Institutional frameworks and public organizational arrangements supporting social innovation in rural tourism
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Abstract
This study examines the role of institutional frameworks and public organizational arrangements in supporting social innovation within rural tourism in the Marrakech–Safi region, using the theory of change as the central analytical framework. In a territorial context marked by persistent socio-economic vulnerabilities, strong heterogeneity across rural areas, and increasing dependence on tourism activities, social innovation represents a key lever for promoting inclusive and sustainable territorial development. Public action plays a structuring role by defining strategic orientations, norms, and organizational instruments that shape the emergence and diffusion of innovative initiatives at the local level. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on the lexicometric analysis of institutional discourses related to public action in support of social innovation in rural tourism. Results drawn from lexical frequency distribution, correspondence factor analysis, similarity analysis, and word cloud visualization reveal an institutional discourse strongly structured around normative and instrumental registers. Institutional frameworks emerge as central inputs in the change process, guiding territorial development objectives toward social inclusion, sustainability, and territorial embeddedness. Public organizational arrangements act as intermediate mechanisms, translating these orientations into concrete action capacities through governance, financing, and support for local initiatives. However, the findings also highlight a limited explicit articulation of learning, adjustment, and evaluation mechanisms—elements that are essential in the theory of change—suggesting that the prevailing conception of change remains largely linear and top-down.
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