Designing Social Innovation Evaluation Framework at Universities

During recent years, emotional awareness against social responsibility of universities in respect of rendering service to the society as a whole has been increased. In this era, universities had to be aware of their effects on their surrounding environment, in addition to their internal processes; and, there have been an increasing responsibility against those challenges that societies were facing with, in present century. Considering considerable role played by universities and social innovation in sustainable development; present study had provided a framework for evaluation of universities’ social innovation.

This applied research in terms of objective was a descriptive study, as far as its nature was concerned; and, effort had been made in the research for previous studies to be reviewed systemically and for output achievements to be analyzed. Accordingly, and through selection of 75 researches from among 1210 recalled researches; codes of the framework had been counted.

Provided framework has 6 categories and 18 concepts, as well as 69 codes obtained through review of thematic literature and views provided by experts dominating the field. Kappa coefficient being 0.596 confirms quality of the framework provided.

Final framework having different training, organization, research, development and innovation, contextual connection, environment, and international dimensions in addition to related contents and indicators includes all missions assigned to universities and social innovation goals followed in the field. One of the functions of provided framework was university evaluation and ranking based on social innovation that simultaneously would play important role in sustainable development of society and universities.