The Process of Social Innovations in Social Service Organizations

The social innovations process of social service organizations are in the focus of this study consisting of a theoretical framing, secondary data analysis, and expert interviews. By investigating the viewpoints of the third or welfare sector, the innovation system for social innovations are described in the case of Saxony, Germany. Therefore, the theoretical concepts of the innovation system and the social innovation processes, aided in structuring the relevant aspects that need consideration. With a systemic focus, the findings reveal an adapted social innovation process of social service organizations and inner-organization, inter-organization, and system-wide interrelation and challenges. Such challenges are, for instance, the requirement of collaboration between new and traditional actors in the third sector, internal challenges in resources for innovations, collaboration with universities and funding institutions.