6. social innovation

Innovation At Work - Social InnovationTUTOR’S NAME HERE

Innovation At Work: Social Innovation

Learning ObjectivesUnit 1: WHY social innovation?Unit 2: WHAT is social innovation?Unit 3: How to achieve social innovation?

U. 1WHY social innovation?

A response to personal challenges and/or group ambitions inspired by social problems…

• Recognising and defining SOCIAL PROBLEMS

U. 1WHY social innovation?

Recognising and defining social problems

• Change can create new or exacerbate existing social problems

Drivers of Societal Change

• Economico New sources of competitiono Altered supply and demand

relationships (eg: China demanding more high protein foods; glut of oil and/or steel in world markets)

o Loss of investor confidenceo Devaluation of assets (eg: property;

certain company shares)

• Technological advancement o Exponential accelerationo Computers have become indispensableo Convenience and access to informationo Negatives?Loss of privacyBlurring of traditional lines between work

and homeDevaluing of intellectual property rights

Drivers of Societal Change

• Cultural - eg secularism; religious fundamentalism

Drivers of Societal Change

• Cultural change is both a cause and effect of societal change. It is affected by economic and technological change. Think about some examples you know off that reflect this.

Cultural patterns - - - Values‚powered by‘ frames of reference

[„shifting baselines“] *)

Perceptions

Information

Opinions, attitudes

Behaviour, social action & potential of change

*) Sáenz-Arroyo et al. 2005: Rapidly Shifting Environmental Baselines Among Fishers in the Gulf of California

Knowledge,awareness

„environs“: media, societal institutions, networks, peer groups ....

CULTURAL LEARNING CYCLE“

Roles

Activated values

Norms

Relations

New

pra

ctice

s = so

cial

inno

vatio

ns

• Population – growth; migration• Environmental pressures• Media/arts - Diffusion from other

cultures• Single dramatic events – i.e.

wars• Others?

Other Drivers of Societal Change

• From looking at the other drivers of societal change reflect on each in turn to highlight how those effects result from the complex interactions between people and between people and their milieu.

Societal Change can create problemsEmergence of new or exacerbation of old divides:o Altered economic relationshipso Gap between winners and loserso Economic decline generates adversitieso Digital divideo New sources of labour displace old sourceso New ways of thinking can displace adherents of

old ways

• Remember that societal change which is the product of economic change, technological change and so on can create problems which can be characterised overall as the emergence of new or the exacerbation of old divides – divisions lie at the heart of social problems. Reflect on some examples in today’s Europe.

U. 2 WHAT is social innovation?

The role of INNOVATION in solving

Societal Problems

The Role Of Innovation In Solving Societal Problems

• Desire to make things better than they are - improve

• In order to improve one has to innovate• The ‘innovation’ begins with how one thinks

about a problem• Too often people focus exclusively on the lack

of resources rather than looking at their problem(s) in new ways

• The pathway to social innovation begins with the desire to make things better. In order to improve things there has to be innovation. Innovation begins with consideration of how a problem is framed. Too often people fixate on finance and if its absence is the reason for the problem can feel stuck. Whereas social innovation is innovative because it looks at the nature of the problem and its potential solution in different, new ways.

Some theoretical considerations

• Innovation = Invention + Execution

• Effective Innovation = Validity + Reliability

A comprehensive paradigm of innovation

In general, innovations have primarily either economic or social objectives, They may be technology-based or not; In the social sphere they may require formal regulation or not. Innovations, addressing primarily economic objectives1), include products processes organisational measures marketing

Innovations, addressing primarily social objectives2) , include roles (of individuals, CSOs, corporate business, and public institutions) relations (in professional and private environments, networks, collectives) norms (on different levels, legal requirements) values (customs, manners, mores, ethics) – ‚powered by‘ frames of reference

1) „Oslo Manual“, OECD/EUROSTAT 2005, re. Schumpeter 1912 2) My extension, 2011

• All innovations have objectives. Defining these can be very useful: Are they economic or social or a mix of the two? To give this paradigm full attention, think about it and apply it to a specific circumstance.

All innovations are relevant across all functional systems of a society*

* Functional systems according to Parsons, 1976: Zur Theorie der Sozialsysteme. Opladen: Westdt. Verlag

Eight types of innovation ...o Productso Processeso Marketingo Organisationo Roleso Relationso Normso Values

... across four functional systems:o Economyo Cultureo Politicso Law

Social innovations are new practices for resolving societal challenges, which are adopted and utilized

by the individuals, social groups and organizations concerned.

*) Zentrum für Soziale Innovation, 2012:„All innovations are socially relevant“ ZSI-Discussion Paper 13, p. 2,

... with reference to Schumpeter: They are

»New combinations of social practices«

U. 3HOW to achieve social innovation?

• From the theoretical to the practical

How Social Innovation Can Solve Societal Problems and improve lives

Where need is not being addressed because:o It is not profitable for the private sectoro the public sector has insufficient resources or

political consensus to intervene

• Paradigm shift - looking at existing resources and organising them in a new way

• Increased financial investment may not solve the problem

• Social innovation looks at resources in new ways and that more financing may not directly solve the problem. Also consider the following:

• Problems can be manifested as challenges for individuals who often feel isolated

• Solutions to problems often take the form of collective action.

• What tends to be missing when problems are not addressed is communication between those affected and organisation of their insight, energy and commitment.

• Innovative solutions usually follow from the establishment of a ‘rallying point’, i.e. a place, a network or, a online platform where people concerned can come together.

• The next step is then usually to initiate a movement for change.

Examples of Innovative solutions to Societal Problems• Credit Unions• Gramine Bank (India) – micro-finance • Co-ops• Local Enterprise Agencies (NGOs in N. Ireland)• Many charitable campaigns• ‘Co-production’ – various movements• ‘Time-banking’• Community Councils• The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland

The „4-i process“:– Idea >> What‘s the issue, what could be the solution?– Intervention >> Conceptualisation, find methods and allies– Implementation >> Overcoming resistance, stakeholders, life cycle!– Impact >> Not necessarily ‚good‘, nor for the whole of

society

Idea Intervention Implementation Impact

The Making Of Social Innovation

Three perspectives to analyse objectives and impact: the „social demand“ perspective, the „societal challenges“ perspective, and the „systemic change“ perspective.

Agnès Hubert et al. (BEPA – Bureau of European Policy Advisors) „Empowering people – driving change. Social Innovation in the European Union.“http://ec.europa.eu/bepa/pdf/publications_pdf/social_innovation.pdf

How to achieve lasting positive change?

Ministerial Approval

PUBLIC POLICY CHANGE

IMPLEMENTATION

A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE AND NGO’S ACTIVELY INVOLVED FIELDWORK

POLICY CHANGES

APPROACH ADOPTED BY OUTSIDE GROUPS

A BIG NEW IDEA

Design Thinking is….

• Design thinking:• The origin of ‘design thinking’ is in the professions allied to the

build environment• It is a way of problem-solving which focuses on:

– What people need and want– What people like or dislike (packaging, marketing, etc.)

• Design thinking allows a designer to align what people want with what can be done, to produce a viable business strategy which both creates customer value and market opportunity

• In design thinking when there is major disagreement it is parked to be revisited when more has been understood by all parties. Disagreements are seen as just more issues to be solved. Other challenges are faced up to and taken on before going back to what had caused disagreement.

Emotional intelligence..…Multi-Disciplinary Influences…. ……Ideation…. Prototyping… ….Consider all alternatives.

Design Thinking

No more “so what?”………

“These crazy guys will never deliver a product”

“Give me the budget and I will deliver whatever you want”

“We have to concentrate on what we are good at”

“The new ideas are interesting but we don’t have the time or necessity”

Emotional intelligence……intuition…..positivity

“If we don’t change now it will be too late”

“We have to stop living in the past regardless of the success we had”

“New things are possible, we only have to have the will to want them”

“There are better ways to do it”

Left Brain Scepticism: Right Brain Positivity:

Design Thinking

• Remember design thinking is about taking a positive approach – about making a determination that somehow a problem will be solved…

Turning knowledge into action

Concepts Competencies Capacities Levers

Data

Information

Knowledge

Wisdom

Abstraction

Pattern recognition

Linear thinking

Lateral thinking

Documentation, order and analysis

Attributions, contradictions

Intelligence,empathy potential

Creativity,consensus

Facts & figures

Foresight,scenarios

Strategies, conventions

Collaborative actionand new practices

Resources of social innovations driving socio-cultural changes

Cogn

itio

n

Design Thinking

• How quickly can I configure the solution to suit my needs?

• Is the solution easy to maintain?• Is it consistent with my current system landscape?• Can the solution be easily supported?

• Does the solution show empathy for end-users?

• Is this the simplest solution that gets the job done?

• Is it elegant?• Is it useful?

• Can we afford it?• Does it make me more profitable?

• Do we have the skills?

• What is my ROI?

feasibilitytechnical needs

desirabilityhuman needs

viabilitybusiness needs

Results of the Research, Artifacts, Pictures

Needs & MotivationsUser profilesUse cases

RoughPrototypes Feedback from users & stakeholdersRe

sults

Low-fidelityPrototypesFeedback from users & stakeholders

Project PlanResources

High-Fidelity prototypes and/or design specifications

Observe Synthesis

Design

Assess &Refine

Prototype ImplementUnderstand

Develop iterative Prototypes and test with Users

Interview &ObserveEnd Users in their work place

Identify Needs,Motivations & Ideas for Solutions

Deliver a prototype to Solution Development W

hat

Scope Project & define objectives and outcomes

Work with Development to build the final design

The prototype must communicate design intent to both internal and external constituencies

Design

Prototype

Rapid End User Feedbac

k sales

deve

lopmen

t

marketi

ng services

customers

partn

ers

custom

er’s

custom

ers

end users

Multiple iterations continue the dialog between the

design team and the end-users

Packaging the design for sharing

• The prototyping phase is essential to increase the potential for success of the proposed social innovation.

• Consider the following points:

• Prototypes are effective for communicating intent & for securing feedback.

• Prototypes should evoke an emotional response. However they have also to be technically relevant.

• Prototypes must both communicate a vision and present a realisable model.

Sketches Mock-ups Wire Frames HTML Flash Functional Code

•WHO? ..... YOU!

• So long as people who are unhappy with a situation confine their analysis to a disembodied ‘they’ who are seen to be the cause of the circumstance they want to see changed and the only ones who can change it, then the less likely there is to be the sort of change that is wanted. Social innovation happens when people decide that the ‘who’ in a situation is they themselves, that only they can try to ensure that the type of change they want will happen.

• When ‘you’ decide to take on the challenge, to take responsibility for intervening to improve the circumstances of those you care about, the prospect of change becomes real. If it doesn’t happen you can critique your actions to try to understand why it didn’t. It is that preparedness to act, to try, which is the foundation of all entrepreneurial success and societal advancement.

• Exercise: Devise An Action For A Specific Social Innovation Proposal