Social economy and social innovation across diverse contexts: City-level findings from Korea, Italy, and Poland

Abstract

This study investigates the contextual foundations that shape the characteristics and dynamics of the social economy and its approach to social open innovation across three countries-South Korea, Italy, and Poland. Specifically, it examines three core dimensions: the agenda pursued, the organizational types involved, and the sustainability of social economy actors. Addressing significant gaps in the literature, the study poses two research questions: (a) How do political, economic, and cultural contexts influence the development of the social economy and social open innovation in each country? (b) In what ways do these contextual differences affect organizational forms, strategic agendas, and long-term sustainability? Employing a comparative, multi-method qualitative approach-including in-depth interviews and participatory observation-the findings reveal stark contrasts across the three countries. Italy's social economy is mature and economically grounded, Poland's is culturally driven yet emergent, and South Korea's is politically shaped but organizationally fragile. These differences suggest that context plays a critical role in defining the evolution, focus, and resilience of the social economy and its potential for fostering socially oriented innovation. The study contributes to grounded theory development by offering a comparative framework that links contextual foundations with the trajectory of social innovation across diverse urban settings.