Socio-Tech Innovation

Harnessing Technology for Social Good

Latha Poonamallee, Joanne Scillitoe, Simy Joy, Latha Poonamallee, Joanne Scillitoe, Simy Joy

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9783030395537
• eBook ISBN: 9783030395544
• Topic: Negocios y empresa
• Subtopic: Emprendimiento

This book defines socio-technological innovation and lays out different aspects of technology innovation and adoption literature as applied to socio-tech innovation and entrepreneurship. Socio-tech innovation refers to novel solutions that involve development or adoption of technological innovations to address social and/or environmental problems with a view towards creating benefit for the larger whole rather than just for the owners or investors. Unlike conventionaltechnological innovation, socio-tech innovation either develops a product specifically for underserved markets and adopts a model in which the market is not an afterthought but the rai-son d'etre. Social ventures have not been as successful in scaling up, though technology innovation-led ventures have; therefore, meaningful actionable insights that can help social ventures scale up successfully can be gleaned by this process. This book offers researchers in innovation and entrepreneurship programsa uniqueand interdisciplinary approach to studying social innovation that is grounded in technology innovation. This book features a series of socio-tech venture cases that illustrate these dynamics and can be used in undergraduate and graduate courses.

© The Author(s) 2020

L. Poonamallee et al. (eds.)Socio-Tech Innovationhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39554-4_1

Begin Abstract

1. Introduction: Socio-Tech Venturing—Theoretical Lens of Key Areas of Complexities

Joanne Scillitoe¹ , Latha Poonamallee² and Simy Joy³

(1)

California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, USA

(2)

The New School, New York, NY, USA

(3)

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode, Kozhikode, Kerala, India

Joanne Scillitoe

Email: [email protected]

Latha Poonamallee (Corresponding author)

Email: [email protected]

Simy Joy

End Abstract

According to a 2016 report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, there are an increasing number of new ventures founded globally that have a social orientation, seeking to make the world a better place somehow, someway. Within this mix are several ventures utilizing technological innovations (broadly defined) in significant ways to serve the poor and marginalized or to improve society overall across the globe in areas including but not limited to healthcare, financial inclusion, food security, farm-tech, energy, and education (Gharib 2016). This new type of venture that combines a social mission with the strategic use of a technological innovation(s) has been aptly described as a socio-tech venture (Scillitoe et al. 2016, 2018). Socio-tech ventures possess the unique ability to leverage technological innovations in ways that traditional social enterprise, nonprofits, and government agencies do not yet can also achieve their primary social goals. However, there is a very limited understanding of how these socio-tech ventures are best created, developed, supported, and sustained to generate their intended social impact. This case anthology provides an avenue where readers can engage in the detailed stories of a diverse mix of socio-tech ventures in order to gain practical insights and develop a holistic understanding of the dynamics of socio-tech venturing. Insights gleaned are valuable to a wide audience including masters and advanced undergraduate students, entrepreneurs, business development professionals, NGOs, government agencies, and others who engage and work with these socio-tech ventures.

A deeper understanding of what a socio-tech venture is and what it is not, as well as some of the unique dynamics they grapple with will help uncover the complexities of these ventures and provide a valuable framework for case readers. As noted above, socio-tech ventures are socially minded ventures that are formed to create social value by employing technological innovation as a key strategic component of their value proposition to customers and/or beneficiaries. While socio-tech ventures may appear to be similar to purely social ventures due to their commonality of having a social mission, socio-tech ventures also have to develop and manage a technological innovation that is key to their output and social impact, distinguishing them from purely social ventures. In addition, socio-tech ventures may appear to be similar to technology ventures in regard to the management of a significant technological innovation, but socio-tech ventures must also be mindful of their social mission as a primary goal, distinguishing them from purely technology ventures where social impact is a byproduct at best. A socio-tech venture is unique in that it is balancing technological innovation management with social impact. In this discussion, it is also important to distinguish between an enabling technology versus a core technology. An enabling technology is one that facilitates or helps a venture complement their core operations and strategic goals such as using social media, an existing app, non-proprietary communication technology, or a purchased piece of equipment or device. Enabling technologies are commonly used by many ventures and firms today, including social ventures. When discussing socio-tech ventures, it is important to note that these ventures are employing a significant and newly created or modified technological innovation that is at the core of their strategic goals and value proposition such as a newly developed software, medical technology, engineering invention, energy device, and an app (Schilling 2019). Early research suggests that trying to develop, manage, and operate a socio-tech venture using established models related to purely social ventures or purely technology ventures will result in outcomes ranging from subpar to disastrous (Scillitoe et al. 2016). Understanding how to develop, manage, and operate a socio-tech venture requires unique insights and models.

Socio-tech ventures struggle to balance the tensions between technology innovation development, creating social value, and sustaining operations that can result in competing forces that ultimately influence economic and social value outcomes. Prior work to date suggests there are key areas of complexities specific to socio-tech ventures (see Fig. 1.1). Each is elaborated below.

Fig. 1.1

Key areas of complexities for socio-tech venturing

Innovation Development

The innovation development involves the various resources allocated to securing, improving, integrating, and managing the technological innovation central to the socio-tech venture. One of the earliest decisions a firm makes regarding a relevant technological innovation to address an identified need or problem, is whether to create a new innovation, adopt an existing innovation, and/or improve an adopted innovation (Christensen et al. 2006; Gopalakrishnan and Damanpour 1997). Research suggests that while some entrepreneurial ventures generate innovations, most are more likely to adopt and improve upon existing innovations to reduce the costs, time, and risks associated with research and development (R&D) (Szirmai et al. 2011). Ventures that pursue the generation of innovations have a reduced survival rate due to a liability of newness and smallness (Hyytinen et al. 2014). Relevant to socio-tech ventures, unique dynamics associated with innovation adoption and subsequent innovation development include the experience and innovation stance of the founding team and the complexity of the innovation (Scillitoe et al. 2018).

Founding team experience, whether gained prior to venture creation or via mentoring/advisement/investors during the venture development process, can leave an imprint on the best ways to invest in and develop technological innovations. Given the recent prevalence of socio-tech ventures, there are not many experienced professionals familiar with their development and the founding team members tend to have varied backgrounds with deep-rooted habits and mindsets that they tend to reproduce in new entrepreneurial ventures, where organizational practices are still evolving (Battilana and Dorado 2010; Battilana et al. 2012). This can result in ambiguity and competing approaches among the founding team on how to best manage and develop the technological innovation of the socio-tech venture. In addition, some of these founders may have a more pro-innovation stance than others. A pro-innovation founder’s personality can be demarcated into general innovativeness/degree of openness to newness and specific innovativeness or the propensity to be an early adopter of an innovation (Marmer 2012). These pro-innovation entrepreneurs tend to encourage and engage in more activities in the innovation process towards new or improved products and services in addition to innovative organizational systems and boundary support mechanisms (Kickul and Gundry 2002; Mercati et al. 2008).

The complexity of an innovation reflects the degree to which an innovation is multifaceted, new or original, and difficult to understand and use (Damanpour and Schneider 2006; Gopalakrishnan and Damanpour 1994). Complex innovations often require investing in external partnerships where entrepreneurial ventures seek support and knowledge to increase production capacity, increase market access and performance, share expenses, gain credibility, seek financing, and overall valuable advice to enhance their innovation (Schøtt and Sedaghat 2014). However, these ventures also need to guard against opportunistic behavior, develop trust, and manage national cultural value differences with these external partners (Steensma et al. 2000). Trialability reflects the degree a technological innovation must be tested by users prior to full implementation to reduce financial, technical, and/or social risks (Damanpour and Schneider 2006). Socio-tech ventures may have customers that differ from beneficiaries and must determine which of these clients they must invest resources for their product/service trials (Scillitoe et al. 2016).

Strategic Orientation

The strategic orientation of a socio-tech venture can include market, social, or a combined market/social orientation. This strategic orientation reflects the strategic direction, resources, and activities conducted by a firm (Schilling 2019). A market orientation is a customer focused, market pull process, via a multi-functional, pervasive, firm...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Introduction: Socio-Tech Venturing—Theoretical Lens of Key Areas of Complexities
• 2. Harnessing Power at the Edge: A Case of MBISSA Energy Systems, a Socio-Tech Venture from Africa
• 3. How Technology Led to the Empowerment of Women Lenders and Borrowers
• 4. The Vanishing Blue Gold—An Old Problem, a New Technology and a Big Idea—Clensta International
• 5. The Elusive Model of Technology, Media, Social Development, and Financial Sustainability
• 6. Napify: A Case of Social Innovation and Market Value Capture
• 7. Technology and Tenacity in Rural India
• 8. Saving Little Lives Through Bempu TempWatch
• 9. AgriApp: Enabling Social Change Through Technology
• 10. Lifting the Lid Off the Toilet—Understanding the Indian Context and A Case on Samagra Empowerment Foundation
• 11. Farmers’ Producer Organization (FPO) of Kaushalya Foundation: Enabling Social Inclusion of Women Through Technology
• 12. GoCoop: Leveraging Technology to Impact the Lives of the Rural Poor
• 13. Building Entrepreneurial Community: A Collaborative Benefit Corporation for Women Empowering Women
• 14. Kindling Change: A Case for Sustainable Development Work
• 15. CropIn: Addressing Farmer Poverty Through “Connected” Farming
• 16. Conclusion: Socio-Tech Enterprises, Actors, and Dynamics of Innovation Development and Implementation