Social Entrepreneurs as Lead Users for Service Innovation (SELUSI)

Principal Investigators

Dr Ute Stephan
Email: U.Stephan@sheffield.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 114 222 3286

Project Description

SELUSI stands on two distinct but synergetic research pillars. One pillar aims at furthering our understanding of emerging social ventures across Europe, approaching the phenomenon from various angles. The other pillar strives to further our understanding of open service innovations, exploring the possibility to link-up emerging social entrepreneurs as “lead users” with established corporations in open innovation projects geared towards generating novel service design concepts.

The project places an emphasis on economic, managerial, and psychological perspectives with empirical, theoretical and experimental methodologies. SELUSI tries to combine complementary and novel data collection possibilities: To illustrate, we develop and analyze a unique panel dataset on the organizational behaviours and founding decisions of over 500 emerging social ventures in early phase of firm maturity, as well as conduct various lab experiments the purpose of which is e.g. to better understand innovation performance under a variety of incentive schemes given heterogeneity in pro-social preferences. SELUSI experiments with action-oriented research: we collaborate and pilot-test SELUSI service innovation mechanisms with real-life companies and social entrepreneurs.

SELUSI is funded by the European Commission under Framework Program 7, Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities with 1.5 Mio. Euro from 2008 – 2012.

Principal Aims

Advance the Knowledge Base on Social Entrepreneurhsip
We study the market behaviors and organizational design decisions of over 500 social enterprises in Europe over time. We are interested to better understand the implications of social mission drive for managerial practices and organizational performance.

Create Novel Mechanisms of Open Service Innovation

We bring forward emerging social entrepreneurs as a powerful, yet so far untapped source of ‘external’ intelligence, ideas and technologies, and advance and pilot-test concrete strategies for how companies can access and leverage this intelligence in their service innovation processes.

Distil Insights for Innovation and Economic Policy
From our unique blend of fundamental and applied research, we aim to distil new public policy insights that can inform national and European policy-making with respect to the competitiveness of the service sector, the roles of social ventures and service innovation. In addition, we take a strong interest in thinking through the policy-making relevance of our work to non-EU emerging economies, as well as the developing world.

Key Findings

… coming soon …

For an example, see the summary of findings relating to social innovation and creativity. click here for the presentation and here for the supporting slide pack.

Project Collaborators

The project is led by the London School of Economics and Political Science and coordinated by the Dr Marieke Huysentruyt, LSE & Stockholm School of Economics. It is a collaborative project involving KU Leuven, Belgium; IESE Business School, Spain; Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden; Harvard Business School, USA; i-propeller, Belgium; and NEsST, USA & Hungary.
Core team members include Dr Suncica Vujic, LSE & University of Bath, Topi Miettienen, Aalto School of Economics, Dr Tomislav Rimac, UA Barcelona & IESE, Emma von Essen, Stockholm School of Economics, and Dr Ute Stephan, University of Sheffield & KU Leuven.

Please see www.selusi.eu for a full description of the academic partnership and team members.

Key References

Andersson, O., Huysentruyt, M., Miettienen, T. & Stephan, U. (2010). Productivity in Group Contests: Organizational Culture and Personality Effects. Max Planck Institute of Economic, Jena Economic
Research Papers, Nr. 2010-046, http://pubdb.wiwi.uni-jena.de/pdf/wp_2010_046.pdf (authors in alphabetical order)

Stephan, U. (2010). Social Entrepreneurship. In: M. Lukes & M. Laguna. Entrepreneurship: A Psychological Approach (pp. 17-35). Prague: Oeconomica.

Stephan, U. Huysentruyt, M.& Van Looy, B. (2010, November). Corporate social opportunity recognition and the value(s) of social entrepreneurs. Paper presented at the New York University, Stern School of Management, Annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference, November 3-5, 2010.

For more information please view the project website