Search

This short essay aims at introducing the International Review of Sociology monographic issue, devoted to the notion of sustainability. The topic is incredibly relevant in the contemporary scientific and political debate, in a time when environmental issues are overlapping the worldwide spread of demand for justice and equality. Within this framework, as a first step I try to list the numerous meanings of the notion 'sustainability' and highlight how the physical-biological scope necessarily intersects the social and political aspects of this notion. The second step consists of highlighting how sustainability is also related to innovation, both technological and social. Finally, I focus the other object of this issue: the role of welfare systems in achieving and defending environmental and social sustainability. This section of the work will include the presentation of the other papers, which focus either on theoretical studies on welfare systems or in case studies, which focus on welfare sustainable policies in the domains of health, migration and generational equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on networks and innovation has experienced a rapid growth in social sciences since the beginning of the century. The large production of papers on networks and innovation impedes making single statements, and a simple state-of-the-art would probably overlook a great number of publications. The present study conducts a meta-analysis of the scientific production on networks and innovation published in social science journals indexed by Web of Science. We identity hot topics, influential authors and theories, main disciplines, contributing institutions, and through bibliographic coupling (papers using similar references) and network analysis, we present insights from the intellectual structure of this field of research. Findings reveal (1) while management studies keep this field alive, it is in sociology that the bases of knowledge arise; and (2) a structural perspective dominates the field where network properties and relational resources influence innovative behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial discusses the sociological perspective of innovation, starting with a critical overview of the situation of sociology in current innovation studies. An outline of several key challenges to understanding innovation in society is followed by an interpretation of the characteristics of a sociology of innovation based on the core assumptions of the discipline. The editorial concludes with a summary of the papers of the special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, countries, organizations and individual actors are increasingly pushed towards an 'innovation imperative' that presents innovation as an unequivocal promoter of multi-level success. However, it remains to be addressed whether innovation actors have homogenously incorporated this narrative, or rather, attribute divergent meanings to previous innovative social action. Inspired by critical innovation studies and sensemaking research, this paper addresses whether specific contextual aspects translate into heterogeneous sensemaking processes, and shape actors' expectations for the future. For this purpose, focusing on the Information and Communication Technology sector and having the organizational unit as the level of analysis, it addresses top managers' discourses through their perceptions on past innovation. Cluster analysis identified two profiles, mostly discriminated by actors' perceptions of their firms' role in previous innovation. These profiles were associated with innovation performance with firms with more outputs presenting themselves as the 'builders of their success', while the ones with less successful trajectories expressing their powerlessness. Logistic regression analysis revealed that such discourses mediate the impact of firms' empowerment culture and assets on confidence in the future. This study adds to previous literature a first comparative analysis of heterogeneous sensemaking discourses through which actors contextualize previous innovative social action and co-construct futures' expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a suite of technical tools developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) which aim to monitor the prevalence and impact of a new invasive insect pest in Africa - Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). The roll-out of the tools is still at an early phase, and further studies will be necessary to evaluate the outcomes. The specific content of this paper will be the description of the four tools - which together make up a monitoring framework -, followed by an analysis of the factors determining the likely future effectiveness of the tools and the framework according to innovation theory. More specifically, the Triple Helix Model of innovation will be evaluated and used to develop specific research questions, the answers to which will likely determine the future effectiveness of the FAW monitoring framework and its tools. It will emerge that a combination of institutional, technological and social factors will condition the effectiveness and sustainability of the suite of innovative monitoring tools developed. Furthermore, the Triple Helix model itself is shown to have a crucial limitation in this case due to the fact that it does not explicitly consider the role of civil society in the effective innovation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since, Vilfredo Pareto formulated what later became Pareto’s principle (also referred to as the 80/20 or 90/10 principle, see Koch [2008. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less. New York: Doubleday] and Kiyosaki [2011. Rich Dad's Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest In, That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!. Jackson: Perseus Distribution] for example), which emphasizes the importance of empowering innovation not by improving the new just for the new’s sake but by reducing obsolescence. For example, some studies (Pitasi, A., & Ferone, E. (2008). Il tempo zero del desiderio. Milano: McGraw-Hill) have shown that a Roger’s innovation cycle (R) can improve its speed (S) by cutting Williamson’s transactional costs (W) as much as possible, i.e. S = R/W. This paper focuses on a three-level analysis of the evolution of Pareto’s principle up to its ‘less is more’ version. Micro-level: It consists of dyads and/or small groups and requires a psycho-social approach, which is more micro than micro. Meso-level: It relies on middle-range studies and encompasses mainly single, specific organizations; it requires theoretical tools such as R. Macro-level: The objects in this level are national/supranational political and economic organizational notions such as Kuznets’ ccle or Schumpeter’s cycle. The sections of this paper are structured top-down, from macro to psycho-social, according to Elias’ (2010. The Civilizing Process: Sociogenetic and Psychogenetic Investigations. Hoboken: Blackwell Publisher) concept of process. The paper is based upon the assumption that openness to change is different at each level. The aim is twofold; on one hand, the goal is to provide a better comprehension of organizational change phenomena and on the other, we aimed to develop a social practical capability to overcome the hurdles that can stop or slow down innovation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main reference for twentieth century politics is the Nation-state, whose territory-citizens were the unique and only target of norm production. Furthermore, the function of norm production was commitment of public bodies, whose legitimacy - at least in democratic countries - depends on the ‘people’. i.e. the citizens that were the target of the law production itself. An important fact, is that national production of norms slowly shifted from the legislative to the executive power. Too many were the decisions to be made in a brief term, and too fast were people’s emotional reactions, to let this commitment to an impersonal and procedural institution like the legislative power. In a globalized world, things have changed under many aspects. The multiplicity of decisional levels, e.g.: on one side, supranational bodies and entity are more and more frequently assuming this function; furthermore, more and more frequently, national commitments have shifted towards more restricted levels, such as regions or cities. Even the target has turned much more complex: due to more and more massive migration phenomena, all national law makings are nowadays affecting large groups of people, who are not citizens, while citizens are often subjected to other countries’ legislation. Among the main consequences, is that decision-making process have untied from contingent popular reactions and it is possible now to base upon legislative processes, a long-term perspective and a global scale. This paper aims at showing this scenario consequences for innovation processes. Namely, it is possible now to set an environment for innovation by enhancing exchanges of ideas, competences and information is the result of innovation processes, no matter if social or technological. In other words, their work will aim not only at comprehending the process of law-making in the global era, but also proposing models for law-making activities that grant the best environment possible for innovation processes, i.e. free circulation of ideas, science and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A viable citizenship program is pivotal for state development, and to let official policy determine politics as taught by T. J. Lowi. National states based on national-state citizenship are weaker and weaker before the key challenges of our times. That is why citizenship programs are more and more focused on innovation policies to integrate ius sanguinis, ius soli, citizenship on investment and citizenship on performance. This paper provides a strategic innovation policy by linking development and global citizenship. Innovative law-making, citizenship policy innovation, and development are dramatically interconnected to evolve a scenario in which citizenship represents a key intangible asset to generate tangible wealth in open horizons where free circulation of tangibles or intangibles is strategic and linked to downsizing the bureaucratic burdens, the local power centers by evolving a much leaner and higher organizational standard of citizenship: legally, isotropically, and socially. This results in a new theory of social systems as a useful tool for the management of the complexity of social relations, breaking territorial boundaries, and making them cosmopolitan (Beck, 2006. The cosmopolitan vision. Cambridge: Polity Press). In order to achieve this, the present study will be approached and related with cosmopolitism and development, aiming to bring new contours of study to this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]