Achieving sustainability through Schumpeterian social entrepreneurship: The role of social enterprises

Abstract

One of the major scholarly challenges of social entrepreneurship is the lack of an established epistemology that partly contributes to and/or stems from a conflict of discourses. This study is an attempt to pave the way for the enhancement of the field of social entrepreneurship, using Schumpeter's perspective developed in his magnum opus “Theorie der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung”, by highlighting the role it can play in transforming business into an engine for sustainable development with an emphasis on the role that social enterprises can play. The study employs concepts of corporate citizenship, social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, social enterprise, and sustainable development to form a robust conceptual understanding of the field. A canvas alongside a set of tools are developed to enlighten the way towards achieving sustainable development. The study is primarily of interest to socio-economic policy makers and social entrepreneurship scholars and benefits social and business enterprises as well. The implications of the canvas are tripartite. Firstly, the canvas demonstrates the main elements of the current socio-economic ecosystem and how they could work in unison towards the realization of sustainable development agenda. Secondly, it helps to connect diverse yet related concepts in a pragmatic manner and, as a result, lays the foundation for the realization of Sustainable Development Goals of post-2015 development agenda of the United Nations with an emphasis on the role of social enterprises. Thirdly, the canvas, in conjunction with the concomitant analyses, helps companies to understand the level of maturity and integration of their sustainable and responsible strategies. Finally, the study highlights the role social enterprises and sustainable businesses can play in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.