Discuss About The Ethical Contribution Of Organizations To Society.

Proposed Social Innovation and Its Contribution

Social innovation is used to explain a very wide range of activity. Such includes the development of new commodities, programs and services; workplace innovation, social enterprises, social entrepreneurship and enterprise-led sustainable growth among other activities (Nauta, 2012). There are diverse definitions of Social Innovation due to the fact that social innovation is principally a practice-led discipline where meanings and definitions are attained through people partaking activities in new means as opposed to reflecting on them in an academic manner.

A social innovation is usually new in any setting that it appears in. it might not be exclusively new, but ought to be new to those implicated by it. Secondly, it should meet a social need as the intended purpose of social innovation is to solve social needs in a beneficial manner   (Bourque, et al., 2009). They can also help in articulating social needs, and legitimization of the needs that have gone unrecognized for long and the upcoming ones. Social innovations are argued to be distinct from general innovations that impact society.

Additionally, these innovations should engage and mobilize recipients (Anderson, 2014). Beneficiaries should be directly or indirectly engaged in the creation and governance of a social innovation. Engagement leads to more innovative and better solutions in addition to improved awareness, competences and increased self- esteem dignity. Finally, the transformational aspect of social innovation is vital. It aims at transforming and developing access to resources and power in the society.

Explained below are the major principles of community engagement which exhibit the mutual understanding and beliefs of those involved in community engagement in relation to the connection between business and marginalized communities.

1. Careful preparation and planning – Through sufficient and comprehensive planning, one should ensure that the organization, design, and summoning of the process serve both the participants’ needs and a clearly outlined purpose. (Jason, 2013).
2. Demographic Diversity and Inclusion – This requires equitable incorporation of diverse people, ideas, voices, and information as a basis for democratic legitimacy and quality outcomes(Trevino & Nelson, 2011).
3. Shared Purpose and Collaboration – This principle calls for assistance and encouraging contributors, societal institutions, government and others to work collectively to improve the common benefits.
4. Learning and Openness – This necessitates assisting all parties involved to listen to one another, learn and use information in means that create new options, discover new ideas not limited by predetermined results and thoroughly assess community engagement actions for effectiveness.
5. Trust and Transparency – This means being open and clear concerning the process, and offering a public record of the sponsors, organizers, outcomes, and variety of ideas and views expressed  (Gonzalez-Perez & Leornard, 2013). 
6. Impact and Action – This necessitates ensuring that each effort taken has a real possibility to bring about a difference and that participants are conscious of that possibility.
7. Sustained Engagement and Participatory Culture – This principle calls for the promotion of a participation culture with institutions and programs that support continuous quality community engagement.

To begin with is the engagement of the public in decision making. Involvement of the beneficiaries in making decisions on issues that concern them is vital (Peris-Ortiz, et al., 2018). Involving the general public in various ways may help in a better understanding of the challenges that they are experiencing. Every actor in the society has the specific or unique knowledge they possess.

As such, they may help in coming up with brilliant intervention ideas that may be used to address the challenges. A clear understanding of a challenge raises the potential of dealing with it. Involving o beneficiaries, therefore, will enable all bodies involved to make a well informed and consistent decision. This would consequently lead to more sustainable development and equality between communities.

The second aspect is community empowerment (Franzi, et al., 2017)`. This is a participatory improvement group based process by which marginalized groups and individuals are able to gain more control over their undertakings and surrounding, acquire basic rights and valued resources and attain relevant goals in life. Encouraging .this can be done by assisting the local and small industries among these communities. The government could offer subsidies that will be useful in enhancing the optimal use and development of available resources (Saul, 2011). This will lead to gradual developments in their economy which will, in turn, lead to growth.

SWOT and PESTLE Analysis

Consequently, this calls for a responsible set of leaders among these groups.it necessitates the need for leaders who have the development of the society at heart. Able and intelligent leaders are a useful tool in enhancing economic empowerment in marginalized communities.

Lastly, diverse way of thinking can also be of great importance in offering solutions to economic problems faced by the marginalized communities all over. Numerous perspectives can add value when trying to solve these challenges (Moulaert, 2013). This is because it provides various methods of arriving at the solution.

If the society relies wholly on experts they are likely to be faced by lots of challenges when dealing with such issues. This can be curbed by incorporating several organs in solving the problems. Other problem solvers may have expertise in different disciplines are not restricted by established rules and therefore the incorporation will enable them to deal with the issues substantially, fostering development and growth among the marginalized communities. This will also lead to better living standards among such communities in the long run.

SWOT reports analyze the strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that social innovation results to in a society while PESTLE reports analyses the macroeconomic environment that social innovation takes place. It looks at political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors.

PESTLE analysis

SWOT analysis

The above social innovation plan if effectively implemented would be beneficial to the community in question. This is however subject to various funding concerns. The social innovation requires adequate funding in order to be successful. The funds may be offered by the government, sponsors, non-governmental institutions or private aiders and well-wishers. Inadequate funding will render the innovation plan ineffective inhibiting its success. This, therefore, calls for efforts by such organs to ensure that the process is sufficiently funded so that it can bring forth the expected outcomes. Such outcomes include economic empowerment, economic growth, improved business activities and general economic development among the marginalized or disadvantaged communities.

Ethical and Social responsibility is when individuals are responsible for fulfilling their duties for the normal functioning of the society. Actions of an individual in the society should be geared towards the betterment of the whole society at large. Balance exists between the environment and economic growth and the welfare of the society. When equilibrium is maintained between this sectors, ethical and social responsibility is optimally achieved. The social innovation has put into consideration ethical concerns. If the social innovation is implemented effectively as outlined it will be in line with all general ethics and not contradicting them.

Funding Concerns for Social Innovation

Additionally, all the business organizations involved in any part of the implementation process should be keen in observing all ethical concerns. They should be vigilant in ensuring that they do not violate any societal principles. All institutions involved should make sure that they do not have negative implications on the ethics of the community in which they are operating within.

The implementation of the above concerns can face certain challenges. Firstly, the engagement value tends to be dependent on the type and practice of the activity, the setting in which it is exercised and the assisting structures around it. Also, it is difficult to ensure the right persons are being engaged, and that self-exclusion by the elite cliques and vested interests and elite groups is prevented (Schwartz, et al., 2015). Finally, even in cases where engagement leads to beneficial outcomes, they might not be the ones set by practitioners, policymakers, funders, and beneficiaries. That is policy maker while amending policies take into consideration many factors such as availability of finances to support the policy and prioritization. This may lead to the making of policies that were not ones suggested while engaging the public.

On empowerment, the challenge would be funding of the local projects and industries. Governments usually have tight budgets and adjusting the budget so as to subsidize some necessities to promote local industries might prove difficult (Franz, et al., 2012). It would require intervention by other donors or aid groups. Again making different groups of problem solvers is not an easy task as conflicts of interest are bound to rise and if not well tackled it could end up creating more issues than solutions.

On the other hand, the community may not be willing to transform from their traditional practice and believes to adopt new ways and methods of practice. For instance, empowering women to engage themselves in economic activities may receive resistance from communities who believe that the woman’s place is a kitchen. Lack of willingness to support the process from those who will be affected by the process and in turn receives resistance will cripple the process of innovation.

In conclusion, this paper defines social innovation as new methods used to address societal needs and requirements which are social both in their means and the end. These innovations engage and mobilize the recipients and assist them to renovate social relations by advancing recipients’ access to resources and power. It also outlines the major principles used in the community engagement process and offers a suggestion for dealing with business related issues faced by the marginalized communities (Nicholls & Murdock, 2011). It also examines the major challenges that could be faced during the implementation of the suggested social innovation plan.

References

Anderson, S. G., 2014. New strategies for social innovation: market-based approaches for assisting the poor. New York: Columbia University Press.

Bourque, R., Harrison, D. & Szell, G., 2009. Social innovation, the social economy, and world economic d3velopment: democracy and labor rights in an area of globalization. New York: Frankfurt is Main.

Franz, H.-W., Hochgerner, J. & Howaldt, J., 2012. Challenge Social Innovation [recusre electronico] Potentials for Business, Social Entrepreneurship, Welfare and Civil Society. Alemania: Imprint Springer.

Franzi, M. P., Ospina, S. & Subirats, J., 2017. Social innovation and democratic leadership: communities and social change from below. Northampton: Edward Elgar Pub.

Gonzalez-Perez, M.-A. & Leonard, L., 2013. International business, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Jason, L., 2013. Principles of social change. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Moulaert, F., 2013. The international handbook on social innovation: collective action, social learning, and transdisciplinary research. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Nauta, F., 2012. Agents of change-strategy and tactics for social innovation. s.l. Brookings Institution.

Nicholls, A. & Murdock, A., 2011. social innovation: blurring boundaries of reconfiguring markets. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Peris-Ortiz, M., Gomez, J. & Marquez, P., 2018. strategies and best practices in social innovation an institutional perspective. s.l. Cham Springler.

Saul, J., 2011. Social innovation, Inc.; 5 Strategies for driving business growth through social change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schwartz, M., Harris, H. & Comer, D., 2015. The ethical contribution of organizations to society. bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Trevino, L. K. & Nelson, K., 2011. Managing business ethics: straight talk about how to do it right. New York: J Wiley, cop.

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