On Social Innovations

A handbook of support the mainstreaming of social innovation methodology in the Czech Republic

2015, Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs

“How to drive positive change? I poured some social theory into this hands-on guidebook for future revolutionaries.”

  • Book title: Social Innovations for the Curious, Courageous and Creative
  • Editor: Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Authors: Šárka Hastrmanová, Ivana Sládková, Dalibor Tomko, Pavel Borecký, Monika Höklová and Olga Shirobokova
  • Designer: Vladimír Strejček
  • Publisher: Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic
  • Language: Czech
  • Paperback: 134 pages
  • Price: open access
  • My contribution: author and consultant
  • Key words: social policy, diffusion of innovations, social business, social entrepreneurship

Social Innovations for the Curious, Courageous and Creative

Everyone can start to write a better story.

The first official Czech handbook to support the development of social innovations. The book advises how to move the initial idea towards successful implementation of the new solutions to urgent socio-economic issues.

The creation of the guide was funded by the European Social Fund.

Pavel Borecký – On Culture and Creativity

a book chapter

Picking up on Clifford Geertz and his definition of “culture as a network of meanings”, the chapter encourages the readers to use the framework of the post-Fordist era to solve social and ecological challenges of the 21st century.


Table of Contents

  • On Culture and Creativity – Pavel Borecký
  • Social Innovations in Case Studies – Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Definition of Social Innovation – Ivana Sládková, Dalibor Tomko
  • An Innovator – Ivana Sládková, Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Teams and Organizations – Ivana Sládková, Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Phases of Social Innovation – Ivana Sládková, Šárka Hastrmanová
  • How to come up with the One– Dalibor Tomko
  • Proposing a Solution – Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Risks of Innovations – Monika Höklová, Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Scaling up – Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Transfer of Innovations – Monika Höklová
  • Evaluation – Olga Shirobokova, Šárka Hastrmanová
  • Money and Legal Forms – Dalibor Tomko

Social Innovations for the Curious, Courageous and Creative – Full Book