ABSTRACT
Social innovation, in the context of public innovation, has gained increased attention in the literature, and is approached relative to the third sector, to social enterprises, or as practices initiated by the public sector. However, the interplay among these actors in enabling social innovation is still underexplored. Therefore, the article investigates the role of social entrepreneurs from outside the public sector in enabling public sector innovation networks. Since social innovation is inherently relational, four cases demonstrating how social entrepreneurs have pushed the boundaries of public sector services, and hence expanded public innovation networks, are analysed.
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Notes on contributors
Anne Vorre Hansen
Anne Vorre Hansen is Associate Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at Roskilde University. Anne is an an experienced consultant, project manager and researcher of user- and citizen driven innovation processes across the private, the public and the third sector besides civil society led initiatives. In her current research, she focuses on social innovation and value co-creation processes and practices.
Lars Fuglsang
Lars Fuglsang is Professor at Roskilde University. His research is how institutional and organizational frameworks are created to deal with the impact of innovation, technology and other forms of change on business and society. His current research is focusing on a practice-based understanding of the innovation process, i.e. innovation is seen as closely connected with practices and routines.
Faïz Gallouj
Faïz Gallouj is Professor of Economics and Editor-in-Chief of the European Review of Service Economics and Management. He has authored or co-authored 155 articles that have been published in scientific journals and books and 35 research reports for different national and international institutions (including OECD, European Commission). He is also the author, co-author or editor of 17 books on services and innovation.
Ada Scupola
Ada Scupola is Professor at Roskilde University. Her main research interests are at the intersection between digitalization, innovation and service sector and include user driven innovation, digital innovation, adoption and diffusion of information and communication technologies. Her research counts over 160 publications including articles in international journals, book chapters and edited books.