Social entrepreneurs as ecosystem catalysts: the dynamics of forming and withdrawing from a self-sustaining ecosystem

Creating a long-lasting impact is one of the defining goals of social entrepreneurship. Yet, social entrepreneurs often face a dilemma between sustaining their organization and offering a permanent fix to a social problem. We question the assumption that organizational permanence and growth are intrinsically desirable for social entrepreneurs and propose an alternative, an inductively grounded model of ecosystem leadership, which we term ecosystem catalysis. Through a single case study of social entrepreneurs addressing the lack of access to diarrhoea treatment in Zambia, we conceptualize ecosystem catalysis as a process through which an organization forms an ecosystem around a new value proposition while gradually making itself redundant, ultimately withdrawing from the ecosystem without compromising its functioning. Our work contributes to ecosystem literature by contrasting the key aims and mechanisms of an ecosystem catalyst to those of an orchestrator and identifying the conditions under which catalysing may be a better choice than orchestrating an ecosystem. We contribute to social entrepreneurship literature by decoupling social impact from organizational growth and permanence and presenting a more dynamic model of social impact resulting from distributed contributions in ecosystems

Rethinking diffusion of vaccines: giving healthcare a better shot

Vaccination is an area of rapid scientific and technological advance and is among the most successful public health interventions ever. However, for its potential to be met, innovation systems should not only make vaccines available: it is also essential that delivery systems suit social desires and local peculiarities. This work presents 2 cases of failures in diffusing vaccines, as social, cultural and political aspects were not well addressed throughout the campaigns. Lessons taken from these cases suggest that instead of focusing merely on increasing immunity, policies should integrate interdisciplinary bodies of knowledge and promote social engagement through bottom-up processes. These approaches are not only keener on improving acceptability and efficacy in delivering existing technologies, but also to create (and adapt) novelties based on local capabilities

Sustainability Hacking: conceptual development and empirical exploration

Systemic humanitarian, environmental, and socio-political problems are impeding current and future generations from meeting their very basic needs. The speed and scope of mainstream responses to the world’s most pressing problems are limited by agency failures and by the ‘rules of the game’. In this context, this research contributes to theory and practice by formulating and exploring the concept of Sustainability Hacking, a particularly advantageous change driver in situations where information is limited, resources are scarce, stakes are high, and decision-making is urgent. This research was conducted through 3 sequential stages. First, the researcher has systematically reviewed the literature on sociotechnical system change for sustainability. This review exposed and discussed 15 theoretical foundations that shape what changes are perceived as desirable and attainable, as well as how to navigate between all the coexisting pathways to drive positive change. By examining these foundations, it became possible to pinpoint opportunities for future contributions. Among them was the idea of investigating the meaning, characteristics and potential implications of Hacking as a change driver of sociotechnical systems. These were revealed in the 2nd research stage, after interviewing self-declared Hackers and cybersecurity experts to understand how they used the term and how they pursued their desired systemic changes. This stage provided the definition, as well as 9 dominant characteristics of System Hacking. The term refers to exploring unconventional solutions to a problem within sociotechnical systems. ‘Unconventional’ here means deviating from embedded institutions, i.e. the rules of the game in a society. Institutions represent sources of stability, coherence, and continuity of systems, while simultaneously shaping public expectations of what changes are viable and the heuristics of how they should be pursued. Differently from conventional approaches, system Hackers are not aiming at changing rules, neither are they passively complying with them. Instead, they work around the ‘rules of the game’ to accomplish ‘good-enough’ results promptly. The 3rd research stage consisted of investigating and working with Sustainability Hacks, i.e. System Hacks addressing pressing sustainability problems. This was performed through a combination of Action Research and Case Studies. Benefitting from a diverse database of 19 cases, the researcher conducted a cross-case analysis, which provided comprehensive observations on the 15 main similarities and 10 differences that constitute the key analytical variables of Sustainability Hacking. Furthermore, the analysis derived 5 Archetypes that can be used as frames of reference to provide guidance for practitioners evaluating possibilities of addressing pressing sustainability problems, as well as to support future academic contributions in this nascent field of research.Gates Cambridg

The “piggyback” approach to innovation

In business and in life, we tend to address problems in the manner we’ve been taught, failing to see adjacent opportunities and unconventional pairings. Consider how we have “the way” we do things: the way we make pasta, the way we use a hammer, the way we deal with our day-to-day problems. On the one hand, this keeps us focused — it gives us a mental script to follow. On the other hand, it limits our ability to see beyond the default. Piggybacks — tactics that capitalize on pre-existing but seemingly unrelated systems and networks — can help organizations create entirely new businesses, diversify sources of revenue, improve products’ appeal, and increase exposure. The author offers examples of how organizations, ranging from small nonprofits to big corporations, are employing this tactic

Prototyping, experimentation, and piloting in the business model context

Business model innovation is increasingly seen as a key competitive factor in B2B settings. In this context, prototyping, experimentation, and piloting have gained prominence as agile and resourceful methods that can be employed in business model innovation pursuits. Yet, despite increasing interest in this area, and the growing number of large B2B companies who also started deploying these methods, there is a lack of clarity on the conceptual boundaries between the three concepts. This may impede the advancement of business model innovation research and practices based on the three concepts. We address this gap by conducting a structured literature review, using cross-reference searches and a key informant interview study of 43 executives in 13 B2B organisations. We offer three contributions: (1) definitions for each of these three concepts, (2) seven dominant similarities and (3) five key differences across them. Our research shows that the concepts serve distinct purposes at different stages of the business model innovation process, and we discuss these findings and their broader implications for the literature on business model innovation and for innovation management practices in B2B companies.Marketing and Consumer Researc

Empowering Political Participation Through Artificial Intelligence

Technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI) can radically change the existing political paradigm, empowering more diffused forms of political participation beyond elections—especially in the emergent worldwide context of unrestricted disclosure of governmental data online. The objective of this research is to investigate how civil society can use AI-based technologies to empower political participation. A sample of 721 publications was conducted through a combination of bibliometric analysis and systematic review, which revealed the characteristics and the nascent state of literature. This was followed by an exploratory Case Study, conducted through in-depth interviews and participant observation and supplemented by secondary materials. The content of the Case Study was extensively and systematically analysed through textual coding. We depicted a framework of how civil society can use AI-based technologies to nurture diffused political participation. This framework scrutinizes six focal areas and their respective dominant traits and descriptive features, aiming at contributing to guiding academic studies and political endeavours