This course is designed to offer students concepts and instruments necessary to gain a better understanding of social innovation processes, broadly interpreted to include different entrepreneurial responses to the problem of jointly and entrepreneurially pursuing social, economic and financial returns. This involves the reinterpretation of the whole set of managerial notions that students are already provided with, from corporate strategy to innovation management, accounting and financing, in light of such blended objectives. The course is dedicated to social innovation and entrepreneurship in a broad sense, including the analysis of corporate strategy, corporate governance, innovation management, corporate finance, accounting and control, performance management as a function of the objectives of newly established social ventures or of consolidated, traditional enterprises wishing to exploit the opportunities related to emerging societal challenges. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to interpret and face any managerial challenge related to social entrepreneurship, in both start-ups and established companies as well as to discuss related policy issues.

The course fits into the overall program curriculum pursuing some of the defined general learning goals. In particular, the course contributes to the development of the following capabilities:

• Develop new ideas and solutions in business and industrial scenarios evolving over time; 

• Understand context, functions, processes in a business and industrial environment and the impact of those factors on business performance;

• Design solutions applying a scientific and engineering approach to face problems and opportunities in a business and industrial environment.

For each of the prevoius highlighted goals, the main expected learning outcomes are:

- understanding the concept of social innovation; 

- re-interpreting of the whole set of managerial notions that students are already provided; 

- gaining the competences to face the managerial challenges experienced by social ventures and established companies in developing social impact initiatives.

Professor

Guest Lecturer

Assistant

Consultation hours

At the end of class or by appointement at the Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering(DIG), Via Lambruschini 4/b (Campus Bovisa).

Web Site

The website of the course, hosted by the platform Beep of Politecnico (beep.metid.polimi.it), is the main channel for the communication of important information, such as the possible displacement/suspension of classes, the suggestion of reading/studying materials, the publication of the test results, etc .. .

Programme

I – SOCIETAL CHALLENGES AND TRANSFORMATION

1. Introduction: Impact Innovation
2. New economic paradigms: inclusive economy, sharing economy and circular economy.
3. Social Innovation Theory: definition, fields of application. The process of social innovation. Multi-stakeholder approach.

II – STRATEGY

1. Social Impact Venture and Measurement of Social Impact.
2. Legal framework for Social Impact Venture.
3. Corporate Social Responsibility: advanced strategies.

III – INNOVATION

1. Managing socialtech Innovation.
2. Technology-enabled solutions to social problems. Frugal and Open Innovation. Co-creation and the maker movement.

IV – FINANCE

1. The Social and Participative Finance Spectrum.
2. Social Impact Finance and its instruments.

Knowledge about the main theories of firms' strategy and business development. 

Exam

The final test will be a critical discussion (oral exam) of the theoretical concepts and cases developed in class.

The assessment is based on the knowledge of the theories and in particular on the student's ability to prove its understanding of the application of them in real-world. 

Some of the chapters will be mandatory