Social innovation in social economy and its promotion in a regional environment. The Principality of Asturias case

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether social innovation has taken root in the last two decades in the social economy sector of the Principality of Asturias (Spain) as a key enterprise development factor in the current post-crisis environment derived from successive financial, health and geopolitical crises. For this, it is conceptually defined, firstly, what is understood by social innovation and its basic dimensions, reflecting on the extent to which the social economy sector can be considered as socially innovative. After that, the methodology and the main results of a study carried out through a review of specialized literature and a qualitative analysis through in-depth interviews with a sample of 21 heads of social enterprise, institutions or corporate entities linked to the sector in Asturias are presented. These results show how, indeed, the principles of social innovation are beginning to be adopted by the sector, albeit in an incipient way as a consequence of different weaknesses associated with its degree of entrepreneurship, organizational structure and development strategy. The paper ends by suggesting a series of recommendations that could contribute to the promotion of the sector as a whole and of the enterprises that make it up.