The Potential and Need to Implement the New Concept of Social Innovation into the Management Practice of Modern Energy Companies

Abstract

The research results presented in the paper show that it is important that not only state institutions and foundations but also energy companies engage in solving environmental problems by introducing specific social innovations. This need results primarily from the fact that in the environment of energy enterprises, problems of a social nature as well as those related to ecology are observed. The occurrence of social and environmental problems is related to the fact that the solutions developed so far to eliminate them are not fully effective, and the currently functioning political and economic systems as well as financial mechanisms do not sufficiently support the interests of society members and the biological systems of the planet. Hence, people constituting a layer of the social environment of energy companies also expect support from them, in the elimination of specific problems. It appears that the active participation of energy enterprises in counteracting or eliminating social and environmental issues may result in an increase in the economic efficiency of their management systems. Therefore, the benefits may concern not only the environment in which these companies operate, but also the companies themselves.

Keywords

• social innovations
• energy companies
• management practice