Determinant Factors of Social Innovation Capability in Nonprofit Organizations and Social Businesses

Abstract

The ability to create alternatives to social problems in a sustainable way can be understood as social innovation. Social innovation is a way of equalizing social problems, being considered an option for market, state and society failures. Thus, social innovation presents itself as a possible and necessary alternative for solving the problems related to Sustainable Development, especially education. This study seeks, from the perspective of the Innovation Capability, to identify the Capability for social innovation in Associations, Businesses Foundations and Social Businesses that work in the area of Education in the Southeast of Brazil. In this research, the Social Innovation Capability is composed of five factors, namely: Facilitating Leadership; Strategic Intention to Innovate Socially; Democratic Management; Co-creation of Social Innovation and Open Social Innovation. The research methodology is qualitative descriptive. For the data collection, an online questionnaire was sent to a selection of organizations belonging to all three types of organizations studied (Associations, Businesses Foundations and Social Businesses) that work in the area of Education in the Southeast of Brazil. As results, the responses of eight organizations, each with three respondents, were analyzed. The organizations were identified as being three Associations, two Businesses Foundations and three Social Businesses. The results were analyzed in light of the social innovation literature. The results indicate that in the Associations, Businesses Foundations and in Social Businesses, the determinants factors of the Capability for social innovation Democratic Management and Open Social Innovation are highlighted. Among the results it is worth noting that the Co-creation factor of Social Innovation is not representative for the organizations studied.