Digital platform to scale initiatives for community engagement and social impact: a case study in the Indian plastic recycling industry

Purpose This paper is at the intersection of two main topics: social innovation and digital transformation. This paper aims to explore, describe and explain how a digital platform can enhance community engagement and social impact. The research question addressed is as follows: How can a digital platform foster community engagement and social impact and scale such initiatives?. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology and an abductive protocol have been used, specifically using the case study method on an Indian company in the plastic recycling industry. Qualitative data, collected through semi-structured interviews and an important number of documents, have been analyzed through open and axial coding. Findings The exploratory results of this case study reveal that a digital platform fosters community engagement and social impact and scales such initiatives through the coordination of stakeholder engagement, operations and organization. Practical implications This paper proposes a roadmap that facilitates the creation of a social innovation solution by integrating the physical plastic waste management ecosystem with a custom digital platform at its core. Originality/value This research integrates the institutional elements from Herrera’s framework (2015) with the theory of innovation and translation from Actor-Network Theory (ANT). It contributes to the existing literature on social innovation and digital transformation by clarifying two intermediate dimensions that enable a digital platform to scale initiatives for community engagement and social impact: traceability and transparency in the flow of assets and money within an ecosystem.