Thesis

Corporate social innovation and the social innovation ecosystem : comparative case studies of the interaction between government and firms in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Creator
Rights statement
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2025
Thesis identifier
  • T17259
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 202168235
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • Rising social problems have increased demands for social innovation (SI) as aninnovative solution. A key development in theory and practice is acknowledging thatbusiness constitutes a key source of SI, leading to a growing study of corporate socialinnovation (CSI). In Southeast Asian countries, the importance of CSI has beenincreasingly recognised. However, the understanding of CSI in this region is limited,particularly regarding the interaction between firms implementing CSI and thegovernment.This thesis aims to explore how Southeast Asian governments interact with firmsimplementing CSI under different country contexts, focusing on the characteristics andmechanisms of the interactions. The thesis also seeks to scrutinise the understandingof CSI in practice. It employs a comparative case study approach, with Thailand as theprimary case, compared with two neighbouring countries: Malaysia and Singapore.Through semi-structured interviews with participants from 29 CSI projects, eightgovernment agencies and six organisations across the three countries, complementedby secondary data from relevant sources, the study reveals specific characteristics anddimensions of the interactions between the government and firms.Thailand and Malaysia, which have similar country contexts, display purposive andreciprocal-based interaction. The findings also highlight the prevalence of informalinteraction through interpersonal relationships between the government and firms.Singapore, in contrast, demonstrates supportive and responsive-based interaction, andthe formal interaction through official channels is notable. Further, the findings revealkey barriers to interactions and CSI, including problematic bureaucratic procedures,the failure of top-down approaches, intergovernmental coordination issues, governmentinaction, constraints on grant funding, firm operational issues, and awareness of socialproblems. The insights derived from this thesis have valuable implications forenhancing policies related to SI-oriented businesses and entrepreneurs and foradvancing the understanding of CSI and relevant theories.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Gök, Abdullah
  • Lassalle, Paul
  • McMillan, Carolyn
Resource Type
DOI
Funder

Relations

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details PDF of thesis T17259 2025-05-07 Public Download