Actors, the individuals or groups of individuals (organizations) who are able to influence outcomes and cause change, are in many ways the repositories of knowledge and skills for social innovation in a fast-changing environment where there is limited external, contemporary documentation. Because knowledge is spread across actors, interaction is required for the different knowledge types to mix. Networks are therefore important to social innovation as innovation is the result of new combinations of diverse knowledge types. This paper uses data from an existing research project mapping individual networks of innovating social enterprises in India to improve our understanding of 1) who social entrepreneurs turn to for access to knowledge and financial and non-financial support in order to innovate, build and grow the business and develop social capital; 2) the mechanisms through which they build the relationships that form the basis of their network and 3) the role of networks of individual social innovators in contributing to meeting goals of social innovation that are systemic rather than individual. [Author’s abstract].
Sonne, Lina (2013) The usefulness of networks : a study of social innovation in India (Paper presented at the international conference Social Frontiers : The next edge of social innovation research, at GCu's London Campus on 14th and 15th November 2013).
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