This paper aims to map and analyze the scientific production of social innovation, resulting in a contribution to the literature review and guidelines for future research. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to explore the trends on the topic. The primary objectives are (1) to identify how the literature defines the concept of social innovation and to track its evolution; (2) to measure productivity and identify key authors and scientific journals with the highest impact in the field and the association networks between their respective institutions and countries of origin; (3) to analyze and map citations, co-citations, and research topics to pinpoint the topics and dimensions related to social innovation in order to propose future research. Our paper clarifies the concept of social innovation, reports the progresses achieved within this research field, and measures the productivity on this specific topic.
Start today and finish yesterday" wants to emphasize the importance and the potential urgency of social innovation and its positive impacts, since there is a clear impact of social innovation on society and the welfare of individuals, and for that reason, there is a need to gain in-depth knowledge on the topic. Social innovation can be seen as enhanced forms of action, new ways of doing things, or new social inventions, and by addressing different issues through a social innovation lens, we can expect to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the community, potentially leading to a more sustainable and equitable future. The present research aims to understand how the context, market, potential human performance, and competitive advantage strategies, interfere with the process of social innovation and foster the creation of social value for the community. The case study was the method used, with semi-structured interviews that enabled the comparison of five social innovation projects. Our main conclusions show the importance of contextual factors and the strong presence of the market as important impacts on social projects. Social innovation often stems from the efforts of motivated individuals who strive to bring about change and are willing to take on risks. Evaluating and communicating the social value generated by social innovation projects is vital, but can be difficult to quantify. Finally, the credibility of these projects plays a crucial role in their recognition and competitiveness, and government support through legislation promoting value-sharing and sustainable development can help legitimize them.
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