IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v10y2023i1d10.1057_s41599-023-01759-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social innovation and higher education: evolution and future promise

Author

Listed:
  • Yenchun Jim Wu

    (National Taipei University of Education
    Ming Chuan University)

  • Mark Goh

    (National University of Singapore)

  • Yingping Mai

    (Guangdong Ocean University
    Huaqiao University)

Abstract

Scholarly attention to social innovation has increased rapidly in recent years, but a broad picture to illustrate the structure of the field, tracing its evolution and identifying new research areas has been lacking. Thus, we conduct a three-step method to explore the trajectory of academic research on social innovation and identify potential research opportunities. In the first step, the bibliometric mapping software VOSviewer is used to visualize the network of authors and keyword co-occurrences. Next, SciMAT is applied to illustrate the evolution and importance of the themes. Then, content analysis is used to identify how specific research topics in social innovation in higher education have evolved. The author-keyword occurrence analysis and evolution map results reveal that innovation and design thinking were the most prominent keywords, and the citation analysis indicates that the works of Swyngedouw, Moulaert, and Westley as the leading research works in this field. The most influential countries during the study period from 1996 to July 2021 were the UK, the US, and Italy. Furthermore, the research collaboration network is more active among developed countries than among developing countries. Three research streams in social innovation in higher education have been identified: curriculum transformation, community-university partnership, and helix partnerships. This study supports understanding how higher education is shaped through social innovation. The results from this study can serve as a research reference on the state of the art and point to new research opportunities, notably on the need to engage developing countries in collaborating on social innovation in higher education through design, engagement, and partnership.

Suggested Citation

  • Yenchun Jim Wu & Mark Goh & Yingping Mai, 2023. "Social innovation and higher education: evolution and future promise," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01759-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01759-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-023-01759-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-023-01759-y?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. M.J. Cobo & A.G. López‐Herrera & E. Herrera‐Viedma & F. Herrera, 2012. "SciMAT: A new science mapping analysis software tool," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(8), pages 1609-1630, August.
    2. 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.
    3. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2010. "Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 523-538, August.
    4. Georg M. Eichler & Erich J. Schwarz, 2019. "What Sustainable Development Goals Do Social Innovations Address? A Systematic Review and Content Analysis of Social Innovation Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-18, January.
    5. M.J. Cobo & A.G. López-Herrera & E. Herrera-Viedma & F. Herrera, 2012. "SciMAT: A new science mapping analysis software tool," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 63(8), pages 1609-1630, August.
    6. Alfonso Unceta & Igone Guerra & Xabier Barandiaran, 2021. "Integrating Social Innovation into the Curriculum of Higher Education Institutions in Latin America: Insights from the Students4Change Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-22, May.
    7. Nathalie Colasanti & Rocco Frondizi & Marco Meneguzzo, 2018. "Higher education and stakeholders’ donations: successful civic crowdfunding in an Italian university," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(4), pages 281-288, June.
    8. Mair, Johanna & Martí, Ignasi, 2006. "Social entrepreneurship research: A source of explanation, prediction, and delight," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 36-44, February.
    9. Johanna Mair & Ignasi Marti, 2006. "Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Source of Explanation, Prediction, and Delight," Post-Print hal-02311880, HAL.
    10. Cobo, M.J. & López-Herrera, A.G. & Herrera-Viedma, E. & Herrera, F., 2011. "An approach for detecting, quantifying, and visualizing the evolution of a research field: A practical application to the Fuzzy Sets Theory field," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 146-166.
    11. E. C. M. Noyons & H. F. Moed & A. F. J. Raan, 1999. "Integrating research performance analysis and science mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 46(3), pages 591-604, November.
    12. Pedro Marques & Kevin Morgan & Ranald Richardson, 2018. "Social innovation in question: The theoretical and practical implications of a contested concept," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 36(3), pages 496-512, May.
    13. 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.
    14. Parthasarathy, Balaji & Dey, Supriya & Gupta, Pranjali, 2021. "Overcoming wicked problems and institutional voids for social innovation: University-NGO partnerships in the Global South," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    15. Henry Small, 1999. "Visualizing science by citation mapping," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 50(9), pages 799-813.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ayman Batisha, 2023. "A lighthouse to future opportunities for sustainable water provided by intelligent water hackathons in the Arabsphere," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. K. M. Benzies & D. B. Nicholas & K. A. Hayden & T. Barnas & A. Koning & A. Bharwani & J. Armstrong & J. Day, 2024. "Defining social innovation for post-secondary educational institutions: a concept analysis," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Ziyang Yue & Gangqiang Yang & Haisen Wang, 2023. "How do tax reductions motivate technological innovation?," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Federica Consentino & Gabriella Vindigni & Daniela Spina & Clara Monaco & Iuri Peri, 2023. "An Agricultural Career through the Lens of Young People," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-16, July.

    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. Gaviria-Marin, Magaly & Merigó, José M. & Baier-Fuentes, Hugo, 2019. "Knowledge management: A global examination based on bibliometric analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 194-220.
    2. Alejandro Bengoa & Amaia Maseda & Txomin Iturralde & Gloria Aparicio, 2021. "A bibliometric review of the technology transfer literature," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1514-1550, October.
    3. Shashi & Piera Centobelli & Roberto Cerchione & Amit Mittal, 2021. "Managing sustainability in luxury industry to pursue circular economy strategies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 432-462, January.
    4. Santana, Monica & Cobo, Manuel J., 2020. "What is the future of work? A science mapping analysis," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 846-862.
    5. Ying Huang & Wolfgang Glänzel & Lin Zhang, 2021. "Tracing the development of mapping knowledge domains," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(7), pages 6201-6224, July.
    6. Zamani, Mehdi & Yalcin, Haydar & Naeini, Ali Bonyadi & Zeba, Gordana & Daim, Tugrul U, 2022. "Developing metrics for emerging technologies: identification and assessment," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    7. Batista-Canino, Rosa M. & Santana-Hernández, Lidia & Medina-Brito, Pino, 2024. "A holistic literature review on entrepreneurial Intention: A scientometric approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    8. Irena Sajovic & Bojana Boh Podgornik, 2022. "Bibliometric Analysis of Visualizations in Computer Graphics: A Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440211, January.
    9. Rocío González-Sánchez & Sara Alonso-Muñoz & María Sonia Medina-Salgado, 2023. "Circularity in waste management: a research proposal to achieve the 2030 Agenda," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 1520-1540, September.
    10. Pereira, Vijay & Bamel, Umesh & Temouri, Yama & Budhwar, Pawan & Del Giudice, Manlio, 2023. "Mapping the evolution, current state of affairs and future research direction of managing cross-border knowledge for innovation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2).
    11. 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.
    12. Carmen Díaz-López & Alessandra Bonoli & María Martín-Morales & Montserrat Zamorano, 2021. "Analysis of the Scientific Evolution of the Circular Economy Applied to Construction and Demolition Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-22, August.
    13. E. M. Murgado-Armenteros & M. Gutiérrez-Salcedo & F. J. Torres-Ruiz & M. J. Cobo, 2015. "Analysing the conceptual evolution of qualitative marketing research through science mapping analysis," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(1), pages 519-557, January.
    14. Mikel Alayo & Txomin Iturralde & Amaia Maseda & Gloria Aparicio, 2021. "Mapping family firm internationalization research: bibliometric and literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1517-1560, August.
    15. Tânia Martins & Alexandra Braga & Marisa R. Ferreira & Vítor Braga, 2022. "Diving into Social Innovation: A Bibliometric Analysis," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, April.
    16. Jiangang Shi & Kaifeng Duan & Guangdong Wu & Hongyun Si & Rui Zhang, 2022. "Sustainability at the community level: A bibliometric journey around a set of sustainability‐related terms," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(1), pages 256-274, February.
    17. Monica Santana & Alvaro Lopez‐Cabrales, 2019. "Sustainable development and human resource management: A science mapping approach," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(6), pages 1171-1183, November.
    18. Yao, Ye & Du, Huibin & Zou, Hongyang & Zhou, Peng & Antunes, Carlos Henggeler & Neumann, Anne & Yeh, Sonia, 2023. "Fifty years of Energy Policy: A bibliometric overview," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    19. Roger-Monzó, Vanessa & Castelló-Sirvent, Fernando & Teixidó, Eduard Farran, 2023. "Sustainability, fuzzy-set and the hall of fame: Evolving research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    20. Paola Bernardi & Alberto Bertello & Canio Forliano & Ludovico Bullini Orlandi, 2022. "Beyond the “ivory tower”. Comparing academic and non-academic knowledge on social entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 999-1032, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-01759-y. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    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.