Multinational Companies: Qualitative Comparative Analysis for Conditions for Social Innovation and Semi-structured Interviews Examining Social Innovation, 2020-2022

This project analysed social innovations relating to inequality that are carried out by social activists in and around multinational companies (MNCs) in five national contexts. Defined as the “innovative activities and services that are motivated by the goal of meeting a social need” (Mulgan, 2006, p. 146), particularly those arising from social divides within society and the corporate responsibilities towards the externalities that MNCs create, we considered when and how some actors within MNCs engage in innovative activities that address such social divides, with a view to understanding whether and how such initiatives contribute to inclusive growth and to sustainable development. Our primary focus is on the process of social innovation that pertains to inequality in general and the work of ‘social activists’ from both inside and beyond the boundaries of these companies. We studied social innovation as a combination of not only top-down initiatives led by executives and those close to them, but also bottom-up processes led by social activists from a range of backgrounds and positions. We sought to understand the dynamics of such social innovations as regards which actors are taking them forward, what these initiatives concern, what resources are deployed, how such initiatives span the boundaries of companies and civil societies, and whether and why they are successful. We addressed the opportunities and challenges for the scaling up of social innovations through MNCs’ transnational networks, which are a key driver of transformations in both developed and emerging economies on both sides of the Atlantic. The research was envisaged to last 30 months. One of the consequences of the pandemic was that initial access in early 2020 was challenging and we sought an extension to 36 months. Hence the project began in early 2020 and ran up till the end of 2022.
There were two phases to the project. Phase one entailed a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QAC) to analyse conditions of 10 cases of social innovation in and around MNCs. Phase 2 consisted of semi-structured interviews examine four research question related to social innovation i) interests and motivations of social innovation ii) skills and resources of social innovation iii) inhibiting and enabling institutional factors of social innovation iv) outcomes of social innovation.<p>This project is about social innovation carried out by multinational companies to address inequality. With their cross-border mobilisation of technologies and relentless search for skills, markets and cost savings, multinationals can be drivers of inequality. Yet, some countervailing evidence points to some multinationals engaging in initiatives to address economic and social issues. These initiatives may concern healthcare, educational and skill ecosystems, core labour rights, discrimination based on gender, race, sexual orientation and disability, or the marginalisation of migrants and indigenous peoples.

This project looks at social innovation initiatives on inequality carried out by actors within multinational companies in interaction with civil society and government stakeholders in different industry, community and national contexts. It focuses on three developed economies (Canada, Netherlands, United Kingdom) and two emerging economies (Brazil, Mexico). The multidisciplinary research team in these countries will look at the nature of these innovations and whether, and how they are scaled-up and diffused beyond the boundaries of national institutional systems to address broader concerns.

The project aims to understand the different types of social activists who instigate, spread and sustain such social innovations, the resources and social skills they deploy, and the level of social reach and impact they attain.

In adopting a lens to look at social innovation initiatives as bottom-up and co-constructed by a variety of private-firm and community actors, with a focus on the conditions under which such innovations might be scaled up to provide broader solutions to problems of inequality and inclusive growth, this project will enable policymakers, multinational managers and community activists to develop policy recommendations to promote diversity and social inclusion and will highlight the conditions and practises conducive to the scaling-up and dissemination of social innovation initiatives on inequality.</p>

本项目针对五个国家语境下，由跨国公司（MNCs）内部及周边的社会活动家开展的、与不平等相关的社会创新展开分析。社会创新被定义为“以满足社会需求为目标的创新活动与服务”（Mulgan，2006，第146页），本研究尤其关注源于社会内部割裂、以及跨国公司所产生外部性的企业责任相关的社会创新，探讨跨国公司内部的部分行动者何时以及如何开展旨在弥合此类社会割裂的创新活动，以期明晰此类举措是否以及如何助力包容增长与可持续发展。
本研究的核心聚焦于普遍涉及不平等议题的社会创新过程，以及来自这些企业内部与外部边界的“社会活动家”的实践。本研究将社会创新视为两类实践的结合：一类是由高管及其亲信主导的自上而下举措，另一类则是由不同背景与职位的社会活动家推动的自下而上流程。本研究旨在探究此类社会创新的运行逻辑，具体包括：哪些行动者在推动此类创新、这些举措聚焦于何种议题、动用了哪些资源、此类举措如何跨越企业与公民社会的边界，以及这些举措是否成功、为何成功。本研究还探讨了通过跨国公司的跨国网络实现社会创新规模化所面临的机遇与挑战——此类网络是大西洋两岸发达经济体与新兴经济体转型的核心驱动力。
本研究原计划为期30个月。受新冠疫情影响，2020年初的初始调研准入工作面临诸多困难，因此我们申请将研究周期延长至36个月。最终本项目于2020年初启动，持续至2022年底。
本项目分为两个阶段。第一阶段采用定性比较分析（QAC），对跨国公司内部及周边的10个社会创新案例的发生条件展开分析；第二阶段通过半结构化访谈，探讨与社会创新相关的四个研究问题：一、社会创新的利益诉求与动机；二、社会创新所需的技能与资源；三、社会创新面临的制度性阻碍与赋能因素；四、社会创新的实施成效。
本项目聚焦于跨国公司为应对不平等问题所开展的社会创新。跨国公司通过跨境调动技术、不懈寻求技能、市场与成本节约，可能成为加剧不平等的推手；但也有反向证据表明，部分跨国公司正主动采取举措应对经济与社会议题。此类举措可能涉及医疗健康、教育与技能生态系统、核心劳动权利、基于性别、种族、性取向与残障的歧视问题，或是移民与原住民的边缘化处境。
本项目关注在不同行业、社区与国家语境下，跨国公司内部行动者与公民社会及政府利益相关者合作开展的、针对不平等问题的社会创新举措。本研究聚焦三个发达经济体（加拿大、荷兰、英国）与两个新兴经济体（巴西、墨西哥），各国的多学科研究团队将分析此类创新的本质，以及它们是否、如何突破国家制度体系边界，以应对更广泛的社会议题。
本项目旨在明晰发起、推广并维系此类社会创新的各类社会活动家群体，他们所动用的资源与社会技能，以及此类创新所能达成的社会覆盖范围与影响程度。
本研究采用“自下而上、由各类私营企业与社区行动者共同构建”的视角，聚焦此类社会创新得以规模化、从而为不平等与包容增长问题提供更广泛解决方案的前提条件。本项目将助力政策制定者、跨国公司管理者与社区活动家制定促进多元化与社会包容的政策建议，并阐明有助于不平等议题相关社会创新举措规模化与传播的前提条件与实践路径。