{"id":6574,"date":"2025-10-28T21:38:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T21:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovamey.oniroagency.com\/case-studies\/universita-cattolica-del-sacro-cuore\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T06:47:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T06:47:30","slug":"universita-cattolica-del-sacro-cuore","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/innovamey.oniroagency.com\/en\/case-studies\/universita-cattolica-del-sacro-cuore\/","title":{"rendered":"Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUniversit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Insider & Outsider Social-Symbolic Work for Social Change \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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      In 2024, Innovamey joined Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in a major research initiative exploring the intersection between identity, inclusion, and social innovation.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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      Led by Professors Daniela Aliberti, Rita Bissola, and Barbara Imperatori, the study investigated how professionals who experience ethnic or cultural discrimination in corporate settings respond \u2014 and how those experiences can evolve into new forms of agency and entrepreneurship for change.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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      The collaboration contributed to two significant outputs: <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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        Both pieces illuminate how individuals within organizations engage in what the authors call \u201csocial-symbolic work\u201d \u2014 the discursive, relational, and emotional labor through which people confront inequality and shape more authentic ways of being at work.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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          The challenge Universit\u00e0 Cattolic faced<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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          \n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn many advanced corporate environments, diversity and inclusion efforts remain largely symbolic.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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          \n\t\t\t\t\t\tThis gap creates tension between the values organizations promote and the real experiences of their people.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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          \n\t\t\t\t\t\tMany professionals still face subtle or systemic exclusion, navigating their careers through self-regulation, identity balancing, and emotional containment.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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          \n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe study explored how these personal tensions can become catalysts for innovation \u2014 tracing the journey from \u201cinsider activism\u201d to \u201coutsider entrepreneurship,\u201d when individuals build new spaces of equity, belonging, and impact beyond traditional corporate frameworks.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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            Innovamey\u2019s Role <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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            Innovamey joined the project as both research contributor and case study, bridging academic inquiry with real-world transformation. Through interviews and reflective dialogues, Innovamey helped interpret how identity, ethics, and purpose act as strategic levers for innovation. <\/span><\/p>

            The collaboration reinforced the foundations of We.Work, Innovamey\u2019s methodology for culture and transformation. Like the \u201csocial-symbolic work\u201d explored in the study, We.Work turns identity and purpose into practice \u2014 helping teams translate awareness into collective movement and measurable change.<\/span>

            <\/span>Our contribution focused on three main areas: <\/span> <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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            Bringing a field-based understanding of how sustainability, DEI, and culture act as real drivers of business and organizational innovation. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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            Translating lived experience into frameworks <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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            Offering qualitative insights on how personal stories of bias, transition, or change can evolve into new models of entrepreneurship, leadership, and consulting. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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            Reframing DEI as innovation <\/div><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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            Demonstrating that inclusion and equity, when embedded in culture and strategy, are not compliance exercises but engines of systemic transformation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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              \u201cWorking with Aram allowed us to explore how personal identity and professional purpose can merge into a single form of social innovation. Her journey embodies the \u2018social-symbolic work\u2019 we theorize \u2014 where change doesn\u2019t come from policies alone, but from people who dare to transform their own story into a driver of systemic impact.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

              \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDaniela Aliberti, Professor of Organizational
              Studies Universit\u00e0 Cattolica del Sacro Cuore\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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                Key Findings <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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                The study shows how personal and professional transformation are intertwined: authentic leadership arises when individuals align their stories, values, and impact goals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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                Individuals act as catalysts for transformation<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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                Through subtle or visible forms of soft contestation, balancing, and reshaping work, professionals reframe their identity and challenge cultural norms from within.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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                Rupture becomes renewal<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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                When organizational barriers persist, many channel their experience into new ventures, consultancies, or networks \u2014 moving from \u201cinsider\u201d to \u201coutsider\u201d change agents who bring innovation back into the system. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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                Identity and innovation converge<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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                The study shows how personal and professional transformation are intertwined: authentic leadership arises when individuals align their stories, values, and impact goals.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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                  How an academy turns inclusion into everyday culture<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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                  This collaboration exemplifies the power of connection between academic insight and real-world application. When research meets practice, data gains purpose, and ideas turn into action. The encounter between the language of academia and the language of transformation creates a shared ambition: to shape organizations that move beyond compliance, where inclusion is not just a policy but a source of innovation, creativity, and sustainable growth. It\u2019s where knowledge becomes culture \u2014 and culture becomes change. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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