Hans-Werner Franz Book order

The title of the book derives from the theme of the 20th Conference on Applied Social Sciences of the Professional Association of German Sociologists, held in Munich in May 2019. The question of what concrete contributions social innovations can make to the transition to forms of sustainable coexistence and economic activity is as much the focus of this book as the question of what contribution the social sciences can make. Thus, on the one hand, it is about concrete social innovations that help us to achieve the goal of living and doing business sustainably, but on the other hand, it is also about the way in which the social sciences - not least through appropriate theoretical and methodological training - can be made socially responsible for the success of such socially innovative processes.

In recent years, social innovation has gained significant traction, with national governments and major organizations like the OECD, European Commission, and UNESCO embracing the term. It refers to the adoption of new social practices to meet social needs more effectively. Historical examples include the Red Cross and the social welfare state, while contemporary instances like internet 2.0 are reshaping communication and cooperation, necessitating new management concepts and even sparking social revolutions. This shift calls for a reevaluation of the traditional notion of innovation, which has typically focused on technological advancements, in favor of a broader paradigm that encompasses knowledge and services. Evidence suggests that social innovation will increasingly play a vital role in areas such as social integration, equal opportunities, and addressing climate change, while also enhancing the innovative capacities of companies and societies. While political authorities emphasize the social aspects, this book explores its societal and systemic dimensions, gathering insights from renowned experts worldwide. Drawing from the contributions of the first global science convention on social innovation held in September 2011 in Vienna, it offers an overview of scientific approaches to this emerging field, complemented by forewords from notable figures in European policy and the OECD.

1 1. 1 The book The book in your hand is not a scientific book, although it is based just as much on science as on my own experience in consultancy and management. As its title suggests, we want to build a bridge between the leadership that is typical of facilitation techniques and that of pr- ect and network management. Therefore this book does more than p- vide you with insights into the mainly methodical Messages we want to transmit. It will also make suggestions for how to train facilitators, and in the centre of the book you will find a wealth of 40 carefully selected and reality-proof Tools, many of which have never been pre- ously published in English, and in some case have never been published at all. With all of these you will find a presentation of our way of using them. Our sole objective is to offer our views and experience in impr- ing communication for effective co-operation, i. e. we want people who collaborate in some way to find and decide on the best courses of action, then share and implement these decisions better. We want to promote learning by doing, just as well as doing by learning. So this book is for people who in some way are responsible for s- cessful co-operation in projects, in and across organisations or networks of organisations. Action Learning has many fathers (but few mothers) and roots.