Philosophy of Innovation and Social Values in Enterprises

Abstract

The Schumpeterian theory of innovation and innovative entrepreneurs is still valid in the markets. By generalizing some definitions of Schumpeter it is possible to develop a philosophy of innovation that could be valid for various types of innovation, including social innovations and scientific discoveries. This article proposes an axiological approach in innovation studies and, following the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, social innovations are defined as those social processes that generate social value. Some recent definitions of social value are commented on and a general heuristic definition is proposed: innovations are interactive processes that generate something new, transformative and valuable in certain environments and systems. To measure the social value, we choose the polyhedral model, based on stakeholders (Retolaza and San-José, 2016). This methodology allows the integration of conflicting social values and, therefore, enables the study of barriers and oppositions to socially innovative proposals, whether they arise in companies and markets or in societies in general.

Keywords

• estudios de innovación
• filosofía de la innovación
• gestión de stakeholders
• axiología
• valor social
• entrepreneurs
• descubrimiento científico