Abstract

Innovation is a key component of the development of the economy, the competitiveness of national economies and the high quality of long-term performance. To acquire and maintain competitiveness is strongly dependent today on innovation. For many years innovation related studies concentrated on technological innovation. Although Schumpeter has defined innovation in a broader sence, including market and organizational innovations as well, studies mainly have left out of consideration the economic, managerial and social elements of innovation. During the last 15 to 20 years social innovation has emerged as a major area of studies in innovation. How do all the actors of the economy see it? How does one help each other? We seek answers to these questions in a research on innovation and social innovation in a wider area, from which the present study focuses on social attitudes in technical and social innovation.