The John Molson School of Business at Concordia University kindly invites contributions to the forthcoming edited book Innovations in Social Finance: Transitioning Beyond Economic Value to be published by Palgrave Macmillan and being considered for the “Palgrave Studies in Sustainable Business: In Association with Future Earth” book series.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Today, our world is experiencing increasingly complex social and environmental challenges. The prevailing business models and capitalism per se are commonly blamed for this systemic failure due to their neglect of social and environmental values in favour of financial returns. Within this context, social finance has attracted the attention of governments, organizations, entrepreneurs, and researchers as a means of mobilizing resources and innovation with the goal of establishing effective long-term solutions. While some economists suggest that social finance can be understood as the new paradigm of our age, other practitioners and researchers have proposed that social investments are closely related to practices that have long been understood in mainstream finance. At its core, social finance has the potential to redefine the philosophy of how money is raised and used – moving beyond economic value and incorporating the social and environmental externalities that have long been neglected. The disruptive capacity of social finance lies in its intent to reconcile two distinct traditions of capital allocation which were previously perceived as incompatible.

Innovations in Social Finance - Transitioning Beyond Economic Value is an edited collection that will summarize, discuss, and analyze new innovative trends in social finance. The collection will feature contributions that aim to 1) highlight emerging trends (products, tools, and processes) in social finance, 2) present case studies related to the development, deployment, or scaling of social finance innovations, 3) offer an understanding of how non-economic externalities are being incorporated, managed, and assessed in recent innovations, 4) reveal the disruptive potential of social finance innovations by analyzing how they are redefining mainstream finance, 5) analyze the scales – of operation and impact – of different innovations, and 6) explore the complex relationship between social finance and social innovation.

The edited collection aims to provide more than a snapshot of the current social finance field by specifically highlighting the major challenges and difficulties that require the urgent attention of policymakers and social entrepreneurs. These challenges include 1) the standardization and inconsistency in definitions and reporting, 2) the difficulties related to scaling innovations, and 3) the dependency of social finance on the mainstream business and policy channels. Furthermore, the collection will complement the present discussion surrounding established social finance tools and products (e.g., social impact bonds) with a focus on the emerging social Fintech field – including local/social e-currencies, digital community banks, e-participatory budgeting, digital platforms/apps and artificial intelligence.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Innovations in Social Finance - Transitioning Beyond Economic Value aims to serve as a comprehensive practical guide and reference for emerging best practices on the topic of social finance, and present the state-of-the-art in social financial innovations at the date of publication. While the book may be used as an academic reference (senior undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate scholars in the fields of finance, entrepreneurship studies, public affairs, community development and social sciences) it will not be organized as a text book.

The co-editors are inviting contributions from the international community of scholars and practitioners that work at the interface of finance, economics, investment management, community development, philanthropy, policymaking, and social entrepreneurship. The contributions can:

· Present, review, and analyze emerging innovations in the social finance eco-system.

· Study the current hurdles and challenges that are slowing the global transition beyond traditional financial models towards establishing effective long-term solutions.

· Investigate the applicability and limits of the current financial tools and policies in social finance.

The co-editors are encouraging contributions that are a) transdisciplinary in their approaches, b) incorporate new concepts or tools beyond the academic fields of finance, entrepreneurship, economics, and political science, c) move beyond optimizing and improving existing social finance tools and practices, d) present experimental approaches or concepts that are yet to be applied, and e) use case studies or comparative studies. The co-editors also encourage authors to critically consider the scalar relevance – at the local, regional, national, and supranational levels – of their contributions.

The submissions will be reviewed with an open mind and with a particular focus on the relevance of the chapter with respect to the creation of social value in the financial system.

POTENTIAL TOPICS FOR CHAPTERS

1. OVERVIEW

a. Social financial innovation – towards creating social value

b. Historical and contemporary links between social finance and social innovation

2. INNOVATIONS IN CAPITAL FLOWS

a. Crowdfunding

b. Crowd equity and community shares

c. Crowd-lending and community bonds

d. Patient capital, in the forms of debt, equity, quasi-equity, etc.

e. Social impact bonds, and green or sustainable bonds

f. Innovative community-based savings and credit systems (such as rotating savings and credit associations and accumulated savings and credit associations)

g. Micro-finance tools (e.g., micro-credit and micro-insurance)

h. Municipal and regional financial innovations

3. DIGITALIZING SOCIAL FINANCE

a. Digital community and regional currencies

b. Digital social banks

c. Digital platforms

d. Mutual credit trade systems for individuals, communities, and businesses

e. Microinsurance systems

f. Digital community-based savings and credit systems

4. BLOCKCHAIN AND SOCIAL FINANCIAL INNOVATIONS

a. Cryptocurrencies

b. Blockchain-based community savings and credit systems

c. P2P and B2B blockchains for enabling the sharing economy

d. Platform tokens

e. Asset-backed token securities

f. The role of governments and regulations in the blockchain revolution

5. GOVERNANCE AND THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS

a. Philanthropy and social finance

i. Venture philanthropy

ii. Innovative investment strategies (ESG focused)

b. The role of financial policies in enabling social finance innovations and the transition beyond economic value

c. Rating and evaluation schemes for social financial tools and products

d. Democratizing the financial system

e. Integrating immigrants and refugees in host societies

f. Gender politics and the social economy

g. The private sector’s involvement in the social economy

h. Governance models for social finance innovations

i. Reporting and its role in accelerating social financial innovation

j. Social finance and sustainable transformation

k. Financial readiness and inclusion

IMPORTANT DATES

· Abstract and CV submission deadline – March 31st, 2020

· Selection of abstracts and notification to successful contributors – April 15th, 2020

· Full chapter submission – July 15th, 2020

· Revised chapter submission – October 1st, 2020

GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Submissions should be written in a non-technical writing style. The contributions may include diagrams/illustrations in order to present data, or photographs/figures to better illustrate the topic of discussion. Submitted chapters should be original and exclusively prepared for the present book. No part of the article should be published elsewhere. Chapters must not exceed 7,000 words (including all references, appendices, biographies, etc.), must use 1.5 line spacing and 12 pt. Times New Roman font, and must use the APA 6th edition reference style.

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit abstracts of no more than 750 words, a bibliography for their proposed chapter, and a CV.

Abstract submissions are expected by March 31st, 2020.

Submissions should be sent via email to [email protected]

Authors will be notified about the status of their proposals and will be sent complete chapter guidelines. Full chapters are expected to be submitted by July 15th, 2020.

Please note there are no submission or acceptance fees for submitted manuscripts.

ABOUT THE EDITORS

Thomas Walker[1] holds an MBA and PhD degree in Finance from Washington State University. Prior to his academic career, he worked for several years in the German consulting and industrial sector at firms such as Mercedes Benz, Utility Consultants International, Lahmeyer International, Telenet, and KPMG Peat Marwick. He has taught as a visiting professor at the University of Mannheim, the University of Bamberg, the European Business School, and the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. His research interests are in sustainability & climate change, corporate governance, securities regulation and litigation, and insider trading and he has published over sixty articles and book chapters in these areas. He is the lead-editor of five books on sustainable financial systems, sustainable real estate, sustainable aviation, emerging risk management, and environmental policy. Dr. Walker has held numerous administrative and research positions during his career. For instance, he served as the Laurentian Bank Professor in Integrated Risk Management (2010-2015), Chair of the Finance Department (2011-2014), Director/Co-director of the David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise (2015-2017), and as Associate Dean, Research and Research Programs (2016-2017) at Concordia University. In addition, he has been an active member of various advisory boards and steering committees including, among others, the human resources group of Finance Montréal, the steering committee of the Montreal chapter of the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (PRMIA), the academic advisory board of the MMI/Morningstar Sustainable Investing Initiative, and the advisory board for Palgrave Macmillan’s Future Earth book series on sustainability.

Jane McGaughey[2] is an Associate Professor of Diaspora Studies at Concordia University’s School of Irish Studies, holding a PhD in Irish History from the University of London. Her research focuses on the intersections of historical and contemporary migration, gender, and ethnic discrimination. She received a SSHRC Insight Development Grant in 2019 to study the gendered and ethnic consequences of nineteenth century immigrants confined in colonial lunatic asylums. She is a co-editor of Ireland and Masculinities in History (Palgrave, 2019) and the author of Ulster’s Men: Protestant Unionist Masculinities and Militarization in the North of Ireland, 1912-23 (McGill-Queen’s, 2012) along with numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and reviews on migration, gender, and the Irish Diaspora. Her next book, Violent Loyalties: Manliness, Migration, and the Irish in the Canadas, 1798-1841 will be published by Liverpool University Press in 2020. Since 2015, she has served as the President of the Canadian Association for Irish Studies.

Sherif Goubran[3] Sherif Goubran is a PhD. candidate in the Individualized Program (INDI) at Concordia University, a Vanier Scholar, and a Concordia Public Scholar. He is conducting interdisciplinary research within the fields of design, architecture, building engineering and real-estate finance. His PhD research investigates the alignment between sustainable building practices and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). His research focus includes building sustainability and sustainability assessment, sustainability in architectural design and human approaches in design. Sherif completed a MASc in building engineering in 2016 with a focus on energy efficiency in commercial buildings. Before that, he completed a BSc in Architecture at the American University in Cairo (AUC-Egypt). Today, he is actively engaged in several research laboratories, centers, and groups where he teaches and conducts research in design, engineering, architecture, and business. He is also involved in several sustainability committees and projects at Concordia on the student as well as the administrative levels.

Nadra Wagdy[4] is a social economy consultant at PME MTL Centre-Est. She supports cooperatives and not-for-profit organizations in their different development phases: starting from validating their business plan and governance model to scaling-up their operations. She also provides coaching and guidance to entrepreneurs in building financial projections and accessing seed funding. Her knowledge of social finance stems from her direct practical experience in the field. Her network and collaboration with different stakeholders of the ecosystem have enabled her to gain insights into the recent innovations and trends. Nadra has a bachelor's degree in food science from McGill University and an interdisciplinary master's in food waste perception, behaviour and sustainable food systems. She has also completed course and training in community development, urban agriculture, social entrepreneurship, social finance, as well as the circular economy. She has a specific interest in exploring the role of the social economy and social innovation in the sustainability transition. Her passion for social entrepreneurship and food pushed her to co-found Season Jars, an educational platform where she develops and facilitates food preservation workshops that bridge theory with practice. Before joining PME, Nadra served as the Chief Executive Officer of Concordia University’s Sustainability Action Fund where she developed innovative student funding programs through partnerships with foundations, research centres and faculties. She also has international professional experience in the food industry.

[1] Concordia University: [email protected]

[2] Concordia University: [email protected]

[3] Concordia University: [email protected]

[4] PME-MTL: [email protected]