BEYOND CSR. TOWARDS A NEW PARADIGM OF DEVELOPMENT BASED IN SOCIAL INNOVATION

Abstract

The economic challenges are increasingly social, questioning traditional models of growth based on technological innovation.
Therefore, social innovation is gaining weight in response to problems the market and the public sector have been unsuccessful
(unemployment, poverty, climate change, social exclusion,...).
In this paper, from a theoretical perspective, we associate social innovation with the Schumpeterian concept of creative
catharsis that will ease the transition from one mode of economist production to one of social inclusion. From a more empirical
point of view, we use the experience in social innovation from several (European) countries. Through case studies we specify
in which areas social innovation is deployed (equality, social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility,...), and its
dimension throughout the observation of new products, services and models that have been implemented and the relationships
or/and collaborations emerged. Social innovation is characterize throughout a SWOT analysis to assess their pertinence as a
tool to tackle crisis-effects and in response to the current socio-economic challenges.