Social Innovation Research Articles

ESG, technological innovation and firm value: evidence from china

In alignment with China's “dual carbon” goals - peak carbon by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, this strategy underlines the necessity for economic transmutation and advancement to realize more sustainable economic growth. Concurrently, it draws attention to the imperative of the green development philosophy and the significance of climate change. In light of these policy directives, more rigorous standards of environmental conservation and social responsibility are imposed on publicly listed companies, particularly those in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. The objective of this paper is to explore the synergistic effect of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and technological innovation on firm value in this context. This research is grounded on panel data from A-share listed pharmaceutical manufacturing companies surveyed over a decade - 2012 to 2021, incorporating 98 firms as the research sample. The findings reveal that: (1) there is a considerable positive correlation between a company's ESG factors and its value. This suggests an escalating interest from investors and the market in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development capacity; (2) technological innovation serves as a conduit, playing a partially mediating role, through which corporate ESG performance not only directly influences firm value but also indirectly boosts it by fostering innovation. The robustness test further validates our findings, demonstrating the reliability of the research outcomes. Advanced research indicates that the synergistic effect of ESG factors and technological innovation on increasing firm value is conspicuously significant in non-state-owned enterprises and those grappling with lower financing constraints. This suggests the role of ESG and technological innovation in enhancing firm value is more pivotal in specific contexts.

FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL INNOVATION INITIATIVES FOR TRANSFORMATION

Through the launch of social innovation projects with the potential to bring about revolutionary change, this study explores the critical function of social entrepreneurship in promoting long-term societal progress. This study set out to do one main thing: shed light on how social innovation fits into entrepreneurial endeavours with a social mission in order to attain longterm social development. Quantitative research was carried out in India through an online survey to examine the proposed links. Organisations across India that are involved in social entrepreneurship and social enterprises were surveyed for this data. The link between social entrepreneurship and long-term social progress can be mediated by social innovation, according to the research. Social innovation in social entrepreneurship projects has a major impact on long-term social progress, according to the research. Government agencies, lawmakers, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, educators with an entrepreneurial spirit, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) can all benefit from these discoveries. Policymakers, practitioners, and academics can benefit from this research because it sheds light on the mediating elements and pathways that allow social entrepreneurship to promote transformative social change. This research is important for sustainable development efforts.

Social Innovation and Sustainable Development: An Approach in the Portuguese Municipal Context

With the aim of identifying the determinants and impacts of social innovation on local sustainable development, this article analyses a set of projects funded by the Portugal Social Innovation public initiative in 10 municipalities in the country where there was local authority investment. Using documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs and local authority investors, it concludes that the experience led to the promotion of new practices, new collaborative relationships and the empowerment of local social action networks. However, it is noted that sustainable development is not yet seen as an operative concept by the stakeholders involved.

The potential role of university community engagement in supporting transformative social innovation – experiences from Hungary

University community engagement (UCE) is the cooperation between academic actors and marginalized, resource-poor community stakeholders in ways that are mutually beneficial to both parties. The goal of such partnerships is to tackle social exclusion and injustice and to foster environmental sustainability. Such an approach shows remarkable similarities with social innovation (SI), which also denotes bottom-up processes, with CSO involvement aimed at responding to community needs. The present paper aims to analyse the relationship between these two concepts: the role UCE can play in transformative SI (TSI). We approach this topic by the empirical analysis of four initiatives in Hungary, in which universities or their specific units institutionalized UCE as a result of bottom-up processes. To reflect on these cases, we utilize the ‘TRANSIT model’ of SI, which is a relational framework developed to understand how SI processes contribute to transformative change. Our conclusion is that although the diverse practices of UCE contribute to emergence and diffusion of SI in multiple ways, a number of structural and contextual limitations can be identified with regard to UCE’s contributions to TSI. Despite the recognition of these limitations, promoting the expansion of UCE may still play a role in the fostering of TSI processes.

Social innovations for inclusive development in tourism – insights from Kemi, Finland

Social innovations for inclusive development in tourism – insights from Kemi, Finland

Capacity-building among older people: investigating processes of social innovation

Capacity-building in the field of older people’s care and support, followed by empowerment through social innovation, seeks to use older people’s own skills and abilities that have not previously been considered and aims to create jobs while improving the morale and quality of life of older people. The present study uses participatory action research to analyse a social innovation cycle of job creation for older people living in neighbourhoods in Tehran as a sustainable approach. Participatory action research was used to enable people to participate directly in the research process. The results show that using a capacity-building approach in supporting older people using social innovation leads to: (1) job creation; (2) increased social interactions and communication among older people; (3) fewer negative effects of ageing, including psychological and physical effects; and (4) more active participation in society. In addition, challenges and stimuli for capacity-building are identified.

Managing Social Impact Bonds: Intermediary Work and Designing Institutional Infrastructure

Collaborations addressing grand challenges seek social impact; whether such social innovations will endure beyond initial enthusiasm is a major issue. Over the last decade, Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) emerged to diffuse globally as a new form of cross sector collaboration to finance solutions for social problems. Crucially, SIBs rely on intermediary organizations to coordinate and govern relations across diverse actors with competing and conflicting interests and values. How an intermediary goes about this work has significant effects on whether the collaboration achieves the desired social impact and whether it endures. In this article, we examine the intermediary work that enables such a cross-sector collaboration by analyzing two of the first completed SIBs in Continental Europe. Our findings identify three main types of interweaving intermediary work of aligning, stitching, and knotting, that are supported by three distinct forms of institutional infrastructure (ideational, operational, and relational respectively) providing a significant contribution to the analysis of cross-sector collaboration by connecting intermediary work to institutional infrastructure.

The Smart Socially Innovative City Advancing in Italy

Cities of tomorrow are planning a smart city framework in order to drive urban growth and social innovation. The aim of the study is to elucidate that cities aim at dealing with urban innovation issues, designing a smart city view in order to shape the city an urban community as an engine of collaborative and innovative spaces. The study relies on the analysis of one case study. The city of Firenze is rethinking on the urban future, adopting a smart city framework that supports a collaborative view for social innovation, enabling smartness as a capability to develop social issues and contribute to urban value. The findings elucidate that a smart city framework enables the city to evolve as urban community and engine of social innovation, shaping urban collaborative meeting places for innovation.

A Change in Event Tourism: Developing Business Model for Sulayau Fabric as Community-Based Tourism Event Attraction

This study explores the best model for community-based tourism events (CBTE) model with the inclusion of social innovation as part of the process. Producing Sulayau fabric is seen as a factor that contributes to the development of social innovation activities among the community in Sabah. Two workshops were conducted to empower communities to understand the use of the new social innovation tool known as Memating and gave support to those communities to improve the quality of their participation in tourism. Semi-structured interviews and observation were used as data collection techniques. The results revealed two interesting findings the need for using the social innovation tool of Memating in increasing efficiency among craft traders and the need for marketing strategies in creating visibility of Sulayau fabric in Sabah. Future studies are required for an empirical discussion in understanding how the role of social innovation shapes community-based tourism events.

Integrating CSR and Business Strategy into Social Innovation: Insights from Taiwan’s Cultural and Creative Industries

ABSTRACT Design/methodology/approach This study’s contributions lie in the use of multiple methods and data collected from developing industries from cultural and creative industries in Taiwan. Purpose This study aims not only to emphasize the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for businesses but also to examine how CSR activities affect communities while ensuring that the firm meets its necessary social performance standards. Findings The results show the multiple mediation mechanism of business strategy, multiple moderation effects of marketing orientation in the initial stage, and the role of social entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the final stage of improving the social innovation. Practical implications This study considers how CSR could affect the results of business strategy, whereby cultural and creative firms should embrace social responsibility behavior altruistically rather than merely seeking economic benefits but focus on social innovation to improve their own competitive advantage. Originality/value This study argues that the relationship among CSR, business competitive strategy and firm innovation performance is more complex than previous business management studies have revealed.

SOCIAL INNOVATION EMERGENCE IN A CONGOLESE URBAN TERRITORY WITH A PEASANT LIFESTYLETO A SMART CITY

The study deals with the local governance of an African city with a peasant lifestyle, likely to transition towards a smart, truly urban city. To resolve the problem of managing the still latent emergence of social innovation in southern countries, the study hypothesizes that these urban agglomerations will only be able to see their development come through social innovations, in the extent that the knowledge of the populations concerned is at the service of public power through participatory democracy. The study proposes the revision of the place reserved for the resident in the management of the city and a model of participatory democracy in a co-creation approach.

Blending Human-Centred Design and Community-Based Participatory Action Research Approaches: Designing Community Sport and Recreation Provisions for Equity-Owed Communities

Addressing the social and economic disparities equity-owed low-income residents experience that prevent participation in community sport and recreation is complex. Community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) has been utilized to facilitate the participation of equity-owed communities in sport and recreation initiatives. However, in this paper, we discuss how CBPAR and human-centred design (HCD) help engage communities in discourse and action to support innovative social change in the context of sport and recreation for equity-owed low-income communities. This paper compares processes, core principles, and outcomes of CBPAR and HCD. It highlights how they can collectively drive discourse and action to foster innovative social change in sport and recreation for equity-owed communities. The proposed integration, called CBPAR+HCD, is suggested to initiate solutions that address the multifaceted challenges through a social justice lens, placing community-driven social innovation at the forefront. This paper highlights the benefits of combining CBPAR+HCD and acknowledges the inherent challenges in implementing this dual approach. Furthermore, it offers recommendations to support the combined approach, emphasizing the importance of this integrated methodology in promoting social change and addressing inequities within community sport and recreation initiatives.

Positive Energy Districts: Fundamentals, Assessment Methodologies, Modeling and Research Gaps

The definition, characterization and implementation of Positive Energy Districts is crucial in the path towards urban decarbonization and energy transition. However, several issues still must be addressed: the need for a clear and comprehensive definition, and the settlement of a consistent design approach for Positive Energy Districts. As emerged throughout the workshop held during the fourth edition of Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions Conference (SSPCR 2022) in Bolzano (Italy), further critical points are also linked to the planning, modeling and assessment steps, besides sustainability aspects and stakeholders’ involvement. The “World Café” methodology adopted during the workshop allowed for simple—but also effective and flexible—group discussions focused on the detection of key PED characteristics, such as morphologic, socio-economic, demographic, technological, quality-of-life and feasibility factors. Four main work groups were defined in order to allow them to share, compare and discuss around five main PED-related topics: energy efficiency, energy flexibility, e-mobility, soft mobility, and low-carbon generation. Indeed, to properly deal with PED challenges and crucial aspects, it is necessary to combine and balance these technologies with enabler factors like financing instruments, social innovation and involvement, innovative governance and far-sighted policies. This paper proposes, in a structured form, the main outcomes of the co-creation approach developed during the workshop. The importance of implementing a holistic approach was highlighted: it requires a systematic and consistent integration of economic, environmental and social aspects directly connected to an interdisciplinary cross-sectorial collaboration between researchers, policymakers, industries, municipalities, and citizens. Furthermore, it was reaffirmed that, to make informed and reasoned decisions throughout an effective PED design and planning process, social, ecological, and cultural factors (besides merely technical aspects) play a crucial role. Thanks to the valuable insights and recommendations gathered from the workshop participants, a conscious awareness of key issues in PED design and implementation emerged, and the fundamental role of stakeholders in the PED development path was confirmed.

Spatial-temporal evolution of digital skills in the EU countries

Digital skills, integral to the functioning of the digital economy and information society, show temporal and spatial variations measured by various indicators. In this article, we assess the spatial and temporal evolution of digital skills under the influence of key factors and domains in the EU countries from 2015 to 2021. Applying spatial autocorrelation analysis, robust geographical heterogeneity and consistent spatial patterns in digital skills are outlined, resulting in two ‘high–high’ and ‘high–low’ clusters in the North and Center, and a ‘low–low’ cluster in the South. Using feature importance selection, key indicators within aggregate domains driving digital skills policy are identified. Spatial lag regression analysis highlights the significance of all domains, revealing spatial and spillover effects on digital skills, with the primary influence observed in the social sphere, technology and innovations, and demography domains. Although the ICT infrastructure domain is statistically more significant in our spatial model along with the economy and technology and innovations, its spillover effects appear relatively modest, indicating a corresponding degree of within-country localization. This study contributes to the understanding of the evolution of digital skills by revealing both spatial relationships and temporal dynamics and strengthening spatial digital policy measures in the EU. The spatial coherence of digital policies, the spatial network of technological and innovation centers in both ‘high–low’ clusters and cross-border locations, and improving the social, demographic, and economic profiles of citizens are critical among other measures to improve digital skills in EU countries.

Service Design for Social Innovation: A New Path for the Development of Government Public Services Based on the TB4D Model

Public service is related to everyone’s life and future and directly feeds back on the development of society and the country. How to better shape and develop it is a critical issue for both individuals and groups. As the primary provider, the government plays a vital role in its creation, development, and transformation. In recent years, with the rapid development of human society, this field has been placed in the midst of new challenges. These are the difficulties that government departments urgently need to solve, and the traditional solutions have shown apparent inadequacies. Service design, as a powerful responder, is gradually emerging and playing an important role, influencing a series of dimensions from service innovation to social policies. The application of service design in government public services holds significant social value. However, related research remains in its infancy, needing a systematic theoretical framework. This paper focuses on government public service design and carries out systematic design research on it in order to realize the corresponding social and academic value. This paper established a theoretical framework for government public service design centered on the TB4D model, based on an in-depth study of the relevant literature, nearly 30 representative industry case studies, and three practical projects conducted by the author. The model integrates the TSLC operational mechanism model, the Behavior-Organization-Policy operational content model, the “3 + 1” development mode, and the method reference guide for government public service design based on the Double Diamond design process model. The letters and numbers in the model’s name sequentially represent these four components. Specifically, the TSLC operational mechanism model derives its name from the initials of four parts: trans-dimensional cognitive and thinking mode, systems thinking, learning interactive innovation process, and cultural regeneration and value shaping. The “3 + 1” development model denotes three forms of development centered on internal design capability and the form of joint development focused on external design capabilities. The TB4D model combines both theory and practice, yet to better illustrate its overall performance, this paper reverted to the practical domain. It quantitatively evaluated 20 complete projects, calculating the mean value and 95% confidence intervals to verify the model. The results demonstrate that the model is valid and possesses high industry representativeness, effectiveness, and universality. The organic operation of the model will provide systematic, innovative solutions to address the problems and challenges faced in the public service field, promoting the sustainable development of society. Since research in this area is still at an early stage, the theoretical model proposed here emphasizes its intrinsic principles and universal logic. It aims to provide foundational theoretical support for the development of this field and systematic guidance for relevant practices. As the industry evolves, the model’s content can be further refined and enriched to better reflect contemporary characteristics. Additionally, because this model serves as a foundational framework for the entire field, it can be further expanded to develop sub-models with local characteristics when applied to different regions.

Native seed collector networks in Brazil: Sowing social innovations for transformative change

Abstract To investigate whether and how Social Innovation (SI) can contribute to transformative change, we explored nine Native Seed Collectors Networks (NSCNs) in Brazil. Employing Social Network Analysis, we delved into the organisational structure of four NSCNs. Additionally, we identified five instances of social innovations (SIs) using the guiding questions of the Social Innovation—Forest and Landscape Restoration (SI‐FLR) framework. These networks, which received a total of US$ 12 million in investments from 2018 to 2021, have not only contributed to the production of 180 tonnes of native seeds but also had a significant socioeconomic impact. They have generated a total income of US$ 1.01 million for 997 seed collectors, 46% of whom are from traditional communities and marginalised groups. Furthermore, 55% of these collectors are women, and 23% rely solely on seed collection as their only source of income. While the NSCNs represent a fledgling economy, they have effectively activated local agency capacity. With the support of the NSCNs' social capital, a favourable context and clear motivations, this agency capacity can trigger SIs. By generating positive impacts, these SIs are changing values and empowering local agents (scaling deep), inspiring agents in other geographies (scaling out) and even influencing policies favourable to socially inclusive landscape restoration (scaling up). This three‐dimensional scaling underscores the catalysing power of SI in NSCNs and their potential contribution to transformative change. We also emphasise the role of public bodies in promoting enabling conditions, the vital role of local experimentation and the rarely evidenced local agency capacity to leverage SIs in FLR. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Penerapan Strategi Digital Marketing pada UMKM Roti Bakar Family Cabang Puseur Jaya Karawang

The increasing development of MSMEs in Karawang Regency is a challenge in business competition. Roti Bakar Family, founded in 2016, was faced with the need to formulate an effective marketing strategy. This research uses quantitative descriptive methods with a focus on the implementation of digital marketing in the UMKM Roti Bakar Family Branch in Puseur Jaya Village, Karawang, using questionnaires, interviews and observations. This research uses SWOT analysis with primary and secondary data to identify business strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The analysis results show that Roti Bakar Family is in Quadrant I, supporting an aggressive strategy with environmental opportunities and external forces. Companies can leverage social media, online promotions, and technological innovations to increase customer visibility and engagement. Therefore, an effective digital marketing strategy will be the key to strengthening Roti Bakar Family's position in the competitive Karawang Regency MSME market.

Integrating social policy dimensions into entrepreneurship education: a perspective from India

Social innovation and social enterprise are often supposed as methodological solutions to address multifaceted socio-economic problems, due to the sharing of ideas and their involvement of stakeholders from different sectors. This cooperative treatise (Ziegler in Innov Eur J Soc Sci Res 30:388–405, 2017) is striking to legislators across the political gamut. This research is therefore positioned within the broader literature on social innovation and its policy relevance; even though social innovation is not a novel thought, the application of social innovation as a policy idea and its part in relation to the restructuring of the prevailing welfare establishment has gained momentum in recent years. Hence, in their paper the authors will examine how social enterprise as a concept can act as a positive catalyst for influencing policy (i.e. public and social) in the developing world. To meet the overall aim of this paper, the authors employed a case study of India and applied a three-step approach, namely: (1) a literature review process that explored a variety of policy methods that can influence on the accomplishment and measurement of social enterprises; (2) a policy survey, which entailed desk-based searches of national and state-level policies, followed by stakeholder consultation queries to complement online results; and (3) qualitative interviews with stakeholders from government agencies and departments at national and state levels, including the Ministry of Finance, representatives of private industry, chambers of commerce, social investors, social enterprise networks, and advocacy leads. The research findings that are presented in this paper were funded by Delhi School of Public Policy and Governance, Institute of Eminence at the University of Delhi.

Cultivating Change: Empowering Communities Among Elderly Through Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Smart Urban Farming

Malaysia is gradually experiencing a demographic shift, evolving into an aging society. The problem arises concerning the economic sustainability of urban farming ventures undertaken by elderly individuals. Limited attention has been given to incorporating social science perspectives to understand its broader social and cultural implications, especially for the intergenerational aspects of urban farming, specifically among the elderly. This research investigates the adoption of smart urban farming (SUF) to enhance senior citizens' social and economic well-being (SEW). The study involved 130 elderly participants from Klang Valley, Malaysia. Data was collected through surveys and subsequently analyzed using the SPSS statistics tool. The study reveals that while Social Entrepreneurship alone may not be enough to encourage elderly adoption of SUF when combined with social innovation, it significantly increases adoption. The study also indicated that the adoption of SUF enhances the elderly SEW. This study represents a valuable addition to the existing body of literature on the adoption of SUF, particularly in its impact on the social and economic aspects of elderly individuals' lives. This study further advances the current understanding of SUF adoption, utilizing established theories such as the Resource-Based View Theory (RBT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to reinforce its conclusions. The findings offer practical insights for governments and local authorities in developing policies to promote and facilitate SUF. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2024-05-03-012 Full Text: PDF

Preface

Geographies of Sustainability: Environmental Change, Adaptation and Development The current volume is a part of the annual series of conference on Viet Nam’s Seas and Islands organised by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City. The conference “ Geographical Science: New approaches, perspectives and directions in territorial planning and organization” with the English section “Geographies of sustainability: environmental change, adaptation and development” held on December 29th 2023, focuses on the history of maritime exploitation, assessing the potential for economic development, and environmental protection towards sustainable development. A total of 38 papers in English were received from various research institutions across the country. Among those papers, 25 papers were selected and transferred to the publication process and 13 papers were published. Climate change, various human pressures, and associated environmental issues pose numerous challenges for low-income countries in combining the needs of society, the economy, and nature protection. With growing population density and pressure on the environment, these challenges are equally visible in fast-expanding and transforming urban areas and in less affluent rural regions, where conflicts between humans and nature are often most pronounced. Sustainable development, particularly sustainable tourism development is globally recognized as both a feasible and optimal adaptation strategy. However, low-income countries may lack the necessary scientific background to design and implement management and social innovations needed for the rapid, ongoing transformation and adaptation to the changing environment. This volume presents 15 scientific papers from Vietnam that delve into the various issues of sustainability, exploring them in a range of geographical, environmental, economic and social contexts. Thus, several contributions in this volume deal with sustainable tourism and its development, analysing different aspects from perceptions and awareness to governance and management mechanisms. List of Editorial Board and Organiser are available in this Pdf.