Social Innovations within the Field of Sustainable Development in Croatia

Abstract

Social innovations are an area that has attracted growing scholarly and policy interest in recent years. They seek to respond more effectively to growing social needs and problems, and they presuppose not only new kinds of services but also new models of governance and participation and, more generally, new ways of doing things. Some research also emphasizes the transformative potential of social innovation for broader changes in systems and institutions. At the same time, the field of sustainable development is one of the most prominent areas of social development, typically encompassing economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the potential of social innovations for sustainable development in the Croatian context. There are two key research questions: first, how do social innovations in sustainable development emerge in the Croatian context, and second, how do social innovations impact sustainable development. The research is based on a qualitative approach, as it deals with an under-researched phenomenon, through exploratory multiple case studies (N=5). The cases are organizations (different types of legal entities) working in diverse areas of sustainable development. The analysis strategy was determined by the research design based on several key dimensions. Some of the main findings on the common characteristics of the cases are that: the organizations demonstrate a strong value base in their work, such as authenticity, transparency, solidarity, and reciprocity; and they cooperate with a relatively wide range of stakeholders from different sectors, such as local authorities, other organizations, educational institutions.