Society-wide innovation is a tough thing to pull off, no matter what domain. Borrowing some thoughts from the marketing classes...people often have "rituals" of behavior in their daily life. These ritualistic behaviors can be the source of brand equity and product loyalty for many companies. These rituals are so ingrained in our behavior that it is very hard for us to change--like driving on the right side of the road or brushing our teeth in the morning. A change in such an ingrained behavior will be slow and meet plenty of resistance.
I think this "ritualistic" domain is the most constrained domain of innovation in society. Society is a large, slow-moving creature of habit and it does not shift its course easily. Part of the reason is infrastructure. Yet part of the reason is also the comfort of being part of a larger system of knowledge and behaviors that are both tested and proven--we seek to avoid risk as a society. The Segway or the electric car make good examples. Until we reach that critical "tipping point" where everybody is doing it, we perceive radical new behaviors (in society) as a risk.
I would think the social domain creates the most constraints. Basically, social constraints fit into the question "Why innovate if no one is going to accept and/or use the innovation". In our group discussions, I think this constraint came up the most.
It could be very probable that we automatically discount other contraints, such as technical, just because they are simply not possible. But social contraints are those where all laws of nature and physics say 'go ahead' but human factors are preventative. This is the basis of marketing. Plenty of great ideas are not adopted, or are adopted decades after their invention, because they are too different or advanced for the general population. The segway (as nick stated) never got the adoption the creators desired. There may have been other contraints, like the illegality of usage on city streets, but ultimately it was society that prevented the growth of the segway. If society really wanted to adopt the segway, they could have rallied to allow usage on city streets. Overall, the will of society will be what drives the actual implementation of innovation and it's outcome.
Social innovation is very difficult to pull off, because overall behavior changes can take generations to be truly embraced. Part of this stems from the fact that many behaviors are passed down from generation to generation. Parents and teachers from one generation will model behaviors for the next generation to adopt. Keyboard design has encountered these challenges. Keyboards were initially designed to slow down typing, because the keys on the typewriter would stick together if someone typed too quickly. That problem has been solved in other ways, but we continue to use the standard QWERTY keyboard. There have been innovations in keyboard design, but the switching costs to learn this new behavior are considered too much for the benefit that would be derived from the effort.
Counter this argument, however, with texting. Most people who text type on their phones with their thumbs, and have quickly become quite proficient. This is a behavior that didn’t exist at all for previous generations, and therefore there was no past behavior to change.
The most difficult constraints to overcome in the social arena are social value constraints. Whereas laws and policies can at least be clearly defined, social values are unstated. These values can differ vastly from person to person and are often unknown or unanticipated when innovating. Despite the fact that these constraints are more abstract and subjective, they are strongly held by the individual and can consist of viewpoints and beliefs that have been ingrained in them from childhood. Crossing these constraints can become personally offensive to others, and adding to this personal resistance is the peer pressure from like-minded friends.
I think regulation and political systems are the most constrained domains of social innovation. Consider radical scientific innovations such as human cloning that have been limited due to significant legal constraints and political pushback. Laws, ethics, and government policies reflect our society’s general social values which serve as an additional constraint to innovation. I actually think that regulation and political systems are not difficult constraints to see because they make headlines frequently. However when it comes down to technical rules that are less well known to the general public, the law may be less transparent and obvious. Consider the intricacies of the IRS tax code, for example. Innovators must be aware of potential financial constraints yet they may need the eyes of an expert to make them aware of the constraints of the law.
I agree with Jarod that the most constrained domain of social innovation are social values constraints. Underlying societal values are often difficult to see because they are so second-nature. You may not even be able to articulate why some values exist, but society has had them for so long that they are hard to change and overcome. The fact that they are unwritten provides further constraints because they are often interpreted slightly differently from one person to another.
I also think that social values would be the hardest constraint to overcome out of all of the societal constraints because they are not only hard to define on an individual level, their interpretation varies the most as well. Although regulations, political systems, and economic structures may present formidable obstacles to innovation, since they are more clearly defined than social values it is easier to navigate around them. It's always hard to find a solution if you don't have a clear idea of what the problem is or if the problem is different for everyone since they have a different set of values.
I agree as well that the most constrained domain of social innovation are social values. As others have said, people are often set in their ways, and this can be based on a number of things including morals, values, upbringing, religion, political views, education, and many more. To make innovation work, it has to be implemented. Sometimes change management is needed to get society's buy-in. I don't think change management has been perfected by the majority of companies trying to bring new innovations to market.
To pull of a feat of social innovation is no easier than getting a group of people to change what clothes they wear or at what bar they hang out. Social constraints and resistance to innovation are an almost insurmountable barrier to adoption. I think this is why you see celebrity endorsements. Seeing someone cooler than yourself using a new product or changing a behavior is one of the only ways to get someone to change themselves as it saves them the possible hazard of going against the grain resulting in becoming a social outcast. To get society's buy-in is hugely difficult, but not impossible.
Political systems broadly, and the U.S. structure more specifically, effectively constrain basic action let alone cutting-edge innovation. The current session of Congress and its inability to draft and pass even the most bipartisan of legislative agendas is a perfect example of this belief. Their efforts equate to being stuck quick sand where the more you flail, clutch, and grab for a conventional solution - i.e., a compromise with "the other guys" - the deeper you end up sinking into a hopeless deadlock. Market collapses, fast-approaching fiscal disasters, and crises of culture have yet to motivate our two parties to seek common ground for the good of the nation. As these incidents have failed to spur on a generation of innovative thinking and action to date, I'm left wondering what will moving forward.
I agree with BillyD that while social value constraints inhibit a novel idea from surfacing if they go against a social norm (or try to sway a market that's not asking to be swayed), it is not impossible to get society's buy-in. It requires trialability, common sense visuals and utilization and a value proposition that can be adhered to. Regulatory/industry constraints can keep an innovation from moving forward, even in the most 'innovation-friendly' environments. What I mean is that many Fortune 500 companies have a system in place to take innovations from idea to launch. Rarely do such innovation systems closely define the constraints that we study and thus projects get interrupted if they don't follow the structure in place. Sounds ironic, but probably occurs frequently. Overall I see social values as most difficult to see and spell out. As we discussed in class today, it's hard to tangibly identify ways in which to overcome social values.
I view the most constrained domain of social innovation the values that individuals hold, or societal values. For one, breaking the norm in any situation is difficult, but attempting to change beliefs and ideas that people have held for years is even more challenging. I think we live in a world where people tend to get comfortable and don’t look to question things. This consistency, along with regulations from government, police, parents, etc. creates habit and routine. In innovation, when looking outside box, the slogan should really be “routine is the enemy” to get people to break out of the box and question the norm.
I believe that when it comes to social innovation, the biggest constraint can come down to the individual. When an innovator comes up with an idea and wants to put it in to place, they assume that it will be adopted based on the fact that they would adopt it and they assume other individals to be like them. However, we can just look around our class to see how different everyone is and how widely we vary in our likelihood to adopt a new innovationl. The reason that this constraint is so difficult to see is that we can go along assuming the people around us are just like us until something dramatic, like a new innovation, occurs. It is only then that we see the varying levels of constraint toward innovation that exists between individuals. And true innovation does not happen that often, so it is rare that we have the chance to make this realization.
I think the most constrained social domain is very dependent on the industry you are trying to innovate. Coming from Chicago, a city known for it's lack of innovation, trying to get anything changed requires union approval, political approval (which may mean bribes), and social approval (which means the highly democratic population must approve). This would mean that political systems would be an extremely tough hurdle. Look at the city's obscene policies on conventions, where labor unions must be hired to set up booths, and plug in simple electrical devices. They are rapidly losing market share to cities that don't require union employees to set up a promotional booth. In the technology and gadget arena, I think that history can play a large role-- meaning the product must be applicable to past behavior. If a product is too far out, or too ambitious, it risks losing a large segment of the population that can't understand it. Many times we see this failure-- the next litmus test will probably come in the electric car. Can consumers purchase a vehicle that operates in a very different manner from a normal combustion engine? Societal constraints might be hard to see because they don't factor into the innovation process often. If I've built a superior product that improves a basic aspect of life-- it should logically be adopted. However, societal constraints don't function on logic, they function on past behavior and rules and regulations. The government, and people in large groups are seldom rational.
In the terms of social innovation, I think public perception is a huge constraint. Social innovation is difficult because it generally has to take place on a large scale and it has to receive relative quick/widespread adoption for it to be a success. Social innovation is especially complex in the nonprofit sector, which is where I think innovation would have the greatest social impact. Societal constraints are difficult to see because they are ingrained in our culture so that they have become accepted and are rarely challenged or even thought about. Microcredit organizations are a perfect example of how difficult social innovation can be and how a strong support system is necessary in order to have a chance at success. The idea of microlending seems like a great idea except that it ignores the fact that many individuals in extreme poverty do not even have their most basic needs met (food, water, medicine, etc), so it is unrealistic to expect these people to turn a loan into business. However, the perception of non-profits that charity and volunteerism have to be the main vehicles for poverty alleviation ignores the promise of long-term development/sustainability from social innovation, which microfinance organizations seek to address. All this to say, for social innovation to take place, societal stereotypes and public perceptions must be broken down, which is very hard to do.
The most constrained domain of social innovation is society’s own traditions. Sometimes traditions or rituals make us believe that we cannot change things and that things must be done as they have always been done. They are responsible for the old saying “It’s never been done before”. And because they have been around since we were born we don’t realize that they can be constraints. The funny thing is that with most of them, nothing significant would happen if they are changed. So, with that in mind one must carefully analyze the situation and consider which of the decisions one is taking is based on a tradition and should consider change it for the sake of improvement.
The largest constraint to social innovation is the domain of government and regulation. Governments erect barriers based on demands by different interest groups. These barriers increase costs and limit competitors in the market. When this happens, transaction costs can increase for love value products/services. A reduction in government interference and regulation should positively impact social innovation by removing barriers and increasing market efficiencies. An interesting example of how this constraint affects business is money lending (or loan sharking). The creation of consumer protections that limit the ability of those to lend impacts those that need money the most. If you create large barriers to entry, such as licensing and reporting requirements, you increase the cost of a loan and increase the minimum threshold needed for profitable lending. A reduction of regulations can both positively impact those that need it the most and increase the complexity (reduced homogeneity) of the loan agreements. The overall goal should be increasing efficiencies while keeping homogeneity intact. If this can be achieved through a reduction of regulations those at the bottom will benefit the most.
The most constrained domain of social innovation is society cultural values. Each society has its own values and culture, so a social innovation may have impact to this group of individuals, but not pervasively to all societies. For example, innovation in movie industries that Hollywood studios has can easily create a global impact possibly to all societies. However, in some conservative societies, only a small percentage of those movies reach the society because of cultural values conflict with that society. A simple example would be some Hollywood movies that were banned in Indonesia and Malaysia because of degrading certain religious values.
This kind of constraint is so difficult for us to see because there this world has million of cultures, and we only live in one part of the world. We need to open our eyes to see what are things in common in society in order to make an innovation. For example, Facebook can easily accepted throughout the world as a social-media innovation because everybody in all societies need social life. This is an enhancement of it. - MH
The most constrained social domain is also dependent across different cultures. Coming from an Asian collectivism society where societal constraints strong, things are very different than western society. Family values play a more important role than input from peers. There is also an underlying assumption that innovation is “not going by the rules”, which is generally less welcome.
It is difficult for us to see because we have become so used to what surrounds us, especially the lifestyle and values we have adopted. Also, most of us can grasp things like economic value or brand positioning, but social constraints are things we cannot quantify. Therefore, we tend to forget or overlook them.
In my mind, the most constrained domain of social innovation is history. Our society’s history of culture, events, and politics colors everything that we do – and don’t do – without any realization that we are constantly influenced by it. It plays a leading role in how we view ourselves and how far we are willing to push the limits in terms of innovation. It is so difficult to see the power it has because we don’t tend to focus on the past; instead most people tend to accept things as they are now without questioning why. Something may be a brilliant idea, but if we have no historical frame of reference about how it can be used, it creates a huge barrier to adoption. History also influences most of the other six domains, which is another reason why I believe that it can be viewed as such a huge constraint.
Social innovation is constrained most by pop culture. The irony of this statement is that social innovation is driven most by pop culture. The same forces that made it cool to wear neon pink in the 80s are the ones that made it uncool to drive a Dodge Stratus in High School. Now, these are obviously very stereotypical cultural norms and do not define the scope of the statement I made at the beginning, but I make reference to the Segway discussion we had before. One of the most common points made by everyone was the "cool" factor that the Segway most obviously lacked. Well, what made it "uncool". Pop culture did. And you can draw reference to many other areas as well. People use pop culture as a guiding light many times, almost to the point of following certain "ideas" with the same zeal as a devout religious person. Take global warming for instance. While the merit of the scientific "proof" of man-made global warming has been largely refuted, and the jury is out as to whether we are even experiencing a period of "warming" (the recent weather across the nation would suggest strongly to the contrary), there are some that hold to the notion of global warming and support any innovation that leverages this notion. Hybrid vehicles, carbon footprints and carbon credits, fluorescent light bulbs, etc. I believe that this is true more so in America, where free will and independent thought have been traditionally supported as the key to our nation's success, than in countries where individuals freedom is secondary to state control, but still a driving force nonetheless.
The most constrained domain of social innovation is fear of looking foolish. Culturally, people are hesitant to step outside of the norm for fear of appearing foolish, or violating a social taboo. Society incentivizes individuals to go with the flow, and adhere to the norm. When a group of individuals tries to change the norms, society, in the form of social or governmental pressure, pushes back, creating a barrier to innovation.
I think values are the most difficult to change--because they are so intertwined with history and religion. I agree with the others who've said that many of us don't necessarily understand the origins of our beliefs, but we are willing to accept them based on them simply being passed down to us by previous generations.
It takes at least one lifetime for the habits and behaviors learned by one generation to shift, and even then it generally only changes incrementally. I think it takes a major event, such as a war or economic event, to really move the needle on innovation significantly and within a short timeframe.
Social innovation is definitely constrained by culture. As an example, in the US the elderly are often treated with derision, where in Japan they are treated reverentially. This constrains the resources that will be placed toward innovating for the elderly.
Similar issues occur across demographical and psychographical segments.
These issues are compounded by the individuals' constraints on themselves. While many people aspire to be socially aware, for most it takes too much time or effort.
Cultural values are the most constrained domain of social innovation. Values exist as constraints to define cultural boundries that allow societies to function. As abstractions, values are inherently difficult to define. Without clear boundries to the extent of their meaning and influence, one cannot measure the extent to which they constrain.
The most constrained domain of social innovation is that it takes a great deal of momentum to push innovation forward in this realm. A lot of people have to be behind it and this takes time. Awareness is a problem that has declined due to advances in technology but it is still difficult to make changes at a societal level. So many people need to follow the innovation and the only reason they would do it is because the innovation and everything associated with it is better than the previous status. As we've learned in the class, making changes is hard, and getting society to change as a whole is the hardest because it takes so many people to keep pushing the innovation until it becomes a norm of society.
I believe that the largest constraint to social innovation is status- specifically the way it pertains to peer networks. Most kids are terrified of being called a dork for the way they act. This is ingrained into the psyche at an early age and is something that most adults carry with them to a certain extent. As a result, I believe that many people will not try new things that they feel jeopardizes their status within their peer groups. To use the Segway as an example. Even if the technology was extremely useful I can't imagine business CEO's traveling down the streets of New York with bike helmets on because of how ridiculous they would look. This is the reason I believe status to be the largest constraint to social innovation.
Society-wide innovation is a tough thing to pull off, no matter what domain. Borrowing some thoughts from the marketing classes...people often have "rituals" of behavior in their daily life. These ritualistic behaviors can be the source of brand equity and product loyalty for many companies. These rituals are so ingrained in our behavior that it is very hard for us to change--like driving on the right side of the road or brushing our teeth in the morning. A change in such an ingrained behavior will be slow and meet plenty of resistance.
ReplyDeleteI think this "ritualistic" domain is the most constrained domain of innovation in society. Society is a large, slow-moving creature of habit and it does not shift its course easily. Part of the reason is infrastructure. Yet part of the reason is also the comfort of being part of a larger system of knowledge and behaviors that are both tested and proven--we seek to avoid risk as a society. The Segway or the electric car make good examples. Until we reach that critical "tipping point" where everybody is doing it, we perceive radical new behaviors (in society) as a risk.
I would think the social domain creates the most constraints. Basically, social constraints fit into the question "Why innovate if no one is going to accept and/or use the innovation". In our group discussions, I think this constraint came up the most.
ReplyDeleteIt could be very probable that we automatically discount other contraints, such as technical, just because they are simply not possible. But social contraints are those where all laws of nature and physics say 'go ahead' but human factors are preventative. This is the basis of marketing. Plenty of great ideas are not adopted, or are adopted decades after their invention, because they are too different or advanced for the general population. The segway (as nick stated) never got the adoption the creators desired. There may have been other contraints, like the illegality of usage on city streets, but ultimately it was society that prevented the growth of the segway. If society really wanted to adopt the segway, they could have rallied to allow usage on city streets. Overall, the will of society will be what drives the actual implementation of innovation and it's outcome.
Social innovation is very difficult to pull off, because overall behavior changes can take generations to be truly embraced. Part of this stems from the fact that many behaviors are passed down from generation to generation. Parents and teachers from one generation will model behaviors for the next generation to adopt. Keyboard design has encountered these challenges. Keyboards were initially designed to slow down typing, because the keys on the typewriter would stick together if someone typed too quickly. That problem has been solved in other ways, but we continue to use the standard QWERTY keyboard. There have been innovations in keyboard design, but the switching costs to learn this new behavior are considered too much for the benefit that would be derived from the effort.
ReplyDeleteCounter this argument, however, with texting. Most people who text type on their phones with their thumbs, and have quickly become quite proficient. This is a behavior that didn’t exist at all for previous generations, and therefore there was no past behavior to change.
The most difficult constraints to overcome in the social arena are social value constraints. Whereas laws and policies can at least be clearly defined, social values are unstated. These values can differ vastly from person to person and are often unknown or unanticipated when innovating. Despite the fact that these constraints are more abstract and subjective, they are strongly held by the individual and can consist of viewpoints and beliefs that have been ingrained in them from childhood. Crossing these constraints can become personally offensive to others, and adding to this personal resistance is the peer pressure from like-minded friends.
ReplyDeleteI think regulation and political systems are the most constrained domains of social innovation. Consider radical scientific innovations such as human cloning that have been limited due to significant legal constraints and political pushback. Laws, ethics, and government policies reflect our society’s general social values which serve as an additional constraint to innovation. I actually think that regulation and political systems are not difficult constraints to see because they make headlines frequently. However when it comes down to technical rules that are less well known to the general public, the law may be less transparent and obvious. Consider the intricacies of the IRS tax code, for example. Innovators must be aware of potential financial constraints yet they may need the eyes of an expert to make them aware of the constraints of the law.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jarod that the most constrained domain of social innovation are social values constraints. Underlying societal values are often difficult to see because they are so second-nature. You may not even be able to articulate why some values exist, but society has had them for so long that they are hard to change and overcome. The fact that they are unwritten provides further constraints because they are often interpreted slightly differently from one person to another.
ReplyDeleteI also think that social values would be the hardest constraint to overcome out of all of the societal constraints because they are not only hard to define on an individual level, their interpretation varies the most as well. Although regulations, political systems, and economic structures may present formidable obstacles to innovation, since they are more clearly defined than social values it is easier to navigate around them. It's always hard to find a solution if you don't have a clear idea of what the problem is or if the problem is different for everyone since they have a different set of values.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well that the most constrained domain of social innovation are social values. As others have said, people are often set in their ways, and this can be based on a number of things including morals, values, upbringing, religion, political views, education, and many more. To make innovation work, it has to be implemented. Sometimes change management is needed to get society's buy-in. I don't think change management has been perfected by the majority of companies trying to bring new innovations to market.
ReplyDeleteTo pull of a feat of social innovation is no easier than getting a group of people to change what clothes they wear or at what bar they hang out. Social constraints and resistance to innovation are an almost insurmountable barrier to adoption. I think this is why you see celebrity endorsements. Seeing someone cooler than yourself using a new product or changing a behavior is one of the only ways to get someone to change themselves as it saves them the possible hazard of going against the grain resulting in becoming a social outcast. To get society's buy-in is hugely difficult, but not impossible.
ReplyDeletePolitical systems broadly, and the U.S. structure more specifically, effectively constrain basic action let alone cutting-edge innovation. The current session of Congress and its inability to draft and pass even the most bipartisan of legislative agendas is a perfect example of this belief. Their efforts equate to being stuck quick sand where the more you flail, clutch, and grab for a conventional solution - i.e., a compromise with "the other guys" - the deeper you end up sinking into a hopeless deadlock. Market collapses, fast-approaching fiscal disasters, and crises of culture have yet to motivate our two parties to seek common ground for the good of the nation. As these incidents have failed to spur on a generation of innovative thinking and action to date, I'm left wondering what will moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with BillyD that while social value constraints inhibit a novel idea from surfacing if they go against a social norm (or try to sway a market that's not asking to be swayed), it is not impossible to get society's buy-in. It requires trialability, common sense visuals and utilization and a value proposition that can be adhered to. Regulatory/industry constraints can keep an innovation from moving forward, even in the most 'innovation-friendly' environments. What I mean is that many Fortune 500 companies have a system in place to take innovations from idea to launch. Rarely do such innovation systems closely define the constraints that we study and thus projects get interrupted if they don't follow the structure in place. Sounds ironic, but probably occurs frequently.
ReplyDeleteOverall I see social values as most difficult to see and spell out. As we discussed in class today, it's hard to tangibly identify ways in which to overcome social values.
I view the most constrained domain of social innovation the values that individuals hold, or societal values. For one, breaking the norm in any situation is difficult, but attempting to change beliefs and ideas that people have held for years is even more challenging. I think we live in a world where people tend to get comfortable and don’t look to question things. This consistency, along with regulations from government, police, parents, etc. creates habit and routine. In innovation, when looking outside box, the slogan should really be “routine is the enemy” to get people to break out of the box and question the norm.
ReplyDeleteI believe that when it comes to social innovation, the biggest constraint can come down to the individual. When an innovator comes up with an idea and wants to put it in to place, they assume that it will be adopted based on the fact that they would adopt it and they assume other individals to be like them. However, we can just look around our class to see how different everyone is and how widely we vary in our likelihood to adopt a new innovationl. The reason that this constraint is so difficult to see is that we can go along assuming the people around us are just like us until something dramatic, like a new innovation, occurs. It is only then that we see the varying levels of constraint toward innovation that exists between individuals. And true innovation does not happen that often, so it is rare that we have the chance to make this realization.
ReplyDeleteI think the most constrained social domain is very dependent on the industry you are trying to innovate. Coming from Chicago, a city known for it's lack of innovation, trying to get anything changed requires union approval, political approval (which may mean bribes), and social approval (which means the highly democratic population must approve). This would mean that political systems would be an extremely tough hurdle. Look at the city's obscene policies on conventions, where labor unions must be hired to set up booths, and plug in simple electrical devices. They are rapidly losing market share to cities that don't require union employees to set up a promotional booth. In the technology and gadget arena, I think that history can play a large role-- meaning the product must be applicable to past behavior. If a product is too far out, or too ambitious, it risks losing a large segment of the population that can't understand it. Many times we see this failure-- the next litmus test will probably come in the electric car. Can consumers purchase a vehicle that operates in a very different manner from a normal combustion engine?
ReplyDeleteSocietal constraints might be hard to see because they don't factor into the innovation process often. If I've built a superior product that improves a basic aspect of life-- it should logically be adopted. However, societal constraints don't function on logic, they function on past behavior and rules and regulations. The government, and people in large groups are seldom rational.
In the terms of social innovation, I think public perception is a huge constraint. Social innovation is difficult because it generally has to take place on a large scale and it has to receive relative quick/widespread adoption for it to be a success. Social innovation is especially complex in the nonprofit sector, which is where I think innovation would have the greatest social impact. Societal constraints are difficult to see because they are ingrained in our culture so that they have become accepted and are rarely challenged or even thought about. Microcredit organizations are a perfect example of how difficult social innovation can be and how a strong support system is necessary in order to have a chance at success. The idea of microlending seems like a great idea except that it ignores the fact that many individuals in extreme poverty do not even have their most basic needs met (food, water, medicine, etc), so it is unrealistic to expect these people to turn a loan into business. However, the perception of non-profits that charity and volunteerism have to be the main vehicles for poverty alleviation ignores the promise of long-term development/sustainability from social innovation, which microfinance organizations seek to address. All this to say, for social innovation to take place, societal stereotypes and public perceptions must be broken down, which is very hard to do.
ReplyDeleteThe most constrained domain of social innovation is society’s own traditions. Sometimes traditions or rituals make us believe that we cannot change things and that things must be done as they have always been done. They are responsible for the old saying “It’s never been done before”. And because they have been around since we were born we don’t realize that they can be constraints. The funny thing is that with most of them, nothing significant would happen if they are changed. So, with that in mind one must carefully analyze the situation and consider which of the decisions one is taking is based on a tradition and should consider change it for the sake of improvement.
ReplyDeleteThe largest constraint to social innovation is the domain of government and regulation. Governments erect barriers based on demands by different interest groups. These barriers increase costs and limit competitors in the market. When this happens, transaction costs can increase for love value products/services.
ReplyDeleteA reduction in government interference and regulation should positively impact social innovation by removing barriers and increasing market efficiencies.
An interesting example of how this constraint affects business is money lending (or loan sharking). The creation of consumer protections that limit the ability of those to lend impacts those that need money the most. If you create large barriers to entry, such as licensing and reporting requirements, you increase the cost of a loan and increase the minimum threshold needed for profitable lending. A reduction of regulations can both positively impact those that need it the most and increase the complexity (reduced homogeneity) of the loan agreements. The overall goal should be increasing efficiencies while keeping homogeneity intact. If this can be achieved through a reduction of regulations those at the bottom will benefit the most.
The most constrained domain of social innovation is society cultural values. Each society has its own values and culture, so a social innovation may have impact to this group of individuals, but not pervasively to all societies. For example, innovation in movie industries that Hollywood studios has can easily create a global impact possibly to all societies. However, in some conservative societies, only a small percentage of those movies reach the society because of cultural values conflict with that society. A simple example would be some Hollywood movies that were banned in Indonesia and Malaysia because of degrading certain religious values.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of constraint is so difficult for us to see because there this world has million of cultures, and we only live in one part of the world. We need to open our eyes to see what are things in common in society in order to make an innovation. For example, Facebook can easily accepted throughout the world as a social-media innovation because everybody in all societies need social life. This is an enhancement of it. - MH
The most constrained social domain is also dependent across different cultures. Coming from an Asian collectivism society where societal constraints strong, things are very different than western society. Family values play a more important role than input from peers. There is also an underlying assumption that innovation is “not going by the rules”, which is generally less welcome.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult for us to see because we have become so used to what surrounds us, especially the lifestyle and values we have adopted. Also, most of us can grasp things like economic value or brand positioning, but social constraints are things we cannot quantify. Therefore, we tend to forget or overlook them.
In my mind, the most constrained domain of social innovation is history. Our society’s history of culture, events, and politics colors everything that we do – and don’t do – without any realization that we are constantly influenced by it. It plays a leading role in how we view ourselves and how far we are willing to push the limits in terms of innovation. It is so difficult to see the power it has because we don’t tend to focus on the past; instead most people tend to accept things as they are now without questioning why. Something may be a brilliant idea, but if we have no historical frame of reference about how it can be used, it creates a huge barrier to adoption. History also influences most of the other six domains, which is another reason why I believe that it can be viewed as such a huge constraint.
ReplyDeleteSocial innovation is constrained most by pop culture. The irony of this statement is that social innovation is driven most by pop culture. The same forces that made it cool to wear neon pink in the 80s are the ones that made it uncool to drive a Dodge Stratus in High School. Now, these are obviously very stereotypical cultural norms and do not define the scope of the statement I made at the beginning, but I make reference to the Segway discussion we had before. One of the most common points made by everyone was the "cool" factor that the Segway most obviously lacked. Well, what made it "uncool". Pop culture did. And you can draw reference to many other areas as well. People use pop culture as a guiding light many times, almost to the point of following certain "ideas" with the same zeal as a devout religious person.
ReplyDeleteTake global warming for instance. While the merit of the scientific "proof" of man-made global warming has been largely refuted, and the jury is out as to whether we are even experiencing a period of "warming" (the recent weather across the nation would suggest strongly to the contrary), there are some that hold to the notion of global warming and support any innovation that leverages this notion. Hybrid vehicles, carbon footprints and carbon credits, fluorescent light bulbs, etc.
I believe that this is true more so in America, where free will and independent thought have been traditionally supported as the key to our nation's success, than in countries where individuals freedom is secondary to state control, but still a driving force nonetheless.
The most constrained domain of social innovation is fear of looking foolish. Culturally, people are hesitant to step outside of the norm for fear of appearing foolish, or violating a social taboo. Society incentivizes individuals to go with the flow, and adhere to the norm. When a group of individuals tries to change the norms, society, in the form of social or governmental pressure, pushes back, creating a barrier to innovation.
ReplyDeleteI think values are the most difficult to change--because they are so intertwined with history and religion. I agree with the others who've said that many of us don't necessarily understand the origins of our beliefs, but we are willing to accept them based on them simply being passed down to us by previous generations.
ReplyDeleteIt takes at least one lifetime for the habits and behaviors learned by one generation to shift, and even then it generally only changes incrementally. I think it takes a major event, such as a war or economic event, to really move the needle on innovation significantly and within a short timeframe.
Social innovation is definitely constrained by culture. As an example, in the US the elderly are often treated with derision, where in Japan they are treated reverentially. This constrains the resources that will be placed toward innovating for the elderly.
ReplyDeleteSimilar issues occur across demographical and psychographical segments.
These issues are compounded by the individuals' constraints on themselves. While many people aspire to be socially aware, for most it takes too much time or effort.
Cultural values are the most constrained domain of social innovation. Values exist as constraints to define cultural boundries that allow societies to function. As abstractions, values are inherently difficult to define. Without clear boundries to the extent of their meaning and influence, one cannot measure the extent to which they constrain.
ReplyDeleteThe most constrained domain of social innovation is that it takes a great deal of momentum to push innovation forward in this realm. A lot of people have to be behind it and this takes time. Awareness is a problem that has declined due to advances in technology but it is still difficult to make changes at a societal level. So many people need to follow the innovation and the only reason they would do it is because the innovation and everything associated with it is better than the previous status. As we've learned in the class, making changes is hard, and getting society to change as a whole is the hardest because it takes so many people to keep pushing the innovation until it becomes a norm of society.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the largest constraint to social innovation is status- specifically the way it pertains to peer networks. Most kids are terrified of being called a dork for the way they act. This is ingrained into the psyche at an early age and is something that most adults carry with them to a certain extent. As a result, I believe that many people will not try new things that they feel jeopardizes their status within their peer groups. To use the Segway as an example. Even if the technology was extremely useful I can't imagine business CEO's traveling down the streets of New York with bike helmets on because of how ridiculous they would look. This is the reason I believe status to be the largest constraint to social innovation.
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