IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/respol/v54y2025i1s0048733324002014.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding the role of internal governance units in the process of social innovation: The case of Shared Lives Plus in England

Author

Listed:
  • Purcell, Carl
  • Manthorpe, Jill
  • Malley, Juliette

Abstract

Amid increasing demand for public services and stretched resources policymakers often promote ‘social innovation’ to address these tensions. However, critics argue that social innovation may just be a ‘fashionable concept’ or ‘buzzword’ in public policy discourse and that more empirical research is needed to help improve our understanding of the actors and mechanisms that drive effective social innovations. In response this article draws upon a case study of the development of Shared Lives as an alternative national model of adult social care in England over the past 40 years. Drawing on interviews with 50 individuals carried-out between late-2021 and early-2023, including those involved in four different local schemes, we highlight the positive role played by the organisation Shared Lives Plus, which we conceptualise as an ‘internal governance unit’ (IGU), in terms of establishing and maintaining a ‘community innovation infrastructure’. However, the example of Shared Lives also illustrates the difficult challenges IGUs can face in trying to move social innovations beyond an institutional ‘niche’.

Suggested Citation

  • Purcell, Carl & Manthorpe, Jill & Malley, Juliette, 2025. "Understanding the role of internal governance units in the process of social innovation: The case of Shared Lives Plus in England," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:54:y:2025:i:1:s0048733324002014
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2024.105152
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733324002014
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.respol.2024.105152?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wegner, Douglas & Hölsgens, Rick & Bitencourt, Claudia Cristina, 2023. "Orchestrating collaborative networks for social innovation: Orchestrators' roles in socially innovative initiatives," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    2. Xiao-Lei Xia & Weidong Jiao & Kang Li & George Irwin, 2013. "A Novel Sparse Least Squares Support Vector Machines," Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Hindawi, vol. 2013, pages 1-10, February.
    3. Cajaiba-Santana, Giovany, 2014. "Social innovation: Moving the field forward. A conceptual framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 42-51.
    4. MAREK HUDON & BENJAMIN HUYBRECHTS & Bonno PEL & Tom BAULER, 2017. "A Transitions Studies Perspective On The Social Economy; Exploring Institutionalization And Capture In Flemish ‘Insertion’ Practices," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 88(2), pages 279-298, June.
    5. Oeij, Peter R.A. & van der Torre, Wouter & Vaas, Fietje & Dhondt, Steven, 2019. "Understanding social innovation as an innovation process: Applying the innovation journey model," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 243-254.
    6. Pel, Bonno & Haxeltine, Alex & Avelino, Flor & Dumitru, Adina & Kemp, René & Bauler, Tom & Kunze, Iris & Dorland, Jens & Wittmayer, Julia & Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard, 2020. "Towards a theory of transformative social innovation: A relational framework and 12 propositions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(8).
    7. van der Have, Robert P. & Rubalcaba, Luis, 2016. "Social innovation research: An emerging area of innovation studies?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(9), pages 1923-1935.
    8. Keji Mao & Xiaomin Zhao & Qike Shao & Wenxiu He & Yanqiang Ou & Qingzhang Chen, 2013. "Data Storage Scheme Supporting for Multidimensional Query," International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, , vol. 9(5), pages 591809-5918, May.
    9. Pol, Eduardo & Ville, Simon, 2009. "Social innovation: Buzz word or enduring term?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 878-885, December.
    10. Van Sprang, Hester & Groen, Brenda H. & Van Der Voordt, Theo J. M., 2013. "Spatial support of knowledge production in higher education," Corporate Real Estate Journal, Henry Stewart Publications, vol. 3(1), pages 75-88, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Petteri Repo & Kaisa Matschoss, 2019. "Social Innovation for Sustainability Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Evgeny Popov & Anna Veretennikova & Alisa Safronova, 2020. "Mathematical Support for Financing Social Innovations," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-25, December.
    3. Attila Havas & Doris Schartinger & K. Matthias Weber, 2022. "Innovation Studies, Social Innovation, and Sustainability Transitions Research: From mutual ignorance towards an integrative perspective?," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 2227, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    4. Pel, Bonno & Haxeltine, Alex & Avelino, Flor & Dumitru, Adina & Kemp, René & Bauler, Tom & Kunze, Iris & Dorland, Jens & Wittmayer, Julia & Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard, 2020. "Towards a theory of transformative social innovation: A relational framework and 12 propositions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(8).
    5. Joana Dias & Maria Partidário, 2019. "Mind the Gap: The Potential Transformative Capacity of Social Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-17, August.
    6. Ricardo Rodrigues & Carla Susana Marques & Dulce Esteves & Rui Brás & Gina Santos & Ana Gouveia & Paulo Duarte & Paulo Pinheiro & Kelly O’Hara & Vanessa Marques, 2020. "Physical activity level as a booster of entrepreneurial intention: a social innovation approach," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 17(1), pages 121-133, March.
    7. Dian Prihadyanti & Subkhi Abdul Aziz & Karlina Sari, 2024. "Diffusion of Social Innovation: the Innovation Provider’s Perspective," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 4516-4570, March.
    8. Laura Rodrigo & Isabel Ortiz-Marcos & Miguel Palacios, 2024. "A typology of social innovation: A comparative study of clustering methodologies," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 3283-3322, December.
    9. Solis-Navarrete, José Alberto & Bucio-Mendoza, Saray & Paneque-Gálvez, Jaime, 2021. "What is not social innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    10. de Souza João-Roland, Iraci & Granados, Maria L., 2023. "Towards social innovation strategy: An analysis of UK social enterprises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    11. Fursov, Konstantin & Linton, Jonathan, 2022. "Social innovation: Integrating product and user innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    12. Göldner, Moritz & Herstatt, Cornelius & Canhão, Helena & Oliveira, Pedro, 2019. "User entrepreneurs for social innovation: The case of patients and caregivers as developers of tangible medical devices," Working Papers 108, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute for Technology and Innovation Management.
    13. Tachia Chin & Yin Yang & Pei Zhang & Xiaofen Yu & Luying Cao, 2019. "Co-creation of Social Innovation: Corporate Universities as Innovative Strategies for Chinese Firms to Engage with Society," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-13, March.
    14. Chiara Cannavale & Lorenza Claudio & Michele Simoni, 2021. "How social innovations spread globally through the process of reverse innovation: a case-study from the South Korea," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2021(4), pages 421-440, December.
    15. Christian Omobhude & Shih-Hsin Chen, 2019. "Social Innovation for Sustainability: The Case of Oil Producing Communities in the Niger Delta region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-26, November.
    16. Wenyuan Li & Mohammed Abubakari Sadick & Abdul-Aziz Ibn Musah & Salisu Mustapha, 2018. "The Moderating Effect of Social Innovation in Perspectives of Shared Value Creation in the Educational Sector of Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-26, November.
    17. Maurizio Busacca, 2018. "Universit? imprenditoriale e innovazione sociale a Milano e Venezia," ECONOMIA E SOCIET? REGIONALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(3), pages 109-131.
    18. Holmström Lind, Christine & Kang, Olivia & Ljung, Anna & Rosenbaum, Paul, 2022. "Involvement of multinational corporations in social innovation: Exploring an emerging phenomenon," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 207-221.
    19. John Hagedoorn & Helen Haugh & Paul Robson & Kate Sugar, 2023. "Social innovation, goal orientation, and openness: insights from social enterprise hybrids," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 173-198, January.
    20. Felix Zoll & Alexandra Harder & Lerato Nyaradzo Manatsa & Jonathan Friedrich, 2024. "Motivations, changes and challenges of participating in food-related social innovations and their transformative potential: three cases from Berlin (Germany)," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(4), pages 1481-1502, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:54:y:2025:i:1:s0048733324002014. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/respol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.