Teaser:

The concept of social innovation has not been widely used under such a term in Poland until the beginning of the 21st century. In 1990s in the relation to the new social solutions, we mainly used phrases such as “social change” and “institutionalization of change.” The term “innovation” was used primarily in the context of new technologies, market products, and services. The discussion of the concept of “social innovation” in Poland is still at an early stage. Researchers and organizations dealing with this topic mainly use the general definition, which assumes that social innovation is an action based on both social ends and social means, which include new ideas (products, services, and models) that meet social needs (more effectively than alternatives) and create new social relationships or collaborations.
This does not mean that the Polish society has no experience in the creation and dissemination of social innovation. Until recently, they have been recognized in Poland mainly as a part of the social entrepreneurship due to the high promotion and development of new forms of social economy at the beginning of the 21st century. However, the first publications focused on the social innovation have been already prepared in recent years. They use this term to refer to the processes of institutionalization and social changes, changes in commercial organizations in the context of the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) solutions, and in reference to the dissemination and adaptation of best practices and social solutions from other countries.

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Social Innovation in Poland (2015) – English
Social Innovation in Poland (2015) – Polish

Citation:

English version:
A. Klimczuk, “Social Innovation Europe: Country Summary: Poland. Social Innovation in Poland”, Social Innovation Exchange, European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry. Brussels, 2015.

Polish version:
A. Klimczuk, “Social Innovation Europe: Country Summary: Polska. Innowacje społeczne w Polsce”, Social Innovation Exchange, European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry. Brussels, 2015.