Innovation & Scaling for Impact

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Christian Seelos

SOLO tag:

Course Aims and Objectives

Social innovation as a field of practice continues to flourish and expand. In this course we explore the

roles, governance, and consequences of innovation and scaling in social sector organizations. The

topics and perspectives that we consider in this course are informed by a decade-long research

program studying entrepreneurial ventures that prioritise social outcomes, independent of whether

these are set up as for-profit or not-for-profit organisations. Case studies that provide us a rich

contextual perspective on organizations will play a central role in this course. Workshops on modeling

value-creation logics of entrepreneurial social ventures, on understanding and diagnosing innovation

pathologies, and on dissecting problem spaces will provide hands-on practical learning experiences.

Making smart long-term decisions about innovation and scaling is crucial for organizations, their

funders, and their supporters in the form of consultants, researchers, or observers. We will take a

fresh and realistic look at how innovation and scaling enable social value oriented enterprises to

create value and social impact. This course will strengthen students’ understanding of the roles of

innovation and scaling, will expose them to the potential but also the limits of innovation for creating

value, and will provide them with a number of practical frameworks and diagnostic tools that support

decision-making and long-term strategizing in entrepreneurial social ventures and social sector

organizations in general.

Pre-course assignment

For the pre-course assignment please prepare answers to the following questions before engaging

with any of the assigned readings:

1. What is YOUR working definition of Social Innovation?

2. How do you and/or your work relate to Social Innovation?

3. Which examples come to mind when you think of successful Social Innovation?

4. What examples come to mind if you think of unsuccessful Social Innovation?

Please bring your notes to class. While you prepare for the course: reflect on whether and how some

of your answers change as you engage with readings and cases.

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Course Reading List

Essential readings: You are expected to reflect on these readings prior to the course. In particular,

read all assigned case studies carefully and reflect on the assigned case questions. Be prepared to

provide arguments that shed light on the assigned questions – I will routinely employ cold calls to

ensure that everyone participates. The objective is to capture the diversity of perspectives,

experiences and insights that you all provide rather than probe for “right” or “wrong” answers.

However, arguments need to be logical and plausible, informed by evidence from the case or direct

experience with this type of situation, or based on frameworks from assigned readings or other

courses.

Additional readings: These provide you with additional perspectives in case you want to explore

issues more deeply before, during or after the course. I will provide additional readings depending on

your particular interests as the course and our discussions unfold.

Module 1: Saturday, Sunday May 28 and 29

Sat, 28 May: Session 1 – Introduction to innovation and scaling for impact: Meanings,

assumptions, ideologies

Overview and Introduction

Session 1 challenges us to reflect on the multiple discourses and perspectives around innovation and

scaling. We will try to establish a shared set of language and meanings around these concepts and to

critically explore their potential for creating impact.

Essential readings

1. Phills, J. A., Deiglmeier, K., & Miller, D. T. (2008) Rediscovering Social Innovation. Stanford

Social Innovation Review, 6(4): 34-43, accessible at:

http://ssir.org/articles/entry/rediscovering_social_innovation

2. Seelos, C. & Mair, J. (2012) Innovation is not the Holy Grail. Stanford Social Innovation

Review 10 (4), 44-49, accessible at:

http://ssir.org/articles/entry/innovation_is_not_the_holy_grail

3. Garud, R., Tuertscher, P., & Van de Ven, A. H. (2013) Perspectives on Innovation Processes.

The Academy of Management Annals, 7(1): 775-819.

Compare these three readings – what are the main assumptions of authors about innovation?

What are similarities and differences in perspectives and assumptions across the articles?

How does this match or differ from your own assumptions and uses of terminology?

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Additional readings

4. Godin, B. (2012) Social Innovation: Utopias of Innovation from c.1830 to the Present. Project

on the Intellectual History of Innovation, Working Paper No. 11, accessible at:

http://www.csiic.ca/PDF/SocialInnovation_2012.pdf

5. Seelos C. & Mair J. (2012) What Determines the Capacity for Continuous Innovation in Social

Sector Organizations? Report to the Rockefeller Foundation. Stanford Center on Philanthropy

and Civil Society. Accessible at: http://www.christianseelos.com/capacity-for-continuous-

innovation_PACS_31Jan2012_Final.pdf

Sat, 28 May: Session 2 – Organizational innovation trajectories (case discussion)

Overview and Introduction

In this session we explore two decades of the organizational journey of Gram Vikas, a social

enterprise operating in rural Orissa, India. We will extract insights on the different roles, potentials,

and characteristics of innovations and scaling activities for creating impact.

Essential readings

1. Case Study: Seelos, C. & Mair, J. (2016) Gram Vikas – A decade of innovations (cannot be

used in digital format, file will be provided by CS to produce student hardcopies).

Case Assignment Questions (reflect on them while you study the case and bring your

notes to class):

 Evaluate Gram Vikas decisions and actions during the four phases of their journey:

o The early years (agricultural cooperatives, dairy)

o The tribal village years

o The biogas decade

o Mantra

 Why did Gram Vikas start innovations in these phases?

 How did they go about it?

 What were the consequences of their innovations?

 What are the different roles of innovations and scaling in creating impact throughout

the organization’s journey?

Additional readings

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Sat, 28 May: Session 3 – Diagnosing innovation pathologies (workshop)

Overview and Introduction

In this session, we will develop and work with a diagnostic tool for evaluating an

organization’s capacity for productive innovation – turning innovations into impact.

Essential readings

None

Additional readings

1. Seelos, C. & Mair. J. (2013) Innovate and Scale: A Tough Balancing Act. Stanford Social

Innovation Review 11 (3), 12-14, accessible at:

http://ssir.org/articles/entry/innovate_and_scale_a_tough_balancing_act

Sun, 29 May: Session 4 – Thinking about context, strategy, performance and impact

(case discussion)

Overview and Introduction

This session explores the journey of Sekem, a social enterprise in Egypt. We will distil

learnings about the roles of context in shaping organizational-, business-, and social impact

strategies.

Essential readings

1. Case study: Seelos, C. and Mair, J. (2009) Sekem: Liberating a Vision, An Artistic Approach to

Entrepreneurship (digital authors’ copy will be provided).

Case Assignment Questions (reflect on them while you study the case and bring your

notes to class):

 How do you evaluate Abouleish's strategy when he started out in the first years after

returning to Egypt?

 What were some of the major hurdles that Abouleish faced to making progress in the

first couple of years? What were the roles and powers of various stakeholders?

 How do you evaluate Abouleish's strategies to overcome hurdles?

 How do you evaluate the pros and cons of Sekem building and integrating a multitude

of different organizational structures and units?

 Is Sekem a "blueprint of the organization for the 21st century"? Evaluate if Sekem

could be replicated in other countries and how.

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

2. Ebrahim, A., & Rangan, V. K. (2014) What Impact? A Framework for Measuring the Scale and

Scope of Social Performance. California Management Review, 56(3): 118-141.

Additional readings

1. Engineers without borders (2011) Failure report; Read: Lewis, S.A. Foreword, and Hemsworth,

M. Protecting Innovation in a Social Enterprise (pp. 18-19) – accessible at:

https://www.ewb.ca/sites/default/files/2011%20EWB%20Failure%20Report.pdf

2. Schambra, W. (2014) Is strategic philanthropy yesterday’s news? Nonprofit Quarterly, June

10, 2014 - accessible at: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2014/06/10/strategic-philanthropy-so-

yesterday/

Sun, 29 May: Session 5 – Business model innovation and implications for scaling

(workshop)

Overview and Introduction

We will develop and work with an analytical tool to understand the causal architecture of

business models – how organizational action generates impact - in a systematic and

objective manner.

Essential readings

None

Additional readings

Sun, 29 May: Session 6 – Scaling strategies (workshop)

Overview and Introduction

In this session we will explore options for scaling business models and evaluate their pros

and cons. We will also think systematically about resource allocation choices: deciding how

to balance resource allocations to innovation or to scaling.

Essential readings

1. Bradach, J. & Grindle, A. (2014) Transformative Scale: The Future of Growing What Works.

Stanford Social Innovation Review - accessible at:

http://ssir.org/articles/entry/transformative_scale_the_future_of_growing_what_works

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Additional readings

Module 2: Saturday, Sunday June 4 and 5

Sat, 4 June: Session 7 – The ambidextrous organization: How to organize for effective

innovation AND scaling (case discussion)

Overview and Introduction

In this session we reflect on the organizational journey of BRAC, the largest NGO in the

world. Not only has BRAC grown through scaling it has also dramatically expanded its scope

through innovations. We want to understand how organizations can build an effective

capacity for continuous innovation and scaling.

Essential readings

1. Case Study: Seelos, C. & Mair, J. (2016) BRAC – An ambidextrous organization? (cannot be

used in digital format, file will be provided by CS to produce student hardcopies).

Case Assignment Questions (reflect on them while you study the case and bring your

notes to class):

 Both Gram Vikas and BRAC were triggered into action by the same natural disaster

(the big cyclone in the 1970s) in comparable contexts. What explains the differences in

their organizational journeys?

 How do you evaluate BRAC from the ambidexterity perspective of Tushman (see

assigned reading)? Which elements of ambidexterity does BRAC enact and how?

 How does BRAC overcome innovation pathologies?

 How do you evaluate BRAC’s long-term strategy from an economic and social impact

perspective? What types of impact does BRAC generate and what are the specific

roles of innovation and scaling in enacting this impact?

2. Euchner, J. (2015) The Challenges of Ambidextrous Leadership: An Interview with Michael

Tushman. Research Technology Management 58 (3): 16-20.

Additional readings

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Sat, 4 June: Session 8 – Innovation archetypes: a dynamic perspective on balancing

innovation and scaling for impact

Overview and Introduction

We will summarize and compare the innovation archetypes of various organizations to

understand the different ways in which innovation and scaling relate to impact and at which

pace and for which purposes innovations and scaling can productively be coupled.

Essential readings

None

Additional readings

Sat, 4 June: Session 9 – Guest speaker TBA

Overview and Introduction

Essential readings

None

Additional readings

Sun, 5 June: Session 10 – Cross-sector innovation and scaling (case discussion)

Overview and Introduction

This session explores the scaling strategies of Telenor, a Norwegian Telecom company in

Bangladesh. While many aspects of their market entry seem straightforward from a strategic

perspective, some elements of the entry mode appear counterintuitive. This includes the

choice of a not-for-profit joint-venture partner and including an access strategy for poor

villagers throughout Bangladesh despite the fact that they are not considered profitable

customers. We want to explore this non-traditional scaling strategy from the perspective of a

for-profit company and a social enterprise.

Essential readings

1. Case Study: Telenor in Bangladesh A (INSEAD 304-147-1) and B (INSEAD 304-148-1)

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Case Assignment Questions (reflect on them while you study the case and bring your

notes to class):

 Why was Bangladesh not on Telenor's radar screen in 1994? As the CEO of Telenor in

1994, how would you evaluate risks and opportunities of a market entry in

Bangladesh?

 Evaluate the unusual partnership between Telenor and Grameen? From a purely

commercial perspective - how important was Grameen as a partner? Could or should

Telenor have done it alone?

 Evaluate the features of the joint business model between the two organizations. Do

you agree or disagree with the decision to set up two independent companies

GrameenPhone and GrameenTelecom to pursue an emerging market in a resource

poor country?

 How is social and economic value creation interdependent in this case? What does

Telenor's CEO mean when he says "Good business is good development and good

development is good business"?

 What is the long-term impact for the major stakeholders?

Additional readings

Sun, 5 June: Session 11 – Mapping problem spaces: Implications for innovation and

Scaling (workshop)

Overview and Introduction

In this session we will develop and work with a diagnostic tool for systematically mapping problem

spaces – the elements that create and sustain social challenges. We will discuss the implications of

different “maps” for innovation and scaling.

Essential readings

None

Additional readings

Sun, 5 June: Session 12 – Your research presentations - TBA

Overview and Introduction

In this session you will present insights and questions from analytical work you have done between

modules 1 and 2 for discussion with your peers.

MFE 2015-16

Trinity 2016 | Innovation & Scaling for Impact

Correct on 21/07/2016 Any link problems contact: [email protected]

Essential readings

None

Additional readings

Sun, 5 June: Session 13 – Wrap up

Overview and Introduction

Essential readings

None

Additional readings