The world’s social, ecological and economic
problems are so complex and diverse that there
will never be a “one-size-fits-all” model for
social innovation. The very nature of social
innovation as a new, better way of solving
social problems means that it is not even in the
interest of social innovation advocates to create
tidy definitions, but rather to create environments
that allow for the process of creative
destruction with a social purpose to prosper.
Inspired by a desire to deepen our understanding of the role of social innovation in
addressing today’s most pressing challenges,
authors Heloise Buckland and David Murillo
explore four inspiring cases and define a new
set of variables to help better understand the
conditions under which social innovation can be most effective. These variables can be
helpful for investors, governments, academic centres, foundations and individual entrepreneurs
interested in measuring the potential of
any given social innovation to bring about the
much-needed systemic change to solve today’s complex challenges.
This book builds on a track record of
research and education in corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship at
ESADE Business School’s Institute of Social
Innovation.
Building on an understanding of the key characteristics and challenges faced by social
entrepreneurs, here authors undertake a deeper analysis of social innovation.