Sustainable Social Business: Contribution of Social Innovation and Civil Society

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This work aims to identify the contribution of Social Innovation (SI) and Civil Society (CS) in the construction and development of Sustainable Social Businesses (SSB). In the first stage, a bibliometric analysis was conducted, tracking research from the last five years related to Social Innovation and the participation of Civil Society in Social Businesses. The CAPES Journals database was used, and based on the applied criteria, 53 articles from various sources were found. Subsequently, a Descriptive Bibliometric Review was carried out to gather preliminary data to identify the studies. This review considered the country of research application, the presence of SI, the participation of CS, and the type of Social Business. After identifying the cases studied in Brazil, totaling 4 articles, an Analytical Bibliometric Review of these studies was conducted to deepen the analysis and achieve the objective of this study. In this Analytical Review, the type and operation of SI, the level of CS involvement, and the identification of actors and the relevance of this link for business development were considered. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of SI for the continuation of development and profound changes in society. They also show that, like Business and Technological Innovation, SI is growing exponentially and is not limited to philanthropic activities but occupies spaces in significant economic activities. Regarding the achievement of the proposed objective, the results also show that the studied Social Businesses are intrinsically linked to SI and depend on the participation of CS, either as direct actors or as the target audience. This implies that these businesses rely on both these elements to exist and thrive. For future studies, it is relevant to measure the socio-environmental impacts generated by these Social Businesses in their surroundings and in society as a whole.