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Differences Between Social Innovation And Innovation

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This essay will be looking, in depth, at the terms ‘innovation’ and ‘social innovation’. I will begin by defining the two terms, as stated in the Triple E textbook, case studies and by authors Joseph Schumpeter and Michael Porter. Following this I will identify and explain two similarities and two differences between social innovation and innovation. I will then detail and explain a number of case studies on social innovation to create a better understanding of what social innovation is and what it deals with. Finally, I will draw a conclusion on the similarities and differences of the terms and what they mean to us in today’s world.
Innovation is defined as ‘the process of translating ideas into useful new products, processes or services’ . Social innovation is defined as ‘new solutions (products, services, models, markets, processes etc.) that simultaneously meet a social need (more effectively than existing solutions) and lead to new or improved capabilities and relationships and better use of assets and resources. In other words, social innovations are both good for society and enhance society’s capacity to act’. To gain a better understanding of both terms I will look at how two authors in the fields define innovation and social innovation. In Joseph Schumpeter’s book innovation is said to be ‘the introduction of a new good – that is one with which consumers are not yet familiar- or of a new quality of good.’ This allows us to see that innovation is concerned with

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