Corporate Social Entrepreneurship Research Articles

Unraveling contemporary trends on United Nations sustainable development goals: A new global bibliometric and literature review analysis

AbstractThis review presents a bibliometric performance and systematic literature review of research publications related to the 17 United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) in business studies. The study employs the 2020 revised Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) framework to systematically evaluate and identify 583 articles sourced from esteemed academic databases, including Scopus and Web of Science, as well as seven reputable publishers and digital libraries, for subsequent analysis and synthesis. The identified 583 papers on SDGs, authored by 1610 scholars and published in 207 peer‐reviewed sources, are analyzed using VOSviewer and R Studio software. The analysis reveals the existence of nine independent clusters of SDGs business research: artificial intelligence and digitalization (red cluster), business collaboration (green cluster), corporate sustainability (blue cluster), circular economy and corporate social responsibility (yellow cluster), entrepreneurship and innovation (purple cluster), education for developing countries (aqua‐cluster), climate change and tourism (orange‐cluster), Africa perspectives (brown cluster), and sustainable investment (black cluster). This review highlights the foundation of the business studies debate linked to the advancement of the SDGs after the adoption by the United Nations. Key insights, future research directions and conclusion including implications are discussed.

Insights into the Evolution of Philanthropy: A Systematic Literature Review

The article "Insights into the Evolution of Philanthropy: A Systematic Literature Review" explores the development of philanthropy through a systematic review of existing literature. This study identifies key trends, concepts, and approaches that have shaped philanthropic practices, which have evolved from traditional charity into more integrated strategies, such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and social entrepreneurship. The article also highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration and the role of technology in expanding the impact of philanthropy. These findings underscore the urgent need for further research on the adaptation of philanthropy to current global challenges.

Commitment to corporate social entrepreneurship in the context of a health crisis: The case of the scientist–entrepreneur couple who founded BioNTech

ABSTRACT If corporate social responsibility (CSR) calls for a virtuous process in which health for all becomes egalitarian, ethical and equitable, the health crisis (COVID-19) revealed certain limitations to this process. The aim of our research is to identify the limitations that can hinder corporate social entrepreneurship (CSE)’s commitment of coentrepreneurs (founders of BioNTech) in the dissemination of “their” vaccine in the context of a health crisis. The difficulties encountered in disseminating the Comirnaty vaccine (Pfizer–BioNTech) on the African continent are exemplary in this respect. A literature review presents the concept of CSE associated with the contributive advantage concept in the creation of social and economic values. We then present two research proposals: How can CSE influence the double CSR performance (social and economic) of copreneurs? What kinds of limitations may hinder CSE’s commitment to success in a health crisis context? Are ethics and profit always reconcilable? Concerning the research method, we use a qualitative approach with the investigation of a unique case study of the scientist–entrepreneur couple who founded BioNTech and led the Lightspeed project that gave birth to the Comirnaty vaccine Concerning the results by showing how CSE could expand the scope of companies’ activities and their organizational values, we are pushing them to rethink their current CSR approaches by combining team commitment, will, and desire to create common economic and social values. We also have illustrated a promising path for practitioners in a crisis context, where they can achieve their economic and social objectives to take a sustainable advantage.

Investigating the Paradox of Embedded Agency in Social Intrapreneurship

Investigating the Paradox of Embedded Agency in Social Intrapreneurship

Corporate Social Entrepreneurship (CSE) Model for the Construction Industry of Sri Lanka

The construction industry is vital for Sri Lanka's economy and society, yet it poses environmental challenges with long-term impacts on both. To achieve social and economic development, sustainability is imperative. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is widely acknowledged as an effective method for organizations to adopt sustainability within business operations. However, implementing CSR comes with various challenges. To overcome these hurdles and enhance CSR's impact, Corporate Social Entrepreneurship (CSE) has emerged as an effective approach, integrating entrepreneurial principles and innovation into CSR practices. A qualitative study with 17 semi-structured interviews conducted to understand prevailing CSE practices among Sri Lanka's construction business organisations and to develop a conceptual CSE model. Data analysis was based on transcribing, coding and categorizing. Prevailing CSE practices in construction businesses can be classified into five categories as: attitudinal perspective, innovative business strategies, awareness and commitment, stakeholder engagement, and research and development. To bridge the existing gaps in CSE, the proposed conceptual CSE model emphasise the importance of top management commitment, organisation-wide initiative actions required and effective monitoring and regulating. This model aims to promote CSE initiatives within construction organisations addressing micro level issues. Macro environmental gaps impend the sustenance of this CSE model. Thus, further studies are proposed to research on mitigating macro environmental gaps.

Evolution and Trends in the Circular Economy: A Meta-Analysis from 2018 to 2024

The purpose of this work was to carry out a meta-analysis of research focused on the circular economy, to identify its evolution and trends in the period between 2018 and 2024. The systematic review method was used for the analysis, and in the coding, data extraction and results were using the Dimensions.ai platforms. (Digital Science) and Lens.org., each investigation was evaluated according to the quality standards of the PRISMA declaration; relevant studies were included in the review for discussion, provided they met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. More than eight hundred seventy-four thousand seven hundred studies were identified, between grey literature and scientific articles, of which only 27 publications were included, representing the most essential of the systematic review. Between 2018 and 2024 there was a significant exponential growth of research in the circular economy, concentrated in a few countries, institutions, and disciplines; Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom lead in research. Areas where the circular economy is addressed: materials sciences, environmental sciences, and food sciences, among others. Finally, based on the meta-analysis of the last seven years, the circular economy presents an evolution and trends in the following topics: urban development, climate change, resource management, environmental processes, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, green infrastructure, smart cities, and resilience.

Promoting academic social intrapreneurship: Developing an international virtual incubator and fostering social impact

This research examines the evolving role of universities as agents of social and economic change, through academic social intrapreneurship implemented digitally. Utilizing an in-depth case study of an international virtual incubator that emerged from a large public research university's internal funding, we study a shift beyond economic motivations, highlighting the importance of universities' non-pecuniary contributions to society. We unveil a unique model of academic social intrapreneurship that integrates research, entrepreneurship, digitization, and social responsibility. The descriptive case study method examines the virtual incubator's emergence, processes and activities, exploring how digitally implemented academic social intrapreneurship can address global concerns. The findings highlight the significance of achieving legitimacy at multiple levels and adopting a decentralized approach to innovation, indicating effective means for engaging diverse stakeholders and addressing local and global issues. The findings suggest that academic social intrapreneurship is a potential avenue for universities to enhance societal contributions. We present theoretical insights and actionable advice for universities, academic intrapreneurs, and virtual incubators, emphasizing the importance of promoting academic social intrapreneurship for a positive societal impact. We conclude by advocating for universities' role in fostering transformative cross-disciplinary collaborations and expanding their societal engagement in the digital era.

Human Service Organizations as an Arena for Social Intrapreneurship: A Cross‐Country Analysis

ABSTRACT A comprehensive comparative study using qualitative methodology was conducted in Israel and the U.S. to examine the goals that social workers seek to achieve through social intrapreneurship, measures of success for social intrapreneurship and motivations to act as social intrapreneurs. Categorical content analysis was used to identify recurring themes according to predetermined study questions. The research findings provide insights into the role of social organizations and social work education systems in designing policies that promote the involvement of social workers in social intrapreneurship to address complex and ongoing social problems.

How can sustainable business models distribute value more equitably in global value chains? Introducing “value chain profit sharing” as an emerging alternative to fair trade, direct trade, or solidarity trade

AbstractGlobal supply chains often distribute value inequitably among the Global North and South. This perpetuates poverty and contributes to indecent work in raw material‐producing countries, thus creating challenges to sustainable development. For decades, corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable business model innovations have aimed to distribute value more equitably across global value chains, for instance via fair trade, alternative trade, and direct trade. This article examines a novel and hitherto understudied innovation for equitable value distribution in global supply chains: “value chain profit sharing.” We draw on interview and archival data from two cases of social entrepreneurs working in the coffee sector to develop a generalized model. One of the model's key features is that the entrepreneur pays suppliers in multiple installments that reflect market conditions (as opposed to a single lump sum based on prediction). We show how this can increase value creation, appropriation, and equitable distribution. Although our research suggests that this model may be highly contingent on leaders' skills, resources, sense of place, and accountability to suppliers, we find no evidence that its applications are limited to specific countries or sectors. Our research further extends extant theory by showing how “value chain profit sharing” may relieve some of the tensions often associated with sustainable business models, including distributing value to suppliers while maintaining financial solvency; creating value while pursuing a social mission; providing benefits to suppliers without curtailing their market opportunities; responding to market conditions while maintaining commitments to suppliers; and scaling without diluting benefits. It thereby contributes to the literatures on sustainable business model innovations, equitable value distribution in global supply chains, novel application of revenue‐sharing contracts, and innovative methods of profit sharing. It furthermore provides actionable guidance for social entrepreneurs, corporate social responsibility practitioners, and supplier cooperatives aiming to achieve more equitable value distribution and sustainable supply chains.

Going beyond creativity: Primary headteachers as social intrapreneurs?

This article presents the details and findings of a mixed-methods study that explored Scottish primary sector headteachers’ enactment of creativity through a Complexity Leadership Theory lens. Although policymakers emphasise the importance of headteachers and their impact on school improvement, there is a growing need for headteachers to enact and effectively nurture school-wide creativity if they are to overcome complex challenges brought about by today's political, social and economic environments. In response to the research question ‘To what extent do primary headteachers perceive their role as being creative?’, this article reports on 23 surveys and 11 semi-structured interviews undertaken as part of a larger study. Whilst our findings suggest that creativity is enacted to some extent by the headteachers, the evidence goes beyond this and identifies social intrapreneurship emerging. The concept of social intrapreneurship within education appears to be unique to this study. We identify social intrapreneurs as individuals who demonstrate creativity, resourcefulness, collaboration and determination and are growth-oriented within bureaucratic constraints. We conclude by discussing how social intrapreneurship is a valuable concept for headteachers and policymakers alike.

The role of social intrapreneurship and serious games in generating social innovation in the healthcare sector

PurposeThis research paper aims to explore how social intrapreneurs use serious games to generate social innovation. In particular, the study depicts the coproduction process between caregivers acting as intrapreneurs, patients and other stakeholders, and unveils the contributions of serious games and their key features in producing social innovation within healthcare facilities.Design/methodology/approachThrough an original case study, the article analyzes a social innovation initiated by caregivers in the French care eco-system. Primary and secondary data were used to observe and examine the successful implementation of a serious game. Specifically, caregivers in hospital designed a game that helps children overcome the stress and anxiety inherent to their hospital journey.FindingsResults unveil the role of social innovations as catalyst of social intrapreneurship and the coproduction of services. In the healthcare setting, serious games both participate in improving the stay of child in hospitals, and in facilitating the working conditions of caregivers.Originality/valueThis article brings together the theoretical background of social intrapreneurship, social innovation and serious games. The successful implementation of social innovation depends on the intrinsic features of social intrapreneurs, coupled with those pertaining to serious games. The positive outcome of social innovation benefits both internal and external stakeholders. Such innovation improves the end users' experience, as the latter participate in the coproduction of their own care.

Determinants of research productivity and efficiency among the Arab world’s accredited business schools

This article presents a bibliometric analysis of the research output of the Arab world’s 30 AACSB- and EQUIS-accredited business schools between 2013 and 2022. The analysis aims to provide an overview of the research performance of these schools, identify research strengths, and highlight areas for improvement. The study examines 12,693 publications indexed in the Scopus database. The findings reveal remarkable progress in research productivity, including a steady increase in publications in high-impact journals. Notably, business schools in Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates demonstrate exceptional research performance. The study also reveals variations in citation impact based on publication type, co-authorship patterns, international collaborations, journal rankings, and disciplines. The research themes explored by the Arab world’s accredited business schools cover a wide variety of topics, including personnel, innovation, trade openness, mobile banking/payment, stock and financial markets, economic growth, supply chain, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, community participation, and oil prices and markets, among others. The research areas align with several United Nations sustainable development goals. These findings offer valuable insights for the region’s business schools to benchmark their research performance and gain a nuanced understanding of the factors that contribute to increased research productivity and impact. The study concludes that business schools in the Arab region must continue to enhance their publication rates in top-tier journals, foster improved international collaborations, and implement new research incentive schemes and excellence initiatives that recognize and reward high-quality research.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Entrepreneurial Ventures: A Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and entrepreneurship are two essential topics in the current business landscape. However, despite the growing literature on these topics, there needs to be more comprehensive understanding of how they are related. In this conceptual article, we explore the linkages between CSR and entrepreneurship. First, we provide a definition and scope of entrepreneurship and then discuss the literature on CSR, highlighting different ways that businesses can engage in CSR. We argue that CSR and entrepreneurship are closely related, and propose a conceptual framework to understand how CSR can be integrated into the entrepreneurial process. Additionally, we identify three key areas of research in this emerging field: (1) the motivations for entrepreneurs to engage in CSR; (2) the impact of CSR on entrepreneurial ventures; and (3) the role of CSR in social entrepreneurship. We conclude with a discussion of our conceptual framework’s theoretical and practical implications, as well as future research directions for scholars and practitioners interested in CSR and Entrepreneurship.

Achieving the sustainable development goals through stakeholder value creation: Building up smart sustainable cities and communities

Sustainable development is the process of reaching sustainability, and Stakeholder Value Creation (SVC) can foster urban sustainability. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are optimal tools for scrutinizing sustainable development processes. Although SVC and urban sustainability are clearly connected, the dyadic phenomenon of the contribution of SVC to achieving the SDGs is obscure. Thus, this study explores how SVC contributes to achieving the SDGs at the city level. We performed the Cross-Network Information Analysis protocol, which is properly designed for investigating dyadic phenomena. The main findings revealed that SVC contributes to most SDGs in cities, mainly 11, 17, 9, and 8. Consensus building, smart sustainable cities, and innovation ecosystems are central aspects of the SVC contribution to the SDGs in general. Other relevant aspects are: shared meaning, networking strategy, socio-spatial & cultural patterns, technology, circular economy, sharing economy, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, social bricolage, knowledge sharing, open innovation, ethics, and creativity. However, there has been no empirical evidence of SVC contribution to reaching the SDGs 5, 14, and 15. Policymakers, academics, and practitioners can address the lack of applied research on these last three SDGs by including non-human stakeholders, the environment, and gender diversity in organizational processes, organizational systems, and partnerships.

The Ethics and Social Mission of Workers and their Relationship to Social Intrapreneurship.

El intraemprendimiento (es decir, el espíritu empresarial que surge dentro de organizaciones establecidas) es clave para el desarrollo de las entidades que lo generan. De ahí que se le atribuyan resultados altamente positivos. Este constructo ha sido analizado durante más de tres décadas; sin embargo, el intraemprendimiento social, que surge de la necesidad de las empresas de ser reconocidas como entidades que generan valor social a partir de su misión, carece aún de suficiente bagaje científico. Por ello, por primera vez, este estudio evalúa empíricamente la misión social y la ética empresarial como determinantes del intraemprendimiento social. Se utilizó un cuestionario para recopilar datos de 603 profesionales de diferentes empresas de Baja California y México. Entre las técnicas de análisis de datos, se utilizó estadística descriptiva para verificar la composición univariada de los datos, y estadística inferencial para determinar la confiabilidad y validez de las escalas de medición. Los datos indican una relación altamente significativa entre la misión social corporativa y el intraemprendimiento social; sin embargo, los datos indican que la ética empresarial no está relacionada con los actos de intraemprendimiento social.

Business Model Canvas: The Implementation Method of Corporate Social Entrepreneurship

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is entrepreneurs’ obligation to be socially responsible so as to create values for the community, one of which is through social entrepreneurship. The CSR and social entrepreneurship form a corporate social entrepreneurship which can strategically provide a balance between the economic value and social value among various stakeholders. This study aims to determine stages of implementation of corporate social entrepreneurship and development of Business Model Canvas to run the corporate social entrepreneurship in Sido Muncul partnership program with Parang Gupito Farmer Group. The results show that the stages of implementation of corporate social entrepreneurship in Sido Muncul partnership program in Parang Gupito include problem identification and need analysis, resource allocation and coordination, network building, intensive mentoring, sustainable innovation, getting business partners, and performance assessment. The value proportion of the Sido Muncul partnership program in the Business Model Canvas for the Parang Gupito Farmer Group includes knowledge and skills about agriculture, agricultural product innovation, marketing and distribution, tourism services, product standardization, as well as price and market guarantee that have an impact on increasing the farmers’ welfare.

Path and boundary of the influence of social entrepreneurial opportunity identification on the growth of commercial startups

Social entrepreneurship, as a way for enterprises to fulfill social responsibility, is becoming one of the key means to reconcile social contradictions in China. In the field of social entrepreneurship as entrepreneurship research focus in the emerging background, such as type business start-ups face “vulnerable” new defects, social entrepreneurship, how to deal with scarce resources, social entrepreneurship resources come from and how to create such basic problems as what kind of results is still not well explain, related research is still in a state of “cumulative pieces”. Therefore, this paper focuses on the social opportunity identification of commercial new ventures, and empirically analyzes the mechanism of social entrepreneurial opportunity identification and resource patchwork on their growth. The results demonstrate that finding social entrepreneurial opportunities is an important part of how resource collages can help social enterprises grow, and the entrepreneur’s social network allows for the mediating effect of resource collage. The more sources of “strong relationships” in entrepreneurs’ social networks, the stronger the impact of social entrepreneurial opportunity identification on the growth performance of commercial startups. Focusing on the field of corporate social entrepreneurship, our findings establish a complete chain of social entrepreneurship processes, from motivation to behavior to corporate sustainability. The findings confirm the mechanism by which social entrepreneurial opportunity identification and resource patchwork help to improve the growth performance of commercial new ventures, and also suggest that entrepreneurs’ social networks can relieve entrepreneurs’ dependence on external network construction to a certain extent.

Validating the corporate social entrepreneurship model in Imam Relief Committee

validating the corporate social entrepreneurship model in Imam Relief Committee

Convergence or Divergence: The State of the Art in Environmental & Social Entrepreneurship Research

This symposium highlights the diversity of research examining the intersection of sustainable and social entrepreneurship. It examines the forces of convergence and divergence within these two distinct research streams. In particular, the authors consider areas where there are opportunities to advance the field by building upon the depth and breadth of research to resolve three pressing needs in the literature: contextuality, scalability, and stakeholder management. By addressing these challenges, these papers provide specific paths forward to advance the field. The papers in the symposium broaden our understanding of factors that have come to shape the practice of sustainable entrepreneurship and opportunities for new venture creation to generate social impact. The State of the Art in Environmental and Social Entrepreneurship Research Presenter: Peter T. Gianiodis; Duquesne U. Presenter: Maritza Espina; St Ambrose U. Corporate Sustainability, Stakeholder Orientation, and Collaboration between Competitors: What Lies Presenter: Lilach Trabelsi; U. of Innsbruck Value Creation through Environmental Entrepreneurship Presenter: Geoffrey R. Archer; Royal Roads U. Presenter: Felix Arndt; U. of Guelph Presenter: Fiona Robinson; - Societal Attitudes Toward Corporate Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship Presenter: Sumita Sarma; California State U., Bakersfield Presenter: Sharon Simmons; Jackson State U. The Language of Entrepreneurship: An Exploratory Gender-Coding Study Presenter: Rosanna Garcia; Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Corporate social responsibility in emerging markets: Opportunities and challenges for sustainability integration

In emerging markets, Corporate Social Responsibility and social entrepreneurship practices emerge as drivers of social inclusion and welfare. In countries with considerable demands for social and economic transformations, Corporate Social Responsibility provides a positive force for addressing society's major challenges such as the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this paper, we examine how two projects selected by the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) orient their operations toward responsible management practices in a transition economy context and answer two questions: 1) Does Corporate Social Responsibility supporting social entrepreneurship pave the way for greater inclusion?, and, 2) How do the Corporate Social Responsibility practices help achieve the SDGs? By focusing our analysis on stakeholder theory, we highlight how context can influence the strategic management process of social inclusion choices. Both cases provide practical implications of how the insertion of responsibility thematic in core business strategy acts as an effective driver for the development of fundamentally important SDGs.