This week’s readings center on the problems social entrepreneurs face in developing and scaling their projects. An innovation’s impact can suffer by not being replicable, meaning other organizations cannot adopt the innovation or cannot maintain the quality of the innovation. The dilemma of scaling is described in the Tripp article: “Do we grow our organization continuing to provide our service directly or do we expand our impact by helping other organizations adopt the model?” [1]. So I propose I another question: How can social innovators generate impact through aligning more directly to existing structures and organizations? Lending an innovation's success to other organizations, local businesses, or existing infrastructure can be a way to perpetuate the innovation.
Spreading an innovation to its maximum capacity for impact involves a shift in perception for the social innovator. If the innovation actually works in a measurable capacity, perhaps one of the best routes to consider for growth would be an alliance with an existing organization, company, or system, rather than try to freshly establish themselves. The advantage of forming alliances is to take advantage of the existing footholds within a particular location. The more social innovators can partner with huge global companies like Coca-Cola, the more reach is possible for that innovation. If entrepreneurs can think in terms of appealing to huge companies, like Coca-Cola, they will find an already paved avenue for their innovation. According to the Whalan article, “you can often find a bottle of Coke in a village where basic medicine is not even available.” [2]
By knowing what products are already available or widely used in the area, an innovator can plot how an alliance could be mutually beneficial both for the intended audience and the existing organization. Even in rural Kenya, Coca-Cola has managed to gain footing, generate revenue, and spread marvelously in the most low access areas [3]. If the social innovator can flexibly cater to the needs of a existing organizations, the adoption rate for the innovation may be reduced as well. While massive conglomerate companies may not hold the social impact as a priority, they will implement the project if it can improve the lives of it employees in countries around the world, thus improving its foothold in underdeveloped markets. If innovators think of themselves as ephemeral, continuously adapting, and attaching themselves to already existing structures, scaling the impact will become trivial.
[1]It’s Not All About Growth For Social Enterprises (Harvard Business Review Blog Network, January 21, 2013)
[2] How Misinformed Ideas About Profit Are Holding Back The World’s Poor (Whalan, Fast Company, May 8, 2013)
[3] Why Coke Is Bringing Solar Power To Rural Kenya (Fast Company, June 14, 2013)
Spreading an innovation to its maximum capacity for impact involves a shift in perception for the social innovator. If the innovation actually works in a measurable capacity, perhaps one of the best routes to consider for growth would be an alliance with an existing organization, company, or system, rather than try to freshly establish themselves. The advantage of forming alliances is to take advantage of the existing footholds within a particular location. The more social innovators can partner with huge global companies like Coca-Cola, the more reach is possible for that innovation. If entrepreneurs can think in terms of appealing to huge companies, like Coca-Cola, they will find an already paved avenue for their innovation. According to the Whalan article, “you can often find a bottle of Coke in a village where basic medicine is not even available.” [2]
By knowing what products are already available or widely used in the area, an innovator can plot how an alliance could be mutually beneficial both for the intended audience and the existing organization. Even in rural Kenya, Coca-Cola has managed to gain footing, generate revenue, and spread marvelously in the most low access areas [3]. If the social innovator can flexibly cater to the needs of a existing organizations, the adoption rate for the innovation may be reduced as well. While massive conglomerate companies may not hold the social impact as a priority, they will implement the project if it can improve the lives of it employees in countries around the world, thus improving its foothold in underdeveloped markets. If innovators think of themselves as ephemeral, continuously adapting, and attaching themselves to already existing structures, scaling the impact will become trivial.
[1]It’s Not All About Growth For Social Enterprises (Harvard Business Review Blog Network, January 21, 2013)
[2] How Misinformed Ideas About Profit Are Holding Back The World’s Poor (Whalan, Fast Company, May 8, 2013)
[3] Why Coke Is Bringing Solar Power To Rural Kenya (Fast Company, June 14, 2013)
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