Key characteristics of social innovation towards sustainable development: A case study of social innovation projects in Central Thailand

Abstract

Social innovation is a new strategy that organizations worldwide emphasize using as a tool to address issues that respond to the needs of society and create positive changes in the dimensions of society, economy, and the environment. This research aims to identify the characteristics of social innovation that align with sustainable development approaches in Thai society. The study examined 15 social innovation projects specifically chosen to receive budgetary support from the Social Innovation Driving Unit of Central Thailand for the fiscal years 2022 and 2023 to develop social innovation. A purposive sampling method was used to select 30 key informants, including project leaders and experts. Data were collected using documents and in-depth interviews. Content analysis was then used to interpret and categorize the collected data. The research results indicated 5 essential components of being a social innovation: (1) responsiveness to real societal needs, (2) novelty, (3) transdisciplinary and collaborative network support, (4) commercial scalability, and (5) value creation in the social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Furthermore, the research highlighted the intrinsic values generated by applying innovation, leading to positive social impacts that support sustainable development, such as promoting health and well-being, fostering equity in opportunities and income, conserving, and enhancing the value of local cultures, conducting environmentally friendly operations, establishing community role models utilizing clean energy, and disseminating best practices to other communities. Organizations interested in social innovation for sustainable business and community development should integrate these five characteristics into their social innovation project frameworks, thereby perpetuating the pursuit of sustainable development goals.