Definition
Social innovation is a process that results in a new and better solution (products, services, models, markets, processes) to meet social needs. It is specific for a particular territory or context and leads to new or improved capabilities, relationships between participants and end-users, or use of assets and resources.
Introduction
Social innovation is the application of new solutions to social problems in areas such as welfare, health, education, youth unemployment, adaptation of migrants, and territorial integration of regions. Social innovations allow nonprofits and other organizations to meet needs of society more effectively than existing options, respond to social challenges, offer new solutions to social problems, develop social interaction, and create alliances (Caulier-Grice et al. 2012). There are different types of social innovations. Most commonly the distinction is between product...
References
Anheier HK, Krlev G, Preuss S,Mildenberger G, Bekkers R,Mensink W, Bauer A,Knapp M,Wistow G, Hernandez A, Bayo A (2014) Social innovation as impact of the third sector. A deliverable of the project: “Impact of the third sector as social innovation” (ITSSOIN), European Commission – 7th Framework Programme, European Commission, DG Research, Brussels
Caulier-Grice J, Davies A, Patrick R, Norman W (2012) Defining social innovation. The theoretical, empirical and policy foundations for building social innovation in Europe (TEPSIE), European Commission – 7th Framework Programme, European Commission, DG Research, Brussels
Edwards-Schachter M, Wallace ML (2017) ‘Shaken, but not stirred’: sixty years of defining social innovation. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 119:64–79
Jaskyte K, Riobó MSRM (2004) Characteristics of innovative nonprofit organizations in Argentina. Volunt Int J Volunt Nonprofit Org 15(1):71–79
Jaskyte K, Dressler WW (2005) Organizational Culture and Innovation in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations. Administration in Social Work 29(2):23–41
Osborne S, Brown K (2005) Managing change and innovation in public service organizations. Routledge, London
Parsons E, Broadbridge A (2004) Managing change in nonprofit organizations: insights from the UK charity retail sector. Volunt Int J Volunt Nonprofit Org 15(3):227–242
Sørensen E, Torfing J (2015) Enhancing public innovation through collaboration, leadership and new public governance. In: New Frontiers in social innovation research. Palgrave Macmillan, London
Thom N (1990) Innovation Management in Small and Medium-Sized Firms. Manag Int Rev 30(2):181–192
Acknowledgment
Support from the Basic Research Program of the National Research University Higher School of Economics is gratefully acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Krasnopolskaya, I., Minnigaleeva, G. (2018). Social Innovation. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3012-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3012-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31816-5
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Economics and FinanceReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences