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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social Innovation: Buzz Word Or Enduring Term?, Eduardo Pol, Simon Ville
Social Innovation: Buzz Word Or Enduring Term?, Eduardo Pol, Simon Ville
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
The term 'social innovation' has come into common parlance in recent years. Some analysts consider social innovation no more than a buzz word or passing fad that is too vague to be usefully applied to academic scholarship. Some social scientists, however, see significant value in the concept of social innovation because it identifies a critical type of innovation. In this paper, we suggest one possible definition of social innovation and show that when its empirical meaning is distilled, the term is of great importance. We distinguish social innovation from business innovation, and identify a subset of social innovations that requires …
Assessing And Building Innovation And Learning Capacity In Local Organizations, Samuel Garrett-Jones
Assessing And Building Innovation And Learning Capacity In Local Organizations, Samuel Garrett-Jones
Faculty of Commerce - Papers (Archive)
Conceptual models of regional innovation systems have prompted major government initiatives in Europe and North America to assess and to promote local innovation and learning capabilities. In Australia, by contrast, local governments and other local organizations concerned with economic and social development are faltering. Lacking is (1) a conceptual understanding of local knowledge and innovation networks; (2) data on local innovation actors and activities; and (3) clarity on the most effective ways for municipal and regional government to 'construct advantage' in a federal system. The paper reviews the 'macro' (e.g. innovation surveys) and 'micro' (e.g. case studies) approach to assessing …