Tura T. and Harmaakorpi V. (2005) Social capital in building regional innovative capability, Regional Studies 39 , 1111-1125. The paper focuses on the relation of social capital and regional innovative capability. It examines the social nature of the innovative processes placing demands on the regional innovation environment and underlining the importance of social capital. The paper analyses the concept of social capital and problems connected to it. It introduces a conception of social capital defining it functionally as a field-specific social resource of an actor. This conception is applied to analyse social capital as a central element in enhancing regional innovative capability. The relation between social capital and innovation capability is not, however, without problems. This still controversial relation is discussed.Social capital, Regional innovative capability, Innovation, Valeur de l'interaction sociale, Capacite d'innovation regionale, Innovation, Sozialkapital, regionale Innovationsfahigkeit, Innovation, Capital social, Capacidad innovadora de las regiones, Innovacion, JEL classifications: O18, O31, R11, Z13,
Purpose -The purpose of this study is to examine the ongoing dynamics of the public service sector reform through an embedding process of a municipal enterprise from the field of basic social and health care services -a pilot model in Finland. Design/methodology/approach -The framework of a multi-level perspective on transitions is used to describe the change process. At the lowest level of this perspective are the experimental niches acting as "seeds of change" represented by the case organisation, a municipal enterprise operating in the basic social and health care sector. The data consist of 16 thematic interviews with the key persons of the operating system, analysed with the principles of content analysis. Findings -The examination uncovers diverse pressures affecting niche level innovations and manifesting as clashes and controversies between old and new ways of thinking, but these clashes can also act as a platform for innovations when opened up, analysed and facilitated. Practical implications -Clashes that appear in societal transition processes and regime changes, both in the regimes and also on the organisational level, should not be seen solely as bottlenecks, because they can act as innovation potential when opened up and facilitated. This implies the need for not only new technological, service-related and organisational innovations in the public sector reform, but also innovative practices, "second level innovations". Originality/value -This paper contributes to the discussion on the ongoing change processes in the reform of the social and health care sector, emphasising emerging clashes not only as obstacles but opportunities.
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