Legal basis

The ZSI is a scientific institute, founded 1990 as a not for profit association under Austrian law. Institutes, private companies, public and international organisations are invited to support ZSI activities aiming at research and promotion of social innovations.

On the 1st of July 2014 the ZSI, Centre for Social Innovation, changed its legal basis from acting as a not for profit association to become a not for profit ZSI GmbH (Limited Liability Company, LLC).

As a non-profit organisation with neither private nor public parent institution, the ZSI depends on revenues from its current business and on subsidies granted for its scientific work in order to finance its activities and necessary infrastructure. Diversification of services, a broad spectrum of expertise as well as membership in national and international consortia, associations and co-operation agreements safeguard the independence of the institute and its level of employment.

Structure of the ZSI

The ZSI Association (in existence since legal registration in 1988) is retained and acts since 1st of July 2014 as the sole owner of the ZSI LLC.

The Executive Board (EB) of the ZSI LLC is elected by the General Assembly of the ZSI Association for a duration of three years. Since membership of the association is made up almost exclusively of ZSI employees and former employees, it follows the model of a self-governing institution.

The board consists of two Business Executives (a scientific director and a business director) with overall business responsibility and power of attorney, and three Heads of Unit who manage all sorts of activities related to aquisition and performance of project work. Together the EB is responsible for strategic decision making as well as operational business of the ZSI.

Since 2014 the Executive Board consists of:

• Scientific Director and Chairman: Mag. Dr Klaus Schuch
• Business Director and Treasurer: Mag. Wolfgang Michalek
• Head of the Department "Work and Equal Opportunities": Dr. Barbara Glinsner
• Head of the Department "Research Policies and Development": M.A. Gorazd A. Weiss
• Head of the Department "Technology and Knowledge": Dr. Elisabeth Unterfrauner
   

Ethical Code

The ZSI supports the recommendations of the European Commission as regards the European Charta for Researchers (Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers), and applies the Code of Ethics of the International Soiological Association (ISA), and the RESPECT Code of Practice for Socio-Economic Research, cf. http://www.respectproject.org/code/index.php