Barriers to Social Innovation and Ways of Overcoming them in Latvia

Abstract

The paper presents the findings of research conducted to determine the main barriers to social innovation in Latvia and explore the ways they are overcome. The analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data collected while interviewing social innovation projects revealed eight barriers to social innovation. Lack of financing, passivity in the society and administrative and bureaucratic barriers are most frequently faced here. The qualitative content analysis disclosed nine means for overcoming the barriers to social innovation. Three of them: promotional activities, external financial support and external support are most common. Each barrier to social innovation was analyzed also in regard with the means utilized for overcoming it. It showed that there is no universal way to overcome a certain barrier. There could be different combinations of means and actions undertaken. However, the most powerful mean in overcoming barriers to social innovation in Latvia turned out to be promotional activities defined as a set of activities aimed to: educate the society, encourage stakeholders to participate in the project, raise awareness about the topicality of the problem and share information about solutions with the project's target group.

Keywords

• Latvia
• barriers to social innovation
• social innovation
• overcoming barriers to social innovation