An empirical investigation of the antecedents and performance outcomes of social product innovation
(A2025-126026)

AUTHORS

Sylvia Charitonos, University of Cyprus; Marios Theodosiou, University of Cyprus; Leonidas Leonidou, University of Cyprus

ABSTRACT

This study examines the drivers of social product innovation and explores its subsequent impact on social enterprise performance, focusing on the creation of social value and the potential for fostering future social change. Specifically, it explores three critical drivers of social product innovation: social entrepreneurial orientation, social opportunities exploration and social opportunities exploitation. These drivers are shown to positively influence a social enterprise's innovation strategy, ultimately leading to enhanced social outcomes. The study develops a theoretically grounded model rooted in organizational learning theory. Subsequently, data from 157 social enterprises are analyzed to empirically test the proposed hypotheses using structural equation modeling procedures. The findings offer robust support for the theoretical framework and make a significant contribution to the limited body of literature on social entrepreneurship.