Social Innovation is a story of extremes. As a concept, it is both heavily overused - and very loosely understood. As a driver for development, it attracts attention and holds strong promises, but its implementation is confusing. Where does the confusion come from? Can there be a commonly understood definition of social innovation. Hivos worked with Bruna Bastos, a researcher in development studies, to understand where the term came from, and what it means for Hivos.

1. Social Innovation
Literature Review Findings
December 2019

2. Outline
1. Intro
1. Why this research?
2. Method
2. Putting SI into context
1. Academic production
2. Evolution of theory
3. Defining Social Innovation
1. Two opposing schools of thought
2. Continuum or dichotomy?
4. Social Innovation and Hivos
1. Where do we stand on SI?
2. Critique

3. 1. Intro

4. 1.1 Why this research?
• To understand current academic debates on social innovation (SI);
• To position HIVOS within them;
• To increase conceptual sensitivity; and
• To encourage self-reflection.

5. 1.2 Method
• Topical, theoretical and policy categories
• Publications between 2008 and 2019
• Google Scholar and ISS Database
1. Keyword: ‘social innovation’
2. Top 20 most cited sources
3. Abstract reviews based on inclusion/exclusion criteria
→
4. Snowballing
Criteriafor Inclusion
• Topical, Theoretical and Policy: Literature
Reviewarticles, Journals, Chaptersin Books,
Grey Literature (availablein English)
To obtain a wide understanding of social innovation and
implications for practiceand policy
• All countries To allowfor a cross-cultural viewof social innovation*
Criteriafor Exclusion
• Pre-2008 documentson social innovation Since the field gained traction in academia especially
since2008 onwards.
• Conferencepapers,lecturenotes, workshop
notes, book reviews
Preference was given to high-quality peer-reviewed
research; most cited literature/authors and materials
produced by leading organizationsin thefield.
*although texts were written in English the inclusion of bibliometric sources was a way
to obtain a wider geographical overview of the debate.

6. 2. Putting SI into context

7. 2.1 Academic Production on SI
• Social innovation (SI) practice and research has spiked since the
mid-2000s.
• 3 out of 4 SI initiatives worldwide began after 2006, especially after
2011.
• Over 60% of the academic work in the Web of Science has been
published since 2015.

8. 2.1 Academic Production on SI
64%
20%
7%
9%
% of Academic Production By Region
Europe North America Eastern Asia Other

9. 2.1 Academic Production on SI

10. 2.2 Evolution of Theory
Restructuring of Social
Relations
1990
s
2000
s
2010
s
Time of Contestation Consensus

11. 3. Defining Social Innovation

12. 3.1 Two opposing schools of thought
based on liberal notions
of social value creation
based on structural
ideas of transformative
change
UTILITARIAN SOCIOLOGICAL
social change in an
aggregated fashion
TARGETED
concerned with shifting
power relations
STRUCTURAL

13. Definition (utilitarian)
Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA):
“Social innovations are innovations that are social in both their ends and their
means. Specifically, we define social innovations as new ideas (products,
services and models) that simultaneously meet social needs (more
effectively than alternatives) and create new social relationships or
collaborations. In other words they are innovations that are not only good for
society but also enhance society’s capacity to act.”

14. Definition (sociological)
Frank Moulaert:
“Social innovation is path-dependent and contextual. It refers to those changes in
agendas, agency and institutions that lead to a better inclusion of excluded
groups and individuals in various spheres of society at various spatial scales. Social
innovation is very strongly a matter of process innovation – i.e. changes in the
dynamics of social relations, including power relations. As social innovation is very
much about social inclusion, it is also about countering or overcoming
conservative forces that are eager to strengthen or preserve social exclusion
situations. Social innovation therefore explicitly refers to an ethical position of
social justice.”

15. 3.2 Continuum or dichotomy?
Sources: summary based on Ayob et. al (2016), Cajaiba-Santana (2013) and Montgomery (2016).
Schools of Thought
Utilitarian Sociological
Concept Social Innovation Civic Innovation/Social Innovation
Ideology Liberal Fragmented inheritance: heterodox; structuralist, progressive
Sits in Business Schools Sociology and political sciences
Characteristic Expert; depoliticized (minimize dissent) Community; politicized
Driven by Market logic Social Justice logic
Measure Social impact/social value creation Changing social relations
Associated to Design Thinking/ Co-creation / Game changers Civic-driven change approach; community engagement
Fields of
Practice
Entrepreneurship, Frugal Innovation, Bottom of the
Pyramid (BoP)
Social Movements/ Solidarity Economy
Agency &
Empowerment
Individual as a unit Collective unit

16. SI Policy in Europe
• SI entered the European policy scene in 2010 in the wake of the
financial and economic crisis.
• It was adopted as a normative concept aiming to meet social needs,
promote human capital, economic growth and create jobs =>
utilitarian, market-driven, framing concept.
• EU (Europe 2020 agenda) has financed research projects and
initiatives in the field -> Social entrepreneurship (SE) has figured as a
central practice, but importance has been overstated.

17. 4. Social Innovation and Hivos

18. 4.1 Where do we stand?
Structural
Targeted
Radical
Targeted
Complementary
Instrumental
Large international
scale social
movements:
Environmentalism,
trade unionism,
feminism.
National and local
scope:
alternative
currencies,
indigenous social
movements,
transition towns
Initiatives that aim
to improve the
production and
delivery of certain
goods and services:
micro-credit), social
entrepreneurship
Renaming of
initiatives without
innovation:
community
development,
corporate social
responsibility,
philanthropy
HIVOS

19. 4.2 Critiques
• “SI Washing”
o Dangerous to assume that all innovations are positive and lead to social
change.
o Over-enthusiastic discourses regarding the blurring of boundaries and the
ability to meet social needs at a wider scale.
• Myth of the hero entrepreneur

20. THANK YOU!
Bruna Bastos - brublb@gmail.com
Structural
Targeted
Radical
Targeted
Complementary
Instrumental
HIVOS