Tourism social enterprises and their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): empirical evidence from Fiji

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Requires Transdisciplinary Innovation at the Local Scale

Digital social innovation: An overview and research framework

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing social causes and promoting sustainable development. Through analysing literature and recent trends, this paper seeks to clarify the key concepts, identify specific dimensions of sustainable development addressed by social entrepreneurs and evaluate their impact on achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach This investigation used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 checklist, alongside the Scopus database and supplementary resources, to perform a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. Findings While social entrepreneurship is recognised for addressing social problems, research on its impact on sustainable development is limited. Scientific mapping and content analysis helped to identify dominant theories and major issues in social entrepreneurship. Thereby, this paper reveals the potential of social entrepreneurship to make a significant societal impact on social enterprises and advance the SDGs. Research limitations/implications The study’s scope is constrained by available literature during the study year range between 2018 and 2023. Future research could delve deeper into how social entrepreneurship fosters sustainable development. Practical implications Social entrepreneurship has an active impact on economic, social and environmental welfare. This research also extends into the field of international entrepreneurship and effects on global sustainable well-being. The findings of this study can guide enterprises seeking to address social issues while generating revenue and therefore aid in the designing of impactful strategies. Social implications Social entrepreneurship is considered as a contemporary approach towards solving societal issues emerging as an alternative to non-profit and governmental approaches. This engages with a focus upon the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. By showcasing social entrepreneurship’s potential in driving sustainable development, this research underscores its role in tackling societal challenges and fostering positive change. Originality/value This research offers a comprehensive review of recent trends in social enterprises and their contribution to social change and sustainable development. This paper illuminates social entrepreneurs’ alignment with specific SDGs and paves the way for future research and practice.

Social entrepreneurship has emerged as a powerful force in driving sustainable economic development by integrating innovative business models with social impact. This paper explores the role of social entrepreneurship in fostering economic sustainability by addressing societal challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and environmental degradation. Social entrepreneurs leverage business strategies to create scalable and self-sustaining solutions, thereby contributing to long-term economic stability. The study examines key factors influencing social entrepreneurship, including access to finance, government policies, stakeholder engagement, and technological advancements. It also highlights successful case studies demonstrating how social enterprises have fostered job creation, community empowerment, and inclusive growth. The interplay between social entrepreneurship and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is analyzed to assess its contribution to global economic resilience. Challenges faced by social entrepreneurs, such as regulatory barriers, limited funding opportunities, and scalability constraints, are also discussed. The study explores potential solutions, including impact investing, public-private partnerships, and supportive policy frameworks, to enhance the effectiveness of social entrepreneurship in driving sustainable economic growth. By synthesizing existing literature, this paper provides a comprehensive understanding of how social entrepreneurship serves as a catalyst for economic transformation. The findings suggest that fostering a supportive ecosystem for social enterprises can significantly enhance their ability to address societal issues while ensuring economic sustainability. Future research directions are suggested to explore innovative financing models, cross-sector collaborations, and policy interventions that can further strengthen the impact of social entrepreneurship on sustainable economic development. This paper contributes to the academic discourse on sustainable development by emphasizing the need for a holistic approach that integrates social innovation, business acumen, and policy support to achieve lasting economic and social progress.

To Achieve a Sustainable Blue Future, Progress Assessments Must Include Interdependencies between the Sustainable Development Goals

Social enterprises have gained importance in European and national policies in recent years. There is a growing awareness that they create sustainable and inclusive growth and stimulate social innovation. Moreover, the question can be raised as to whether social entrepreneurship and, more precisely, legal forms available for social enterprises can make an impact on sustainable development. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is committed to eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development worldwide by 2030. In the run-up to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the European Commission worked closely with the European Union (EU) Member States to ensure an ambitious global outcome. The European Commission committed to mainstreaming the SDGs into EU policies and initiatives. Amongst different tools for the implementation of SDGs, social entrepreneurship or social business can contribute to this process both nationally and internationally. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the current situation and capture best practice in the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden), through comparison of the legal forms available for social entrepreneurship or social business.

This book shows how social entrepreneurship and social enterprises can integrate social and economic development. These dual-mission ventures that strive to achieve both financial sustainability and social good are especially path-breaking approaches in reducing economic, education, health, technology, and other disparities among marginalized individuals, families, and communities. While this global movement varies in pace and scope, this work features snapshots from eight countries or regions. This volume focuses especially on emerging economies and those in transition, featuring African countries of Kenya and Tanzania, Albania, Argentina, Central Asian countries of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Cuba, India, the Russian Federation, and Taiwan. We examine a variety of ventures and their social policy context as they attempt to meet human needs while simultaneously also attaining financial sustainability. We also suggest social policies that promote supports for social entrepreneurs since environmental, economic, and social sustainability are core goals. But we also raise cautions about fostering social enterprises as panaceas for addressing human needs when government investments are required in social welfare, social protections, and ecosystem supports. Contextual frames are provided that range from social enterprise business plans and measuring entrepreneurial orientation to avoiding displacement dynamics and pitfalls of non-market economies. These are consistent with the global agenda of building jobs from the ground up as articulated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Recommendations are derived from illustrative cases from the nations and regions featured for more strategic supports and investments in social entrepreneurs and social enterprises.

PurposeTo mitigate uncertainties in the labour market, it has been argued that technology diffusion in entrepreneurship drive is essential to increase employment capacity. Against this backdrop, this study examined how social entrepreneurship and technology diffusion impact future employment in Nigeria. In addition, this study aims to contribute to the policy dialogue for the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of decent work and economic growth (SDG-8) and industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG-9).Design/methodology/approachThe data from the youth entrepreneurship with innovation (YouWiN) baseline survey was used. The study applied propensity score matching to achieve its objectives. This study defines social entrepreneurship as firms established solely to create social values. Similarly, technology diffusion is captured by the firm’s ownership of a website and communication with clients through email, while future employment is captured by the estimated number of people the business may employ in the next five years, if still in operation.FindingsThe results from the study show that social entrepreneurship and technology diffusion has a significant impact on future employment. The result implies that social entrepreneurship may contribute approximately 21% to the employment level in the future. Similarly, technology diffusion – ownership of a website and communication with clients through email increase the firm’s ability to contribute to future employment by 65% and 71%, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations of the research is that the study is quantitative in nature. Thus, qualitative information that could have added additional value to the study was not considered. As a recommendation, further studies should consider using a mixed method by adding qualitative information while examining the concept of social entrepreneurship and employment.Practical implicationsThese findings suggest that ownership of a website, communicating with clients via email and involvement in social entrepreneurship contribute significantly to future employment in Nigeria. This finding shows that social entrepreneurship is crucial for reducing future employment uncertainties. Social enterprises will enhance the capacity of the economy to attain sustainable economic development. Therefore, the study concludes by recommending that policies to enhance social entrepreneurship awareness and promotion should be implanted to expand the knowledge of social enterprise as a unique business entity that drives employment.Social implicationsThese findings suggest that ownership of a website, communicating with clients via email and involvement in social entrepreneurship contribute significantly to future employment in Nigeria. This finding shows that social entrepreneurship is crucial for reducing future employment uncertainties. Social enterprises will enhance the capacity of the economy to attain sustainable economic development. Therefore, the study concludes by recommending that policies to enhance social entrepreneurship awareness and promotion should be implanted to expand the knowledge of social enterprise as a unique business entity that drives employment.Originality/valueThough prior studies have examined the contribution of entrepreneurship to employment; however, integration of technology diffusion in the concept of social entrepreneurship and employment literature is relatively sparse. Therefore, this study fills this gap by investigating how the diffusion of technology by social entrepreneurs impacts future employment in Nigeria.

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

Case synopsis The use of entrepreneurship to deliver profound social impact is a much-needed but poorly understood concept. While social enterprises are generally well understood, there is a considerable need to have a more common approach to measuring the different ways they create social value for us as well as to reduce the difficulties of starting and growing them in the difficult conditions of developing countries. In the northeast of Nigeria, for example, the mammoth challenge of rebuilding communities in an unfavorable entrepreneurship environment makes the need for a solution even more urgent. This case study illustrates a model of promoting entrepreneurship that advances the conditions of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in local communities using a configuration of the key theories of social impact entrepreneurship (variants of entrepreneurship with blended value or mission orientation, including social entrepreneurship, sustainable entrepreneurship and institutional entrepreneurship). The extent to which ventures can adjust and improve the extent of their contributions to the SDGs are shown using examples of three entrepreneurs at different stages of growth. From this case study, students will be able to understand how entrepreneurs can identify and exploit social impact opportunities in the venture’s business model, within the network of primary stakeholders as well as in the wider institutional environment with the support of Impact+, a simple impact measurement praxis. Learning objectives The case study envisions training students how to hardwire social impact focus in the venture’s business model (social entrepreneurship), how to run ventures with minimal harm to the environment and greatest benefit to stakeholders (sustainable entrepreneurship) and how to contribute to improving the institutional environment for social purpose entrepreneurship (institutional entrepreneurship). At the end of learning this case study, students should be able to: 1. discover an effective model for a startup social venture; 2. explore options for managing a venture sustainably and helping stakeholders out of poverty; and 3. identify ways to contribute to improving the institutional environment for social impact entrepreneurs. Social implications For students, this case will help in educating them on a pragmatic approach to designing social impact ventures – one that calibrates where they are on well-differentiated scales. For business schools, entrepreneurial development institutions and policymakers, this case study can help them learn how to target entrepreneurial development for specific development outcomes. Complexity academic level The case study is preferably for early-stage postgraduate students (MSc or MBA). Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

This study explores the intersection of sustainable and green tourism with 17 United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), identifying key themes and emerging interdisciplinary configurations. Using the PRISMA framework, we analyzed publications covering the years 2015–2023. A machine learning-based BERTopic model was employed to extract meaningful topics and map publications to the relevant SDGs. This study reveals a strong link between sustainable tourism and multiple SDGs. Seven key themes illustrate the role of sustainable tourism in fostering economic growth, environmental conservation, and community resilience. Geotourism and geoheritage development contribute to quality education (SDG 4) by promoting geological knowledge and conservation while generating local economic opportunities. The tourism-energy-economy nexus highlights the need for clean energy (SDG 7) and climate action (SDG 13) to mitigate emissions linked to tourism-driven economic expansion. Mangrove ecosystem ecotourism management safeguards biodiversity and strengthens life below water (SDG 14) and life on land (SDG 15) while supporting sustainable livelihoods. Rural and smart data-driven tourism enhance decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) by integrating technology and local resources into sustainable development strategies. Ecotourism and community engagement empower local populations, fostering sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17) through collaborative conservation efforts. Finally, eco-destinations and tourist engagement emphasize responsible consumption and cultural heritage preservation, reinforcing responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). Together, these themes underscore tourism’s broader role in achieving the SDGs by balancing economic benefits with environmental and social sustainability. Our findings add to policy-making and strategic planning, emphasizing the need for a more subtle approach to sustainable tourism, considering diverse regional contexts. Future research should focus on applying technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data, conducting in-depth case studies, examining socioeconomic impacts on local communities, and evaluating policy effectiveness to increase its contribution to achieving the SDGs.Clinical trial registration: Not applicable.

The article explores the impact of the social economy in Romania on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda, considering the specific contributions of different types of social economy organizations in achieving sustainable results. These organizations include: economically active NGOs (operating under Government Ordinance No. 26/2000, Law No. 246/2005), licensed social enterprises (operating under the Social Economy Law No. 219/201) and licensed protected units (operating under Law 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities). The paper aims to assess the contribution of these economic entities to sustainable development by identifying their specific activities that influence progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. Comparative analysis of different types of organizations helps to understand how each contributes to different aspects of sustainable development. The study was based on updated data from the Register of Associations and Foundations (published on the website of the Ministry of Justice), the National Register of Social Enterprises - RUES (published on the website of ANOFM) and the Register of Authorized Protected Units (published on the website of the National Authority for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Labour and Social Solidarity). The results underline the direct contribution of social economy organizations to SDG 1 (Poverty Free), SDG 3 (Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Growth), SDG 10 (Reducing Inequalities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). By reporting on the SDGs, organizations clarify their social impact, improve transparency and accountability, and at the same time increase their attractiveness to donors and partners. This approach facilitates the creation of strategic partnerships and fundraising, contributing to sustainable and effective solutions. The SDGs also provide a clear framework for monitoring progress, assessing long-term impact and supporting public policies that promote sustainable economic and social development. In conclusion, social economy organizations play a key role in transforming society and in achieving a significant number of Sustainable Development Goals, having a positive impact on communities, the environment and local economic development and are thus fundamental pillars of global sustainable development.

The <scp>SDGs</scp>: A change agenda shaping the future of business and humanity at large

Women are the key to sustainable development

Ghana is regarded as one of the main nations driving social enterprise development in all of Africa, despite the lack of a policy for the social enterprise sub-sector. Regardless of these trailblazing initiatives, the sub-sector is still young and vulnerable. As a result, the time is right for the government to implement policy reforms to expedite the growth of the sub-sector, which offers an alternative business model for the achievement of the social and environmental goals embodied in the global goals. All nations are urged to take immediate action in response to the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which offer a global framework for achieving global development while balancing social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The methodology adopted is qualitative in nature, whereby focus group discussions were held, bringing together key stakeholders from the social enterprise sector, industry, academia, and civil society organisations (CSOs) to provide insights into how social enterprises will contribute to SDG achievement. This paper aims to generate new insights into how social enterprises can provide a solution to the UN’s SDGs from the Ghanaian perspective. Our findings reveal a strong link between solving social problems through social businesses and achieving the SDGs, and that social enterprises represent an ideal business model for achieving the SDGs. Their mission-driven approach, innovative solutions, focus on empowerment and inclusion, utilisation of market mechanisms, collaboration and partnership, and understanding and knowledge of local contexts collectively position social enterprises as powerful catalysts for sustainable development.