Summary

The publication on Social Innovation  “Social Networks: the new innovation protagonists, a guidebook for Italian companies” aims at describing the evolution of Social Networks and their impact in the Society and in the business world.

The book presents this on-going change in 4 main chapters, providing a description of the evolution of the Social Networks and their impact on Society and the business world. It also includes a presentation of 12 original and recent case studies of international small and medium–size companies having developed an innovative approach to transform their business through the valorization of Social Networks.

Object

Social networks are rapidly entering the workplace, revolutionizing the professional relationship among employees and enriching it with a social dimension. Will the experience last? And, most importantly, what role will the Social Networks play in business development?
The changes crafted by new social networks can already be observed in many organizations and business processes. However, European companies need guidance to orient themselves in a complex world where rights and duties, behaviors and opportunities are strongly influenced by the new “freedom of networking” of people working inside and outside companies.

Companies must therefore be cautious, but also open to innovation:  social networks are just at the beginning of their existence, but they certainly have and  will continue to have important organizational and  process–related  implications for the companies in the future.

Authors

Aleardo Furlani, MBA at IESE,  after consulting experience in the ICU and the MAC Group (Gemini Consulting), he set up the company INNOVA SpA in 1993.

Francesco Lutman, web content manager, since 2000 in charge of  dynamics of innovation, technology transfer and business creation. He carried out his activities at ENEA, the Technopolis Science Park and the IPI.  From 2010 he works at  the Ministry of Economic Development.

The Italian version of the book is available in the following Libraries from February 2012