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In this introduction we present early childhood education and care (ECEC) as the topic of this book and how we position it in relation to the wider theoretical and conceptual debate on social innovation. We carry out an extensive review of the main concepts on which this book is based (social innovation, policy learning and institutionalisation), and we present the conceptual model that lies behind the instrumental case of Barcelona that connects these three concepts. This chapter will also introduce the content of this book, presenting Part I and Part II, and their role in this book's argument.

This paper aims to investigate the concept of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) in the field of cross-cultural management.

The related literature has been analysed from various paradigmatic lenses.

As the VUCA world concept originates from business circles, several key articles were published in non-academic journals. Two distinct groups of publications can be identified: consulting literature and academic literature on the VUCA world. While both consulting literature and academic literature about the VUCA world can be associated with functionalism, alternative research paradigms can easily accommodate new studies in connection with the VUCA world: interpretive, critical and postmodern works would fit the features of the VUCA world, along with multi-paradigm studies.

It is advisable to investigate emergent contemporary issues, often labelled VUCA, according to multiple paradigms and to conduct multi-paradigmatic research.

While consulting literature on the VUCA world implicitly assumes functionalist paradigms, academic literature might provide alternative assumptions. Interpretative, critical and postmodern paradigms more accurately address the issues raised by VUCA.

Social innovation (SI) is seen as a cornerstone for addressing the major social and environmental challenges of today’s world.Given that multinational enterprises (MNEs) play a crucial role in contributing to a more sustainable world, this leads us to wonder about the potential of these innovation initiatives in the context of these firms. This systematic literature review aims to explore SI within these firms and suggest future research avenues, as well as highlight the implications of the subject.

Based on the analysis of 46 articles, this paper employs the PRISMA method to conduct a systematic literature review on SI within MNEs.

Drawing from the analysis of the results, this paper observes that SI within MNEs is generally mobilized within the framework of other responsible conceptualizations such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); however, it remains a crucial lever for value creation in MNEs. Additionally, this review asserts that social innovation within MNEs acts as a catalyst for sustainability, social change, institutional effectiveness and knowledge sharing within these firms. Moreover, it illustrates the conditions for the success of this innovation in MNEs, including addressing the instrumental needs of target users, committing to the long term, the ability to shape the environment, maintaining a strong position among stakeholders and adapting new technologies.

This review offers a nuanced exploration of how SI manifests within MNEs, examining its diverse conceptualizations, functions and the conditions necessary for success. Building on this analysis, it highlights key theoretical, practical and policy implications, along with a series of research questions designed to establish a solid foundation for future research.

Across the public sector, and especially in the delivery of health and social care and support, practicing innovation is a difficult and seldom rewarding activity. The organisational barriers inhibiting innovation adoption in healthcare settings have been widely discussed. What is less well understood is what motivates staff to persist with innovation efforts despite these barriers. This paper contributes to recent studies of the role of care and compassion in innovation processes within social care settings not only to generate new insights into the motivations underpinning innovation efforts but also to help illuminate how staff overcome barriers to innovation.

We crafted a series of vignettes from our recent ethnographic studies of innovation across the health and social care sectors in Australia and Denmark, involving semi-structured interviews, observation and field notes. Within the Danish case, we explore an instance involving a formal organisational focus on identifying and sustaining innovation within local service deliver. With the Australian case, we present an informal approach, where the process of identifying and sustaining innovation derives from moments of spontaneous employee engagement and initiative.

Reflecting on the examples of “frugal innovation” presented in these vignettes, the major contribution of this study is to situate care and compassion as critical social, affective and material aspects of the practice of innovation in health and social care settings. Our analysis indicates how the practice of innovation is shaped by diverse relations of caregiving, where compassion emerges as a key source of motivation, aspiration and application that inspires staff to seek novel solutions to enduring healthcare challenges.

We develop our argument with reference to recent interdisciplinary orientations to care and compassion in the healthcare literature, incorporating contributions from feminist scholars and the ongoing articulation of feminist care ethics in the study of innovation.