Book

Innovation contested: The idea of innovation over the centuries

Authors:

Abstract

Innovation is everywhere. In the world of goods (technology), but also in the world of words: innovation is discussed in the scientific and technical literature, but also in the social sciences and humanities. Innovation is also a central idea in the popular imaginary, in the media and in public policy. Innovation has become the emblem of the modern society and a panacea for resolving many problems. Today, innovation is spontaneously understood as technological innovation because of its contribution to economic "progress". Yet for 2,500 years, innovation had nothing to do with economics in a positive sense. Innovation was pejorative and political. It was a contested idea in philosophy, religion, politics and social affairs. Innovation only got de-contested in the last century. This occurred gradually beginning after the French revolution. Innovation shifted from a vice to a virtue. Innovation became an instrument for achieving political and social goals. In this book, Benoît Godin lucidly examines the representations and meaning(s) of innovation over time, its diverse uses, and the contexts in which the concept emerged and changed. This history is organized around three periods or episteme: the prohibition episteme, the instrument episteme, and the value episteme.
... Así, la dirección parece tener un enfoque mucho más vinculado con el rol de una incubadora de empresas que con la promoción de transformaciones en la estatalidad municipal, lo que resulta cuanto menos llamativo si se considera que es una dirección inserta en un organigrama que planifica la transformación del gobierno local. En este punto, el sentido que se le asigna a la innovación se encuentra más asociado al de ser una especie de "motor" del capitalismo contemporáneo, que impulsa el progreso y el desarrollo económicos (Echeverry-Mejía, 2020), así como también la solución a numerosos problemas de este orden, como una "panacea" para todos los problemas socioeconómicos (Godin, 2015). Adicionalmente, se advierte la persistencia de un sentido ligado al proceso de mercado, de una continuidad en la comprensión de la innovación como "un producto o proceso de índole comercial" (Echeverry-Mejía, 2020, p. 113). ...
... En segundo lugar, destaca la preeminencia de definiciones conceptuales fuertemente influidas por categorías propuestas por los organismos multilaterales de crédito. 25 En este marco, y en tercer lugar, emerge una connotación positiva de la innovación, como ha marcado una parte de la literatura (Godin, 2015;Isaza Espinosa, 2020b), de lo que se deriva que muchas veces sea considerada una "panacea" (Vento, 2022) por parte de muchos académicos y administrativistas, como también de que se utilice para presentar y justificar algunas prácticas que, bajo otro rótulo, quizás no gozarían de tanta aceptación. Y, en tándem, cumplen una función de legitimación tanto para prácticas novedosas (como los laboratorios de innovación y las plataformas de participación) como no tanto (por ejemplo, los procesos de digitalización de trámites, propios de la perspectiva del gobierno electrónico). ...
... Esta tarea resultará imprescindible y políticamente relevante para reconocer las oportunidades identificatorias y articulatorias del discurso sobre la innovación y la modernización con otros discursos y narrativas, así como comprender los procesos de sobredeterminación discursiva que esas referencias potencialmente habilitan. 27:: Algo que, tal como remarca Godin (2015), no siempre fue así (en sus inicios la innovación fue connotada negativamente e incluso en ocasiones prohibida) y que muchas veces se transforma en un problema en tanto genera "una suerte de deriva perjudicial tanto para las agendas académicas como para los programas de actuación" (Echeverry-Mejía, 2020, p. 137). ...
Article
Full-text available
El trabajo se propone analizar de forma comparada los sentidos y nociones asociadas a la modernización e innovación pública por parte de los agentes gubernamentales en la Ciudad de Córdoba durante las gestiones de Ramón B. Mestre (2015-2019) y de Martín Llaryora (2019-2023). Para ello, se recurrió a un abordaje metodológico de tipo cualitativo en el que las entrevistas semiestructuradas a informantes claves (burocracias, funcionarios y asesores) se convirtieron en el principal insumo para proceder con la comparación diacrónica entre ambos períodos. Los principales hallazgos indican la presencia de una connotación positiva de la innovación, la persistencia de una perspectiva lineal al respecto (fuertemente asociada a una visión productiva y tecnologicista), la polisemia en el uso del concepto de innovación y de modernización; a la vez que se registra una fuerte hibridez y la superposición de modelos de administración pública.
... A starting point is the assumption that any classification of innovations depends on the theoretical lenses and perspectives adopted. Thus, understanding the elusive concept of innovation span different theoretical approaches and constructs aimed to explain innovation dynamics and what is understood by the "nature of innovation" (Horn, 2005;Godin, , 2015Martin, 2012;Salter & Alexy, 2014;Edwards-Schachter, 2018). ...
... Today innovation researchers can no longer avoid a necessary attention to various neglected issues concerning to basic questions: who innovate, how and where, innovation processes within hidden sectors of the economy, impact and type of value created, and the unintended desirable and undesirable consequences of innovation (Edwards-Schachter et al., 2012;Godin & Vinck, 2017). This study addresses the burgeoning narratives attending to a necessary discernment of innovation forms and types (Martin, 2012;Fagerberg et al., 2013;Godin, 2015Godin, , 2019Hutter et al., 2015;Edwards-Schachter, 2018). A question is posed on whether it would be possible to develop a univocal definition of innovation, overcoming scattered multi-disciplinary approaches on the nature of technological, social and cultural innovations (Aoyama & Izushi, 2003;Nicholls & Murdock, 2012;Edwards-Schachter & Wallace, 2017). ...
... Some innovations are more recent than others or more or less related to technological innovation, being most of them dated in the last two decades. Various authors argue that social innovation predate technological innovation and re-emerged in evolved forms in last decades(Godin, , 2015Edwards-Schachter & Wallace, 2017;Gaglio et al., 2019). A similar trend is observed in recent literature discussing the roots and place of cultural innovation(O'Brien & Shennan, 2010;Wijngaarden et al., 2019). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
In a few decades a myriad of innovation forms has been emerging as a ubiquitous imperative of contemporary society addressing the fast pace of scientific and technological development and pressing global challenges. Innovation has been characterised as ‘technological’, ‘social’, ‘cultural’, ‘inclusive’, ‘environmental’, ‘open’, ‘user-centred’, ‘lean’, ‘free’, and ‘responsible’, among others. This chapter overviews current innovation landscapes and future trends, exploring underpinning mechanisms and theoretical cornerstones that may explain this huge variety. The study provides a semantic map of around one hundred innovation types introduced from 1950 to 2019, analyzing relationships between stablished forms and new incumbents. In particular, it shows how the nature of innovation has evolved over time through the creation of recognized and un-recognized kinds of innovation, including detached and the so-called hidden and dark innovations, which bring to the fore issues on the possibility of a univocal definition of innovation.
... It emerged as a conceptual framework aimed at addressing significant social challenges (Hassan, 2013;Battisti, 2014). Since its inception, social innovation has been associated with a transformative connotation (Moulaert et al., 2017) that has motivated policymakers to challenge the status quo, which has hindered progress in social, political, cultural, and economic systems (Godin, 2015). This inclination became evident from the 1970s onwards when business networks, interest groups, and public participation in policy formulation addressed major socioeconomic issues, fostering collaboration, improved decision-making, and genuine sharing (Berry, 1999;Howlett et al., 2009). ...
... However, despite the abundant literature on the topic, defining social innovation remains a challenging task. Frequently used as a present imperative (Pol & Ville, 2009;Godin, 2015), social innovation has often eluded a comprehensive definition (Moulaert et al., 2017). This lack is frequently attributed to its practical origins rather than its grounding in scientific research. ...
... The term "social" also encompasses critical concepts such as learning, social capital, social interaction, and social networks (Castells, 2011;Nicholls & Murdock, 2012). The discourse surrounding the connection between social and technological innovation holds significant importance as it raises essential questions about the nature and role of innovation in contemporary society (Godin, 2015;Gulbrandsen & Aanstad, 2015). Thus, following the perspectives of Moore et al. (2012), Hjørland (2015), and Avelino et al. (2019), conceptualizing social innovation is considered an inherent part of the interactions among individuals and groups within social systems. ...
Article
Purpose The paper positions social and technological innovation as pivotal counterforces to conservative resistance against change, particularly in light of the recurrent economic and technological upheavals characterizing the present shape of capitalism. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts a qualitative methodology, rooted in a comparative case study approach, offering a critical retrospective analysis of societal disruptions and transformations. Central to this methodological framework is the construct of sensemaking, which is characterized as the process by which collective entities retrospectively develop plausible narratives that rationalize their experiences. The approach is informed by the dynamics of socio-ecological systems, which are understood to undergo cyclical phases of growth, stabilization, collapse, and regeneration. Findings The study shows evidence that resilience and adaptability are more authentically gauged by socio-technological responses to cyclical disruptions and recoveries. It delineates sensemaking as a crucial socioecological mechanism through which elicitation emerges and societies and organizations navigate these cycles, forging shared narratives from collective experiences that are driven by plausibility rather than mere accuracy. Practical implications The research calls for the development of policies that synthesize disruptive innovations with strategies for social cohesion. Such policies must ensure the protection of the socioeconomic texture from implicit structural precariousness arising from innovation. The ability to integrate and institutionalize change is emphasized as crucial, demanding a synergy between innovative creativity, new normative frameworks, and the preservation of fundamental societal values. Originality/value The paper challenges reductionist technological interpretations of societal changes, advocating for a holistic perspective that accounts for the redistributive and elicitation roles as vital to the evolution of socio-economic systems. The value of this research lies in its comprehensive framing of these transformations, underscoring the importance of a multi-faceted understanding in the effective management of socioeconomic change.
... Também não consideram outras abordagens de caráter mais histórico sobre a evolução das políticas e das dinâmicas do r&d empresarial, considerando o papel e mesmo a dependência relativamente ao financiamento das autoridades públicas. Estes estudos incluem contributos variados sobre história económica, história da tecnologia, a história empresarial e os trabalhos de história intelectual e conceptual em torno da ideia de inovação no século xx (Rothwell et al., 1974;Rosenbeg, 1982;Mowery, 1983;Godin, 2015Godin, , 2019, para mencionar apenas alguns). Lembrando-se aqui, em particular, a relação evidente do conceito precursor de "inovação pelo usuário / utilizador" (user-driven innovation) com alguns dos pressupostos da inovação aberta, quando buscam, por exemplo, a integração de utilizadores e fornecedores no processo inovativo das empresas (von Hippel, 1988(von Hippel, , 2005. ...
... Também não consideram outras abordagens de caráter mais histórico sobre a evolução das políticas e das dinâmicas do r&d empresarial, considerando o papel e mesmo a dependência relativamente ao financiamento das autoridades públicas. Estes estudos incluem contributos variados sobre história económica, história da tecnologia, a história empresarial e os trabalhos de história intelectual e conceptual em torno da ideia de inovação no século xx (Rothwell et al., 1974;Rosenbeg, 1982;Mowery, 1983;Godin, 2015Godin, , 2019, para mencionar apenas alguns). Lembrando-se aqui, em particular, a relação evidente do conceito precursor de "inovação pelo usuário / utilizador" (user-driven innovation) com alguns dos pressupostos da inovação aberta, quando buscam, por exemplo, a integração de utilizadores e fornecedores no processo inovativo das empresas (von Hippel, 1988(von Hippel, , 2005. ...
... Segercrantz, Sveiby e Berglund (2017, p. 291), por exemplo, realizaram uma análise sistemática dos estudos de gestão, indicando que esta literatura produz "um círculo de auto-reforço", um discurso de "mudança exponencial e aceleração", reforçada por um comportamento escolar "autorreferencial que mantém um viés pró-inovação". Esse viés é visível nas nossas sociedades, que atribuem "significados positivos quase exclusivos" à inovação (Godin, 2015, 2019) e a sua "natureza omnipresente", que já demonstrou consequências sistémicas (menos positivas) nos contornos de economias pretensamente globais (Segercrantz , Sveiby e Berglund, 2017, p. 291). ...
Article
Full-text available
Open innovation is one of those catchwords that has been capturing the imaginaries of our societies, pointing out transformative designs. “Open innovation” is being viewed as “the next word” in innovation studies and management practices. Bibliometric reviews have been revealing that open innovation has spawned special issues, numerous books, and hundreds of papers devoted to proposing this (allegedly) newpolicy framework. With this bibliographical essay, we give a qualitative review that understands open innovation and the reach of its literature: i.e., the presumptions in place and how an entrepreneurial and management bias marks it, benefiting from announced technological trajectories currently amplified by the digital age and the alleged opportunities of the 4.0 industry.
... Como punto de partida, se tomó el libro del historiador Godin, quien revisó cientos de documentos históricos para ilustrar el cambio del concepto de innovación entre los siglos XV y XX. Aunque podría sorprender a lectores contemporáneos, la innovación comenzó siendo un concepto negativo, algo explícitamente prohibido por la ley y utilizado por los opositores al cambio como arma lingüística (Godin, 2015). ...
... Durante el siglo XIX, el concepto de innovación pasó de negativo a neutral. Pero solo en el siglo XX la palabra innovación se aplicó al campo económico con un significado positivo, a través de la idea de innovación tecnológica relacionada con productos y procesos en el capitalismo industrial (Gaglio …[et al], 2019), o inventos aplicados y comercializados (Godin, 2015). La mayoría de las discusiones sobre el asunto, basadas en el trabajo de Schumpeter en su Teoría del Desarrollo Económico de 1912, fueron sobre innovaciones industriales y tecnológicas. ...
Article
Full-text available
This paper presents the results of an investigation on the relatively new discourse on innovation in public administration, its origin, meaning, and its use in Ibero-American countries. A discourse analysis of the academic literature and of the use of this concept in the CLAD conventions in an eight year period is conducted. It is evident that the use of the public innovation concept has increased and that it has been adopted by the Ibero-American community represented in CLAD. The implications of the particular uses that this community has given to the concept are also exposed.
... En definitiva, los enfoques alternativos de evaluación sugieren de considerar tanto la idea o el tipo de innovación (Godin, 2015) encapsulado en las políticas de CTI, como de valorar el tipo de impacto que se espera producir en la sociedad mediante la CTI, y cómo se pretende generarlo, es decir, la teoría de cambio asociada a la política pública (Weiss, 1997). Se mantiene aquí que existen enfoques diferentes para las políticas de innovación, cada uno caracterizado por una "teoría de cambio estilizada" diferente, referida a lo que los hacedores de políticas emplean en sus prácticas, de forma intencionada, o no (Molas-Gallart y Davies, 2006). ...
... La innovación transformadora permite solucionar estos fallos proporcionando soluciones sociotécnicas alternativas que permiten una transformación radical del sistema. En particular, en la acepción empleada por Schot y Steinmueller (2018), el cambio transformador se refiere a la oportunidad de transitar desde sistemas sociotécnicos que no son sostenibles hacia otros que sí lo son (Smith et al., 2005;Grin et al., 2010). ...
Article
El objetivo del estudio es identificar diferentes estilos y prácticas de evaluación para las políticas de innovación en función de distintas orientaciones, centrándose en el caso del paradigma del cambio transformador para fomentar transiciones hacia la sostenibilidad y los problemas que conlleva su aplicación. El estudio es de carácter exploratorio y usa las agencias públicas de financiación de la innovación como un lugar estratégico de investigación. A partir de la información proporcionada por la experiencia de un consorcio internacional donde participan las agencias de distintos países, se ilustran los principales conceptos y problemas presentados en el debate teórico. Finalmente, se discuten las principales aportaciones del estudio para la teoría y la práctica de la evaluación de las políticas de innovación desde una perspectiva sociológica.
... Existem várias fontes de estudos críticos da inovação: por exemplo, a História da Tecnologia (e.g., Shapin, 1989;Edgerton, 2006;Russell;Vinsel, 2018, entre outros); a Filosofia da Inovação (e.g., Blok, 2018, 2020); a Economia Política Cultural (Cultural Political Economy) (e.g., N.-L. Sum; Jessop, 2013); os Estudos Críticos da Gestão (e.g., Chiapello;Boltanski, 1999;Prasad et al., 2015;Heusinkveld, 2014;Segercrantz et al., 2017;Blok, 2022); os estudos pós-desenvolvimentistas, como os sobre decrescimento ou pós-crescimento (e.g., Pansera et al.;Pansera;Fressoli, 2021); compreendendo ainda os estudos que resultam do movimento de "giro cultural" no estudo da linguagem, incluindo as metodologias de análise discursiva de políticas públicas (e.g., Zittoun et al.), no que se inclui o resgate acima mencionado das histórias conceituais e intelectuais (e.g., Godin, 2015Godin, , 2019Godin, , 2020, entre outros). ...
... De fato, como Godin (2015) nos lembra, muito diferente do passado -quando a inovação era usada como uma forma derrogatória de reforma social, de mudança social, um comportamento e/ou forma herética de pensar -, foi somente no século XX que a inovação assumiu uma conotação positiva e se tornou verdadeiramente associada à mudança tecnológica (Godin, 2019(Godin, , 2020. Ademais, novos e mais recentes significados foram introduzidos (Inovação Social, Inovação Frugal, Inovação Responsável, entre outras teorias alternativas, e.g., Godin et al., 2021), almejando tornar a inovação menos colada na inovação tecnológica, buscando-se até alternativas contra-hegemônicas mais inclusivas e sustentáveis (Gaglio et al., 2019;Godin et al., 2021). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
A presente obra, cumpre uma importante etapa do IX Simpósio Nacional de Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade da Associação de Estudos Sociais das Ciências e das Tecnologias – ESOCITE.BR, em sua nona edição, realizada sincronamente entre 10 e 16 de outubro de 2021, de forma totalmente virtual, em função das imposições criadas pela pandemia da Covid-19. Tendo como tema central “Qual interdisciplinaridade queremos? Novas agendas científicas para sociedades em transformação” muitos produtos foram capilarizados, entre os Anais de resumos e trabalhos completos, e a edição de um livro, que antecede esta publicação. Produções que em seu conjunto registram com ampla diversidade temática e efetivas contribuições teóricas e metodológicas interdisciplinares, contribuindo assim na socialização e intercâmbio de estudos realizados por pesquisadores, professores, estudantes e profissionais que se dedicam ao campo dos estudos da Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS) e demais agentes da produção e aplicação de conhecimentos científicos e tecnológicos em seus contextos social, político, econômico, educacional e cultural.
... Godin [3] states that innovation programs and initiatives specifically encourage and support new ideas and technology creation. In this sense, innovation was never a one-time event but a continuous process throughout history. ...
... Most of those programs may fail or have limited impact due to a lack of relevance, funding, support, clear pathways for students, short-term focus, or insufficient followup. Different studies [3], [5]. highlight the key role of successful innovation programs. ...
... Como cuatro problema, Reynosa y Reyes (2023) afirman que la innovación reiteradamente ha sido entendida y asociada más como innovación tecnológica (Barraza, 2005(Barraza, , 2013Carballo, 2015). A partir del siglo XX, la ampliación del concepto paradójicamente trajo ese casi involuntario reduccionismo (Godin, 2015). Esto trae como consecuencia ver a la innovación tecnológica como un fin en sí mismo y no como un medio que toma sentido sólo si se conecta y subordina a algo superior, como son los propósitos educativos. ...
... Al responder a la pregunta: ¿Para ustedes, qué es innovación educativa? las concepciones individuales sobre el concepto, incluyendo cogniciones y emociones sobre su naturaleza, alcance y limitaciones (Barraza, 2005), mostraron que los participantes están plenamente familiarizados con el concepto y no dudaron en construir una definición propia, considerando términos (Gracia, 2017), sino que está permeada por la carga ideológico-valoral de las personas, grupos e instituciones (Godin, 2015). ...
Chapter
Full-text available
Esta investigación es parte de un proyecto más amplio, en el que primeramente se realizó una investigación documental del estado del arte sobre enfoques, teorías y modelos de innovación educativa, el cual evidenció la necesidad de destacar el papel protagónico del docente como principal agente de cambio en los procesos de innovación. En este trabajo se presentan los hallazgos correspondientes a las miradas personales del profesorado de bachillerato en relación con las principales problemáticas actuales en torno a la innovación educativa y su campo conceptual.
... Through a historical examination of the term, Godin (2012) argues that use of the term social innovation preceded economic or technological innovation, with its first references in the 17th and 18th centuries when it was used to describe various 'social innovators and their schemes' such as Robert Owen and the Rochdale co-operators who desired to redistribute profits and the means of production among workers, and later in referral to progressive social reforms such as public education, legislation on working conditions and unions. It was not until post-World War 2 that the use of innovation became synonymous with technological and economic improvement (Godin 2015). Innovation today is understood as the driver of capitalist economic development through the 'creative destruction' of the production and delivery of goods and services (Schumpeter 1934). ...
Article
Full-text available
This paper aims to explore a number of alternative initiatives emerging in Epirus, Greece. Epirus is a region facing developmental problems, such as remoteness, population ageing, population decline and more. In the last years, a wide range of grassroots initiatives have emerged, unravelling alternative developmental pathways and challenging the traditional growth-driven development objectives. Through our empirical research, we explore how the initiatives in question (a) emerge in the considered 'underdeveloped' rural and peripheral areas of Epirus; (b) propose alternative developmental pathways and respond to the local and regional issues with grassroots innovative practices showing post-capitalistic perspectives for post-growth futures; (c) are linked to local and regional governments and policy makers and how they can be supported when those actors are not engaging with their practices and objectives. In the end, we aim to contribute to the existing literature on post-capitalistic alternative futures, showing how seeds from such futures are planted in the 'here and now' in places that are mostly needed and can lead to reproducible results for peripheral areas and beyond. As one of our interviewees mentioned 'If we can make it there, we can make it everywhere'.
... O termo inovação, que surge do latim innovatio, segundo o dicionário, pode ser definido como o "ato ou efeito de inovar, tudo que é novidade, coisa nova" (Michaelis, 2024). E como as discussões sobre o termo permeiam diversas épocas, cenários e campos do conhecimento, percebe-se, ao longo da história, que sua conceitualização evoluiu conforme o contexto em que foi aplicado, resultando em um termo amplo e polissêmico (Godin, 2015). ...
Article
Full-text available
A formação do profissional em Química abrange conhecimentos teóricos e práticos, habilidades e competências, além de aspectos educacionais e específicos voltados à atuação em diversos segmentos. Esses elementos são orientados por legislações e documentos que regulamentam e habilitam a prática profissional que está intimamente ligada às transformações contínuas em seu campo de atuação, as quais servem de base para que as legislações evoluam e atendam às novas demandas da sociedade. O presente estudo analisa as inovações presentes em documentos que servem de orientação aos cursos de Bacharelado e Licenciatura em Química, através da metodologia da Análise Textual Discursiva. Três categorias emergem dela: 1) Inovação Curricular e as perspectivas para o Ensino Superior em Química; 2) Inovação Profissional para a transformação social; e 3) Inovação Científica e Tecnológica: produção e difusão do conhecimento. Os documentos orientadores sugerem a inovação presente em mudanças curriculares focadas na autonomia das universidades e cursos para atender às demandas sociais e dos profissionais em formação. Apontam também que as inovações impulsionam e são impulsionadas pelo desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico, que promove o progresso nos setores universitários e industriais, dentre outros que desenvolvem a ciência química. Ademais, é essencial que os documentos sejam continuamente revistos pelos órgãos de fomento e organizações, como o Conselho Federal de Química, e adequados, principalmente, às inovações/transformações para o desenvolvimento da área e à capacitação profissional, mobilizando, assim, o progresso da Ciência, da Tecnologia e da Inovação, articuladas à renovação social.
... To create a sustainability transition of infrastructure that provide public services, Geels et al. (2008) argue that radical socio-technical innovations are to be developed. Innovations became in the twentieth century synonym to novel products that could be commercialized (Godin, 2015). More recently, there are also different conceptualizations of innovations described in literature (Blok, 2021), emphasizing the political-economic order that is associated with an innovation. ...
Article
Full-text available
Socio-technical innovations are necessary to establish a transition towards sustainable infrastructural systems. Actors developing and implementing these innovations experience considerable uncertainty whether innovations will technically work, are beneficiary for societal goals and how other actors will behave during the innovation process. Such uncertainties hamper the (successful) introduction of innovations, as actors struggle with handling uncertainty. There is a research gap that explains how public and private actors make specific choices regarding uncertainty interactively. Therefore, this paper has systematically reviewed literature on the interactions of actors in uncertain innovation processes. In total fifty-three articles out 2909 have been included in the full review. Based on these articles, a conceptual model has been proposed how actors experience, respond to, and consequently make decisions under uncertainty, in a cyclical interaction process with other actors. This process is influenced by uncertainty competencies (actor-specific characteristics), as well as uncertainty settings (formal and informal governance rules). The conceptual model will inform further research on the role of uncertainty in multi-actor innovation processes, and how actor competencies and uncertainty settings can be improved to stimulate a sustainability transition by socio-technical innovations.
... Nancy Fraser (Curty 2020(Curty , 1328 speaks of a '"thrust" or directionality inherent to capitalist economy' due to the primary focus on extracting profit for investments to accumulate more capital. However, such discourses of progress have come about historically (Godin 2015), and the concept of directionality, at least as used in this article, highlights the need for caution with policy or cultural discourses presented as the only way forward. Therefore, our starting question is: Do normative arguments for changing the direction of innovation also apply to exnovation (suggesting a symmetrical approach as far as normative arguments are concerned)? ...
Article
Full-text available
While innovation and market creation have long received attention for changing the direction of socio-economic development, exnovation and market destruction have received such attention only recently. Rather than assuming innovation and exnovation to be simply two sides of creative destruction processes, we aim to balance the discussion by exploring normative arguments in relation to both innovation and exnovation. We show how instrumental and enabling arguments for changing direction also apply to exnovation. By distinguishing three scenarios – complementation, reversion and reduction – we show that these arguments support genuine creative destruction in the case of a complementary innovation-exnovation relation. In addition, we show that they support an independent focus on exnovation, where the latter relies on reversion to old technologies or on overall reduction of economic activity. We discuss the role of freedom across exnovation processes, and the implication of our analysis for directing societal change without reducing democratic possibilities.
... which can create an imbalance between variety and redundancy. (1) The modern innovation imperative (Jordan, 2014) transforms innovation into a societal value (Godin, 2015) which is generally seen as positive: organizations that want to succeed are expected to innovate. However, this can lead to organizational and management behavior which strives for innovation as an end in itself without reflecting possible side-effects. ...
Article
Full-text available
In modern society, organizations are expected to be increasingly flexible and adapt to constantly changing environments. While such flexibility is often considered a positive trait of organizations, the risks of continuous organizational change are often overlooked. Against this background, we argue that continuous, multiple and uncoordinated organizational change can lead to a state we define as “organizational restlessness” and a loss of the benefits of stable structures. Paradoxically, it is even possible that organizational restlessness reduces the capability of organizations to planfully introduce specific and highly desirable changes, such as those related to digital transformation. Using qualitative data from interviews and participant observations, we analyze a large German public administration and identify three sources of organizational restlessness: the innovation imperative of modern society, changes in political leadership as a result of democratic elections and the bureaucratic principle of personnel rotation. While barriers to digital transformation are often explained by bureaucratic rigidity, we show that also constant uncoordinated change hinders sustainable digital transformation. Our paper thus contributes to an enhanced understanding of organizational continuity and disruption, as we show that both are needed to digitalize organizations further.
... Mimo że dotychczas nie powstała ugruntowana teoria innowacji (Jasiński, 2020), jej koncepcja jest bogata, złożona i pełna różnorodnych interpretacji oraz znaczeń (Godin, 2015). Za prekursora pojęcia "innowacji" powszechnie uważany jest J.A. Schumpeter, wedle którego innowacje oraz twórcza destrukcja, polegająca na ciągłym niszczeniu starych struktur i tworzeniu nowych, coraz bardziej efektywnych, są sposobami na pokonywanie przeszkód powstałych w związku z cyklicznymi zamianami w gospodarce (Schumpeter, 1960). ...
Article
Full-text available
Abstract Purpose: The main objective of the research is to analyze the transfer of innovations from developed to developing markets within the framework of the concept of reverse innovation and to identify key factors that contribute to its success and those that may constitute potential sources of difficulties and barriers. As a secondary goal, the study aims to trace the genesis and development of the concept of reverse innovation and those innovation concepts that have become its nucleus. Design/methodology/approach: To conduct the research, a methodological approach was adopted that involved a review of selected publications as well as a systematic literature review, which was enriched by a SWOT analysis which served to aggregate, organize, and interpret the obtained research results. The retrospective and comparative analysis method, as well as the descriptive method, were also included, which enabled a careful presentation of the genesis and development of the concept of reverse innovations. Findings: The analysis identified key factors for the successful transfer of reverse innovations from developed to developing markets and highlighted potential challenges. A vital factor is a company’s adaptability from developed markets to the nuances of emerging ones, especially consumer needs. At the same time, the results of the research indicate the potential for the development of the concept of reverse innovation and its close connection to the idea of sustainability. Research limitations/implications: The concept of reverse innovation represents a relatively new perspective on innovation management. Thus, the analysis drew from a limited pool of empirical studies and source literature. Originality/value: This comprehensive analysis enhances our understanding of reverse innovation in management and quality sciences. Utilizing the SWOT analysis as a framework to summarize and categorize the key factors and challenges of reverse innovation transfer from developed to developing countries represents a novel contribution by the authors to the academic field.
... Tendencies towards conceptual drift, where the use of a term over time changes from one set of phenomena to a much wider set, are natural for a popular notion such as innovation (cf. Godin 2015). However, such drift is clearly problematic from a scholarly point of view. ...
... Isso ocorre porque antes do sé-culo XX, inovação era tido como uma "heresia", algo explicitamente proibido por lei e usado como arma pelos conservadores para travar as mudanças. Naquela época, inovação ainda não era utilizada como sinônimo de criatividade e novidade (GODIN, 2015). ...
Book
Full-text available
O presente livro, mais que promover um diálogo científico entre consumo digital, inovação e tecnologia em âmbito internacional, tem a capacidade de promover o diálogo da academia com o setor produtivo, cultural e empresarial de Caruaru e região. A presente publicação se traduz nos diálogos transdisciplinares, nas experiências e trocas de saberes entre o local e global, entre Brasil e Portugal, entre a academia e a sociedade, entre o histórico e o contemporâneo, um olhar para passado com o pensamento no futuro, pois a inovação tem mais chances de surgir assim, integrando conhecimentos divergentes e complementares, de forma interdisciplinar, intercultural e inclusiva, onde a extensão, a pesquisa e o ensino andam juntos, de forma indissociável. Organizado pela Profa. Dra. Marianny Silva, o livro contém capítulos oriundos do 1° Colóquio Internacional de Tecnologia, Inovação e Consumo Digital, ocorrido em 2022. Desta forma, é possível encontrar questões valiosas sobre: o papel da extensão na formação de discentes e docentes; inovação; transformação digital; metaverso; direito do consumidor no ambiente digital; marketing digital; empreendedorismo e a cultura.
... Technologists have confidently approached mobility in ways uncritically framed by the pro-growth (Banister and Berechman, 2001;Beckerman, 1974;Hamilton, 2004;Pilling, 2018;Welzer, 2011) and pro-innovation (Ferreira et al., 2020;Godin, 2015;Godin and Vinck, 2017;Sveiby et al., 2012) biases, not to mention by scientism (Beale, 2019;Haack, 2012). They do this while sporting a rather poor understanding of the social, political, and ecological processes they have been interfering with (Beukers et al., 2012;Black, 2001;Metz, 2008;Naess, 2006;von Schönfeld and Ferreira, 2021). ...
... Technologists have confidently approached mobility in ways uncritically framed by the pro-growth (Banister and Berechman, 2001;Beckerman, 1974;Hamilton, 2004;Pilling, 2018;Welzer, 2011) and pro-innovation (Ferreira et al., 2020;Godin, 2015;Godin and Vinck, 2017;Sveiby et al., 2012) biases, not to mention by scientism (Beale, 2019;Haack, 2012). They do this while sporting a rather poor understanding of the social, political, and ecological processes they have been interfering with (Beukers et al., 2012;Black, 2001;Metz, 2008;Naess, 2006;von Schönfeld and Ferreira, 2021). ...
... Technological innovation and export activities have both been identified as major drivers of commercial success of companies, as well as the economic development of entire geographic regions. The innovation process, though, is inherently complex as it builds on the application of new knowledge and untested resource combinations and relies on various actors, to harvest resulting synergies between them (Fischer, 2001;Godin, 2015). Also, export activities are a viable way to raise a country's economic performance. ...
Article
Full-text available
Little is known about the different barriers that firms face as they advance with their technology uptake and tap into new markets. We show on a sample of 36,900 industrial enterprises that inwards-oriented firms had access to financial means but shied away from the economic risks associated with innovation activities. Exporters see opportunities for their innovation projects, but shy away from the investments needed. The failure to provide a supportive eco-system for innovation is one of the reasons why Russian manufacturers have not succeeded to integrate into global supply chains beyond the territories of the former Soviet Union.
... In ecclesiastical legal texts in Latin, "innovare" generally signified reaffirming or renewing, unlike its modern meaning of 'creating something new'. 7 The word is used repeatedly in this sense of renewing or reaffirming in papal bulls of the sixteenth century, when they aim to endorse or put into effect earlier papal decisions. 8 It has been argued that the attempt at Trent to present clausura as a renewal (renovatio) instead of an innovation (innovatio) was untrue, or even an 'invention of tradition', as clausura was not widely implemented before Trent. ...
Chapter
Social innovation is seen as a process or policy that radically shifts social values or the structure of authority in society. While clausura (enclosure) was not a novel policy in the mid-sixteenth century, yet its reaffirmation at the Council of Trent in 1563 triggered visible and wide-ranging changes in behaviour patterns over the next three centuries. This paper views the introduction of strict clausura as an innovative cultural practice in Malta, as it was elsewhere in early modern Europe. Clausura was gradually required and implemented in female monasteries across the Catholic world, following the renewal of Pope Boniface VIII’s Periculoso at Trent. This context is briefly explored in early modern Malta, also asserting that establishing greater restrictions did not hinder the social success of monasteries in Malta, as they rapidly expanded during this period. New clausura arrangements continued to be specified, negotiated and revised throughout the seventeenth century.
... The political origins of the concept of innovation (cf. Godin 2015), along with the political ends that the responsible innovation literature explicitly prioritizes, suggests that we should inquire into a political orientation of innovation. It is in this direction that Blok (2021) develops a political dimension of innovation in which the direction of the innovation process is essentially determined by a political agenda. ...
... Not only is he a critical theoristinspired greatly by his teacher Herbert Marcusebut he has made significant contributions to the philosophy of technology and STS with his critique of technology and long advocacy for democratizing technology. His work is very relevant for RI frameworks, especially since the concept of 'innovation' has garnered its specifically commercial and technological connotations (Godin 2015;von Schomberg and Blok 2019). Yet it is also by virtue of RI's own status as a technologyin the sense that it provides a systematic approach to the management of innovation processes as well as criteria (or mechanisms) to monitor and evaluate that managementthat Feenberg's work gains increasing relevance. ...
Article
Full-text available
This article responds to the calls to address the political deficits of RI frameworks and uptakes by taking recourse to approaches inspired by the methods and emancipatory ambitions of critical theory. By outlining the results of three existing studies, important and varying dimension of R(R)I’s political deficits are identified. Despite each study identifying different aspects of the political deficit, they all share a concern for the power relations implicit in RI frameworks and uptakes. Yet, what is lacking in the critical literature is an appreciation of the role of social norms, social relations, and social structures, which is vital to an analysis and criticism of power. This article encourages RI frameworks to engage with critical practices by addressing the role these factors play in creating, exercising, and perpetuating hegemonic forms of power with the aim of greater social emancipation.
... Since 2010, the analysis of social tasks based on the involvement of the individual and the study of social processes that improve the standard of living have been emphasised, in an approach focussed on processes. Based on the literature review (Godin, 2012(Godin, , 2015Rüede és Lurtz, 2012;Rana et al., 2014;P. van der Have-Rubalcaba, 2016;Edwards-Schachter és Wallace, 2017;Eichler és Schwarz, 2019, Varga, 2021, it can be established that the theoretical field of social innovation is divided along six basic emphases (the emphases are interrelated), and in most cases process-or result-focus is clearly distinguishable. ...
Article
Full-text available
The study examines social innovation endeavours initiated by non-profit organisations in the Abaúji region53. Addressing the challenges facing the region (emigration, ageing, unemployment and educational inequalities) requires the accurate identification of local needs and the involvement of the population in decision-making. One of the tools for these initiatives is social innovation and support for social innovation endeavours. The key actors in the social innovation process are non-profit organisations (NGOs), which see social innovation primarily as a mission. The aim of our study is to present social innovation solutions initiated by NGOs in the region and to explore the possibility of their adaptation as good practice. The study alsoidentifies the main sets of criteria that, in addition to providing a structured record of each case study, will help to make good practices comparable. Documentation against the identified criteria will support the process of adaptation, which is critical to the successful implementation of social innovation initiatives.
... Revolutionary technological innovations are supposed to be salient for assigning transformative forces and trajectories to manufacturing, markets and societies (Godin 2006(Godin , 2015Fagerberg, Mowery, and Nelson 2011). Prominent examples that are said to merge both innovation and transformation are Fabrication Laboratories (FabLabs) and Makerspaces. ...
Article
Full-text available
While maker platforms, such as FabLabs and Makerspaces, are commonly perceived as drivers for transformative trajectories, little is known about how the dynamics of experimental collective agency are mobilizing transformative capacities that foster change on the local level. This paper contributes to the understanding of collective innovation dynamics of maker platforms that aim to support collective experimentation and translate novel practices to incumbent institutions on the local level. By drawing on the strategic niche management literature, a comparative case study of six maker platforms in Germany is conducted. Findings indicate three relevant modes of translation that could be identified: Firstly, translation by active shielding and institutionalized adaption emphasizes the role of harbouring universities in fencing off market pressures and offering events as well as workshops to regime actors. Secondly, translation by enabling learning mechanisms highlights the effect of implementing proper formats for assessment and learning on mutual translation. Thirdly, translation by sustained cooperation and coordination between maker platforms and local institutions stresses capacities for cooperation and a demand-oriented coordination between maker platforms and incumbent institutions. ARTICLE HISTORY
... There are countless definitions in the literature on the term "innovation", with vast meanings and connotations (Godin, 2015). Most important is to address those which are related to the current field of study, which is business. ...
Chapter
Full-text available
Sağlık hizmetleri, bireylerin ve toplumların sağlığını korumayı, iyileştirmeyi ve geliştirmeyi hedefleyen geniş bir hizmet spektrumunu içermektedir. Bu hizmetlerin kalitesinin artırılması, maliyetlerin düşürülmesi ve erişilebilirliğin sağlanması noktasında yenilikçilik büyük bir önem taşımaktadır. Sağlık hizmetlerinde yenilikçilik, yeni teknolojilerin, yöntemlerin ve fikirlerin geliştirilmesi ve hayata geçirilmesi anlamına gelir. Kuruluşlar, sağlık harcamalarını kontrol altında tutmanın, yaşlanan nüfusun artan gereksinimlerine yanıt vermenin ve daha bilinçli ve talepkâr bir tüketici kitle-sini tatmin etmenin yollarını ararken, yenilikçilik fırsatları önemli ölçüde artış göstermektedir. İnovasyon (yenilikçilik), günümüz ekonomilerinin ve toplumlarının temel dinamiklerinden biri olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Teknolojik geliş-meler, iş modellerindeki yenilikler ve hizmet sunumundaki dönüşümler, yenilikçiliğin ana unsurları arasında bulunmaktadır. Sağlık hizmetleri sektörü de bu dönüşümden etkilenmiş olup, yenilikçi yaklaşımlar aracılığıyla hastalara daha yüksek kalitede hizmet sunma amacı benimsenmiştir. Bu çalışma sağlık hizmetlerindeki inovasyon teorilerini ortaya koyarak rehberlik sağlamaktadır
Chapter
The measurement of innovation is critical for SME success, driving economic growth, competitiveness, and social progress. Accurately measuring innovation reveals insights into an SME's adaptability, product creation, and competitive edge. However, innovation's complexity challenges effective measurement frameworks. This publication explores diverse approaches to innovation measurement, highlighting methodologies' strengths and limitations for SME assessment. It defines innovation's impact on efficiency, satisfaction, competitive advantage, and resilience, exploring inputs, activities, outputs, and environmental factors. Challenges like valuing intangibles and global disparities are addressed, suggesting future research for enhanced frameworks and sector-specific indicators in innovation management. These advancements aim to improve the accuracy and relevance of innovation measurement, supporting SMEs in continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.
Article
Full-text available
This article examines the transformation of design work under the influence of managerialism and the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). Drawing on John Maynard Keynes's projections of technological unemployment and the evolving nature of work, it argues that despite advancements in automation, work has not diminished but rather devalued. Design, understood as a type of knowledge work, faces an apparent existential crisis. GenAI grows adept at mimicking the output of creative processes. The article explores how the fear of the end of design work fueled by the rise of GenAI is rooted in a misunderstanding of design work. This misunderstanding is driven by managerialism— an ideology that prioritizes efficiency and quantifiable outcomes over the intrinsic value of work. Managerialism seeks to instrumentalize and automate design, turning it into a controllable procedure to generate quantifiable creative outputs. The article argues why design work cannot be turned into a procedure and automated using GenAI. Advocates of these systems claim they enhance productivity and open new opportunities. However, evidence so far shows that flawed GenAI models produce disappointing outcomes while operating at a significant environmental cost. The article concludes by arguing for a robust theory of design—one that acknowledges the unique ontological and epistemic boundaries of design work and underscores why design cannot be reduced to a procedural output.
Chapter
Ultimately innovation all comes down to two things—the people and the opportunity offered through process to either empower or hinder progress. Engaging the best people for discovery, invention and innovation, educating them, providing opportunity and appropriate support is what creates an innovative nation. This final chapter considers the need to be “fit-for-purpose” for innovation and how the future may unfold for this crucial capability of nations.
Article
Full-text available
Este ensaio problematiza a inovação em seu valor per se como promotora do desenvolvimento humano. Ao contrário, a concebe alicerçada nos princípios do desenvolvimento como liberdade. Fundamentado na abordagem das capacidades de Amartya Sen e nos Relatórios de Desenvolvimento Humano, apresenta os pressupostos da condição de agente e das liberdades instrumentais sobre as quais se podem projetar maiores realizações e mudanças qualificadas nas realidades humanas. Defende que as condições básicas para o desenvolvimento não demandam inovação, mas compromisso institucional, individual e coletivo.
Chapter
Invention is a core component of innovation, but it is not the same as innovation, and the inventor does not have to be party to, or involved in any way in the subsequent innovation that exploits their invention. The two are separate processes with innovation dependent on invention but invention not being dependent upon innovation. Invention is dependent upon creativity, novelty and utility and so questions are asked about the role of creativity in invention and how this is influenced by circumstance and the different classes and origins of opportunity that drive subsequent innovation and whether innovation is wholly research dependent? The chapter also addresses how innovation is best categorised, given a multitude of approaches and parties engaged in its delivery; what institutional factors influence success, and why is priority given to product and process innovation when the economies of so many advanced nations are service-based?
Chapter
A heavy burden is placed on our ability to innovate invoked as it is, like some universal all-pervasive deity. There is an expectation that Innovation will deliver meaningful solutions to all of our local, regional, national or global challenges, however caused, and whatever or wherever they may be. In this chapter the foundations of innovation are explored within the context of etymology and economics in order to determine the relevance of technology and underpinning R&D to national economic growth. In contrasting the limitations of economic theory and models, their role and impact on the development and thinking about innovation is addressed.
Article
Full-text available
This paper endeavours to show why social innovations should also be included in challenge- and goal-oriented research agendas and how the latter need to be conceptually expanded to ensure that this inclusion is successful.
Article
This article explores the concept of innovation through the philosophy of Bernard Stiegler. Traditionally understood as the successful commercialization of a technical invention, innovation is considered to be the driving force behind capitalist growth. In recent years, it has been accused of being unsustainable and has been resented by many for causing more harms than benefits for life on the planet. As a result, a new generation of thinkers encourages the exit from innovation as part of a politics of “degrowth.” Although legitimate, these concerns are unfounded, as these thinkers misunderstand innovation in leaving aside the capacity for a technical phenomenon to bring effective change in society. This article turns to Stiegler's work in order to broaden the meaning of innovation. His philosophy allows us to approach innovation as a broader historical and biological drive that concerns the inherent technical character of the human. It shows that the human ability to introduce novelty and change in general can only be pursued through an interaction with technics. In a context where most of the technical resources essential to the introduction of significant change in society are owned by giant industries that only propose products destined for immediate consumption, Stiegler claims that it is politically crucial for individuals to intervene. This must be in developing a working knowledge of their technical environment in order to become again the active producers of their future, instead of being the passive consumers of a lifestyle that is essentially destructive. For these reasons, the article concludes that innovation, understood as a collective practice and a mode of social empowerment, must be revived rather than repressed.
Article
Full-text available
This article contributes an account of a key moment in the development of venture capital. I argue the US Small Business Administration’s Task Force on Venture and Equity Capital for Small Business, established in 1976 and headed by William J. Casey, had an outsized impact on the development of modern venture capital and its close associations with the high technology sector. The Task Force’s 1977 report was influential in establishing both the figure of the venture capitalist and the business model of institutionally supported, limited partnership venture capital in the minds of policymakers, businesspeople, and the general public. This article traces the influence of one part of the Report: a prominently featured schematic model, entitled “Life Cycle of a New Enterprise: Model of a Growing and Successful Company, 1975-1976 Financial Market Conditions.” I trace the influence of the LCM as it spread through the developing high technology sector, as shown by its appearances in business publications, governmental reports, and congressional testimonies offered by industry leaders. The LCM was genericized away from its original authors and intentions, becoming part of the economic imaginary of the technology and innovation sector.
Article
The concept of innovation has not been thoroughly explored in the context of Byzantine science, much less so concerning Byzantine alchemy. This article argues that persisting historiographical biases depicting Byzantium as a stagnant culture also influence perceptions of Byzantine science as anti-innovative. Building on recent advancements in the study of innovation in Byzantine culture broadly, this article first conducts a preliminary examination of the relationship between science and innovation in Byzantium, revealing intriguing dynamics between the concepts of “tradition” and “innovation”. Next, it investigates a case study of innovation in Byzantine alchemy, namely how a monetary and economic innovation, the introduction of the solidus by Constantine the Great, likely influenced the perception of alchemy as primarily a chrysopoetic art. In essence, it explores how an external innovation can impact a scientific field, potentially leading to innovative conceptions and change within it.
Chapter
This chapter introduces the rationale for Rethinking Innovation. It highlights how innovation has played a pivotal role in contributing to a present that is healthier and wealthier for many than in the past. But it argues that innovation has also left many behind, benefiting some more than others. At the same time, our fragile planet is in crisis. Business-as-usual must change. We argue that innovation has important work to do, but how we think about innovation needs to change—it needs to be rethought. The chapter introduces how and why mainstream approaches to innovation are insufficient to meet the challenges we face as a society, and not only that, can be implicated in contributing to social inequality and environmental degradation. We make the case that innovation must shift away from a predominant focus on product development, competition, profit, extractivism and the commercialisation of science and technology. Instead, it needs to focus on sustainability transformations, conviviality, care, collaboration, equality, and the improved health of people and planet. This requires looking beyond the mainstream, engaging with diverse publics, knowledges, and value systems. In the chapter we set out some contemporary ideas, concepts, and efforts which make the case for ‘rethinking’ and shifting the direction of travel of innovation, notably by aligning innovation with challenge-based issues and goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We note that this ‘rethinking’ does not have to be done from scratch—there are several helpful concepts and approaches that we can look to for inspiration, including (but not limited to) responsible innovation, inclusive innovation, reverse innovation, social innovation, and sustainable innovation, which we go on to introduce and describe in subsequent chapters. Such a rethinking encourages us to pause, take stock, and reflect on the goals for innovation and its purposes. We argue that questions of who and what is benefiting from innovation and how innovation can be configured towards more responsible, equitable, and sustainable futures for both people and planet, have never been more pressing.
Article
The use of innovation rhetoric by non-tech individuals reinforces their personal branding. Studying four non-tech political personalities, this study provides evidence of how and why non-tech politicians are trying to present themselves as tech-savvy. As the article describes, innovation buzzwords, stories, narratives, and metaphors add value to any non-tech brand, enhancing promotional presence and marketing effectiveness. It is apparent from the findings that innovation rhetoric has the aim of creating a positive public image, which contributes to the public perception of an individual.
Article
Full-text available
An innovation and change discourse has become central in journalism studies scholarship concerned with highlighting solutions to the many challenges confronting media in the digital era. Although with good intentions, these debates have been predominantly technocentric in their imagination of media’s future, inadvertently directing its development towards a preoccupation with mastering digital technologies. On the one hand, media have strategically appropriated and exploited such technocentric discourse to position themselves within the field as leaders with considerable prestige and status. On the other hand, however, journalists and media professionals have approached technological innovation with caution, demonstrating innovation to be a gradual process with incremental changes that need to align with or reimagine practices that support journalism’s core ambitions and public service ideals. Drawing on the scholarly work of colleagues included in this thematic issue, in this editorial we conceptualize media innovation as a fuzzy and contested concept and call for an expanded research agenda that redirects our attention more firmly towards: exploring organisational and institutional innovation; considering the role of ancillary organisations, collaborative projects, and the various newly emerging innovative actors within and outside of the journalistic field; adopting bottom-up approaches to examine societal innovation and its public value and scrutinize questions around who benefits from change; and finally, paying more attention to the transnational as well as culture-specific contexts in which media innovations happens.
Article
In Cooper’s and White’s “Distinguished Performances: The Educative Role of Disciplines in Qualitative Research in Education” published in the International Review of Qualitative Research (2009), Cooper and White describe programs of research that led them to develop “The Five Contexts,” a analytical framework for conducting, understanding, and interpreting qualitative research in education and in other disciplines (169). That article ends with a question: “How can we delve more deeply into The Five Contexts to develop greater understanding of issues that cross disciplinary lines?” (185). This paper applies The Five Contexts framework to a theoretical analysis of the term “innovation”. As education researchers embarking on a research project on innovation in social sciences and humanities education, Cooper and Waterman view innovation literature, especially the work of Benoît Godin, through the lenses of The Five Contexts—autobiographical, historical, political, postmodern, and philosophical. The discussion provides a critical analysis of the term “innovation” in the educational context. It suggests that the concept of innovation in education may be due for a renewal, in the sense of a return of the old as new and a broader concept of innovation beyond information technology, which is becoming status quo. This paper provides an example of employing The Five Contexts analytical framework as a tool for theoretical analysis, with “innovation” as the concept being explored.
Chapter
This chapter introduces social innovation (SI) as a concept of social change. After introducing conceptual work of recent years that situates SI in a democratic tradition of systemic change, particularly Transformative Social Innovation theory, we explore the relevance of utopia as additional element of a theory of social innovation as social change. While multi-level system approaches try to provide analytical tools to measure the impact of SI efforts over time they do not elaborate enough on the role of initial motivations, worldviews and hopes of social actors who decide to engage in SI processes, inspired by dreams and visions of alternatives. Human desire and imagined possibilities are considered key drivers of action but they are under-estimated in SI research with transformational interest. To bring their role to the fore we suggest working with Levitas’ distinction of content, functions and form of utopia to help operationalise the utopian dimension in relation to motivations and goals of SI. Utopia helps to formulate and reformulate a critique of the present, which can motivate SI but in Levitas’ approach it also encourages ongoing critical reflection on change actions and efforts. Used in a theory of change together with more system-centered approaches like TSI we make a conceptually derived argument that utopia can help towards a more integrated understanding of SI and social change by keeping focus on the role of actors throughout SI process and outcomes.
Article
Full-text available
Innovations (adoption of laws by states) were studied in three “have-not” oriented policy areas: education, welfare, and civil rights. A model of the diffusion process based on user interaction was constructed; it performed fairly well under evaluation by several common criteria. Graphical analysis showed, however, that diffusion patterns do differ by issue area and by degree of federal involvement. Political and economic explanations proved to be useful in determining which states are the first to adopt laws. A brief case history of the adoption of Mothers’ Aid legislation pointed up the strong effect of Progressive sympathies on early adopters. Finally, it was shown that “innovativeness” is not a pervasive factor; rather, it is issue-and time-specific at best. © 1973, American Political Science Association. All rights reserved.
Article
This paper reports the processes by which an interdisciplinary research project overcame the usual problems of antagonism among disciplines and succeeded in introducing a number of social innovations into a community. In terms of the experience five "principles" of successful social innovation are suggested: (a) the principle of maximum investment, (b) the principle of co-optation, (c) the principle of egalitarian responsibility, (d) the principle of research as creative play, and (e) the principle of ideological research leadership. A high degree of staff involvement is made possible by a relaxation of superego prohibitions against novelty and originality, by allowing maximum feasible participation of all project personnel, and by providing realistically wide but unambiguous boundaries and limits. Under these conditions the research group may take on certain of the emotionally charged, proselyting characteristics of a small social movement and may have an impact on the community out of all proportion to its size.
Article
Engineers and economists are generally agreed on the importance of industrial innovation, but mystery still surrounds the subject. Why are some inventions successful and others failures? What influence does company size or management structure have on the success or otherwise of innovations? Recent studies suggest that the answers are completely different in different groups of industries.
Article
Two studies are reported that apply diffusion theory to two new consumer products. The research objective in both studies was to discriminate buyers from nonbuyers using the personal characteristics of respondents and their perceptions of each new product and thereby also to assess the relative importance of the predictor variables. In both studies perceptual variables are found far more successful as predictors of the purchase outcome than respondent personal characteristics.