two problem-oriented innovation ecosystems in the Italian context, namely, MIND and Torino Social Impact, which are technology transfer projects designed to target social entrepreneurship. Drawing from content analysis of interviews, documents and direct observations, the results stress that the different objectives and contents of technology transfer, coupled with different perceptions of the idiosyncratic features of social entrepreneurship compared to commercial entrepreneurship, fit different ecosystem models in terms of the participating actors, governance and primary orientation to social or economic value generation.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Silva ◽  
Margarida Rodrigues ◽  
Mário Franco ◽  
Cidália Oliveira ◽  
Nuno Sousa

Purpose Using self-determination theory and individual social responsibility’s (ISRs) association with pure social entrepreneurship, this study aims to answer the following question: How and why have the different actors responded to the crisis caused by the pandemic? Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research (multiple case studies) was adopted, resorting to interviewees with seven economic and non-economic actors in the Portugal context. Findings The results obtained, using MAXQDA software, show that those carrying out actions of social responsibility have a high degree of self-determination and intrinsic motivation, and are true social entrepreneurs, which lets them improve the well-being of those around them. In addition, these individuals feel good about themselves by performing these actions, as they measure their performance by the social impact of their actions on society in general. Practical implications This study suggest there is a high awareness amongst people to exercise that responsibility in a voluntary way, through humanitarian initiatives and campaigns brought about especially by an unprecedented pandemic. In practice, people joining these initiatives motivate many others towards the causes, creating the will to continue in the future and satisfy unmet needs provoked by social crises. Originality/value This study is innovative because it is related to filling the gaps identified, mainly by carrying out an empirical study about ISR, rather than that of firms, where studies are more common.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 66-75
Author(s):  
Leidy Dayhana Guarin Manrique ◽  
Hugo Ernesto Martínez Ardila ◽  
Luis Eduardo Becerra Ardila

2021 ◽  
pp. 251512742110219
Author(s):  
Angela E. Addae ◽  
Cheryl Ellenwood

As boundaries between the business and social sectors dissolve, social entrepreneurship has emerged as a phenomenon that bridges two worlds previously divided. Now, social entrepreneurs embrace market-based tools to address society’s greatest challenges. Coinciding with the growth of the sector, students and researchers have sought to understand development, growth strategies, and the practical challenges related to social entrepreneurship. In turn, universities have bolstered social entrepreneurship education by creating academic offerings that emphasize business, social impact, and innovation. Still, social entrepreneurship education remains in its infancy. Courses are as varied as the field itself, and instructors routinely rely on their professional backgrounds and networks to develop curricula that explore the field’s multifaceted character. Thus, social entrepreneurship courses are diverse across disciplines, and the academic literature theorizing the phenomenon is similarly emergent. As social entrepreneurship courses combine theoretical insights with experiential learning in a myriad of ways, aligning theoretical insights with necessary core competencies presents a challenge. To address this dilemma, we highlight the importance of employing theory-driven concepts to develop core competencies in social entrepreneurship students. In doing so, we review key threshold concepts in the social entrepreneurship literature and suggest how instructors might link theoretical insights to practical skill sets.


Author(s):  
Irene Liliana Bahena-Álvarez ◽  
Eulogio Cordón-Pozo ◽  
Alejandro Delgado-Cruz

Responsible innovation combines philanthropic and economic aspects and it is common to refer to entrepreneurs who lead it as "social entrepreneurs". The present study of 100 Mexican SMEs, provides knowledge of exploratory nature about what the models of organization are conducive to SMEs in the generation and development of responsible innovations. Through the statistical technique of cluster analysis, this study identified and characterized four models of organization according to the level of social entrepreneurship reached: (1) “The techno-scientific organization”, (2) “The techno-social organization”, (3) “The capitalist-social organization” and (4) “The capitalist organization”. While in Europe the dominant discourse about responsible innovation focuses on the control of the risk of social rejection of the advance of science and technology; in contexts such as the Mexican, the phenomenon is configured as the mechanism through which entrepreneurs articulate its technological and scientific capabilities to solve priority and specific problems of the society, however, the social impact does not crucially affect their business initiatives. The techno-scientific organization (50% of studied SMEs) is proposed as the model of organization with greater viability for Mexican entrepreneurs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Febri Wijayanti ◽  
Savitri Dyah ◽  
Rachmini Saparita ◽  
Akmadi Abbas

Institutional is one factor that must be considered in the process of technology transfer. The Local Innovation System (in this case SIDa-Belu) was trying to look at those problems in agriculture to empowering poor farmers in the area. This paper analyzed transformation intitution, which occurs during and after the proccess of SIDa-Belu Implementation. The methods used in this research is descriptive analysis with structure, conduct, performance (SCP) approach. Institutional change is a transformation proccess that is part of development. Therefore, the main objective of any institutional change is to internalize the potential for greater productivity which comes from improved resource utilization, and creating a new balance simultaneously. On SIDa-Belu implementation, institutional change encourage the change for farming groups. Before SIDa-Belu they did subsistent farming, and after implementation they make a new adjustment by external factors (permanent feedback proccess) into modern farming groups with market oriented.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniya Elkina ◽  

Circular economy is becoming ever more widespread sustainable concept for promoting efficient resource usage; Amsterdam is one of the first cities to implement this approach to solve waste management problems. While the circular transition is mostly examined from a top-down perspective, the role of bottom-up initiatives is often left unstudied. This article determines the contribution of bottom-up initiatives to Amsterdam’s circular transition by assessing their environmental, economic, social impact together with their commitment to circularity. The study utilizes the survey method followed by a statistical analysis to investigate the influence of such initiatives on public awareness, involvement, and behavioral change. The content analysis of initiatives’ official documentation and news articles allows revealing the environmental and economic impact and analyzing initiatives’ commitment to circularity. The results communicate that bottom-up initiatives mostly create an economic value and positively affect citizens’ involvement. However, the environmental impact, the influence on public awareness and partly on behavioral change is insignificant due to their small local scale and inconsistency between the declared and actual priorities. Such initiatives might still serve as trendsetters thereby indirectly tackling waste problem and facilitating Amsterdam’s circular transition.


Author(s):  
Elena Anatolyevna Malysheva ◽  

The article presents an overview of social entrepreneurship in Russia. The main characteristics of a social enterprise are highlighted: innovation, financial stability, self-sufficiency, replication and social impact. Areas of project implementation by social entrepreneurs have been identified.


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