1. RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015
ІІІ International Scientific & Practical Congress. Roundtable. Skype bridge. Web-conference.
“INTELLECTUAL ECONOMY UNDER CONDITIONS OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION:
PROSPECTS OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS“ June 27, 2017, Zhytomyr, Ukraine
Intellect and social innovations: who are the agents of responsible change in post-industrial rural communities?
Dr. Rita Vilkė, PhD, Senior researcher, Head of Rural Development Department

2. Contents 1 Hot tip 2 Aim and research methods 3
RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015
Contents
Hot tip 1 2
Aim and research methods 3
Responsible social innovation and rural development 4
Findings 5
Conclusions and discussion 6 2
Conclusions and discussion

3. RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015
Hot tip 1

4. “The planet was a large world in which human activities and their effects were neatly compartmentalized within nations, within sectors (energy, agriculture, trade), and within broad areas of concern (environment, economics, social)” (Brundtland’s Report, 1987).
Intellectual impetus for social change had resulted with numerous transformations round the world in all sectors and spheres of human activity.
Spheres
Environ-ment
Social
Econo-mics
Sectors
Agriculture
Energy
Trade

5. Hot Tip
Diminishing role of traditional agriculture, expansion of services and digitalization keep shaping the quality of life in rural areas.
The potential for social transformations in rural community highly depends on the agents of change - local people and their intelligence.

6. Aim and research methods
RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015 2
Aim and research methods

7. Who are the agents of change in post-industrial rural communities?
Aim of the study
Who are the agents of change in post-industrial rural communities?
More specifically, this study focuses on farmers’ education as intellectual basis of intelligence, which is discussed in relation to their attitudes on initiating and fostering responsible social innovations for local rural communities.

8. Research methods Representative quantitative empirical study.
Survey period: January and February, 2017.
Semi-structured interviews, using 12 types of socially responsible innovations for local community with 5-point Likert scale.
Surveyed Lithuanian farmers N=1108 (n=138,9 thous.).
Statistical conditions: 3 percent error (ε=0,03) and 95 percent (p=0,5) confidence level (Schwarze, 1993).

9. Responsible social innovation and rural development 3 3
Responsible social innovation and rural development
Responsible social innovation and rural development 5 6

10. Responsible social innovation
“Social innovation may be referred to when identifying society’s need for more sustainable production methods, the necessity for collaboration and social learning, and the scope of change needed for revitalising (rural) society”
(Bock, 2012, p.57)
Environ-
mental
Social
Economic
imperatives
Stakeholders expectations
“Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the way to balance social, environmental and economic imperatives, and deal with stakeholders expectations at the same time”
The three-pillar definition of CSR / Triple-Bottom-Line approach (Elkington, 1994)

11. Responsible social innovations
Economic
Fields of responsible social innovations:
Organizational governance: farm management and decision taking
Fair operating practices
Environmental protection
Environmental responsibility
Agricultural practices, soil degradation and conservation
Environ-
mental
Stakeholders expectations
Social
Labour Practices
Human rights
Local community involvement and development
Consumer issues

12. Local community involvement and development
Provision of moral support to the most vulnerable members of the community;
Provision of material support to the most vulnerable members of the community;
Taking into account the interests of local indigenous people when developing the farm;
Support for transparent and public-interest-protecting position in relations with the local government;
Making contributions with ideas when generating for the community or location development projects
Making financial contributions to the community or location development projects
Volunteering and encouragement of others to volunteer for the community wellbeing
Involvement in the community events and traditional festivals
Protection of cultural heritage in ones holdings
Where possible, using local traditions-based technologies and processes
Sharing the gained knowledge and experience with the local community
Collaboration with various research laboratories and universities

13. Potential for prosperous responsible social innovations
Recent studies argue that in the fast changing environment of the 21st century higher educated and therefore more intelligent people hold better intellectual potential for prosperous responsible social innovations, especially in rural areas (Bock, 2012; Patrick, 2013; Huysman, 2014; Fink et al., 2017).
Among the main actors of change, farmers are paid with special attention due to their vital role in local community involvement and development (Obach & Tobin, 2014).

14. RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015
Hot tip 1 4
Findings
Conclusions

15. I. (4.) “I support transparency and keep a public-interest-protecting position in my relations with the local government”
Primary education
Primary education
Higher education

16. II.(3.) “I take into account the interests of local indigenous people when developing the farm”
Primary education
Higher education

17. III.(8.) “I am involved in the community events and traditional festivals”
Primary education
Higher education

18. IV.(11). “I share the gained knowledge and experience with the local community”
Primary education
Higher education

19. V.(9.)“I am protecting cultural heritage in my holdings”
Primary education
Higher education

20. RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015
Hot tip 1 4
Findings
Conclusions

21. Average results of cross tabulation on farmer’s education and socially responsible innovation
Level of farmer’s education
“Rare”, “Very rare” and “Never” performed social innovations, average %
“Constantly” and “Often” performed social innovations, average %
Primary education
80.96%
19.03%
Secondary education
79.06%
20.92%
Higher education
68.34%
31.65%

22. Thank You !

23. RURAL DEVELOPMENT 2015
ІІІ International Scientific & Practical Congress. Roundtable. Skype bridge. Web-conference.
“INTELLECTUAL ECONOMY UNDER CONDITIONS OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION:
PROSPECTS OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS“ June 27, 2017, Zhytomyr, Ukraine
Intellect and social innovations: who are the agents of responsible change in post-industrial rural communities?
Dr. Rita Vilkė, PhD, Senior researcher, Head of Rural Development Department