Fostering Innovation in Social Services – A Diaconal Intrapreneurship Lab

Abstract

The question of how to foster social innovation and how to create better, more effective and need-based social services is increasingly discussed in the nonprofit literature and in diaconial organizations. While most current empirical research the potential and effectiveness of social entrepreneurship, this article focusses on intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurship is defined as the use of entrepreneurial behavior and start-up practices within existing organizations. This article presents results from a one-year study based on a multi-method action research design of a cooperative lab to foster social intrapreneurship in a diaconal social service organization. The lab has increased entrepreneurial competencies of participating personnel and the participants’ self-identification as intrapreneurs, it has also contributed to the creation of new social servicemodels. The influence of the lab process on the diaconal organization in its entirety however, could not yet be demonstrated.