Definition Of Social Entrepreneurship Research Articles

Rethinking the Boundaries and Definition of Social Entrepreneurship: A Critical Literature Review

With a passion for leaving no one behind, social entrepreneurs are driven to find solutions for societal problems that have not yet been addressed by traditional methods. Although potential benefits offered by social entrepreneurship are undeniable, the exact boundaries and definition of this emerging concept remain somewhat nebulous. Without an explicit understanding of what social entrepreneurship entails, it becomes susceptible to different interpretations and undermines its significance in economic and social development. Consequently, this paper aims to rigorously define social entrepreneurship through an extensive review of the literature. To this end, the library method has been used to search electronic academic databases and Internet sources alike. The results of our research revealed that social entrepreneurship can be defined as an entrepreneurial process that employs business techniques to bring innovative yet sustainable solutions for persistent social problems – ultimately leading to improved quality of life and empowering disadvantaged communities. This paper makes a significant contribution to covering the knowledge gap by distinguishing social entrepreneurship from various similar entities and activities.

Growth of Social Entrepreneurship Through Village Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) in The Pematang Johar, Sumatera Utara Province

Social entrepreneurship is an important concept for realizing the welfare of rural communities. This concept refers to the dedication of individuals, who have the character of a leader, who actively cooperates with their community, to realize collective welfare. This study aims to analyze the Growth of Social Entrepreneurship Through Village Owned Enterprises (VOE) in Pematang Johar. This research is descriptive qualitative research. Data collection techniques used in this study were interviews, literature studies, and observation. The results of the study show that the growth of social entrepreneurship through the Pematang Johar VOE is still being carried out on a limited basis. This is due to the still uneven understanding of VOE managers regarding the concept and definition of social entrepreneurship. This has had an impact on not maximally alleviating social problems in the village of Pematang Johar. In addition, the growth of social entrepreneurship through VOE Pematang Johar is also hampered due to business management in business units that are not managed professionally by competent people.

The Diverse Definitions of Social Entrepreneurship: The Underlying Issues

Purpose. A lack of consensus regarding the definition of social entrepreneurship has caused confusion among students and researchers. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical lens for theoreticians to make informed choices regarding their operational definition of this concept.Design/methodology approach. The paper traces the evolution of the practical and theoretical fields of social entrepreneurship. Thereafter the occurrence of multiple and often contrasting definitions is highlighted. In order to understand the conceptual underpinnings of the different definitions, the following issues are raised:Sould definitions be inclusive or exclusive? Is social entrepreneurship a subcategory of commercial entrepreneurship or is it a parallel one? Which facets of entrepreneurship behavior need to be deployed and what is the social mission? To illustrate these issues, the paper draws upon different definitions, with examples from the field of practice. In addition, it relates to the theoretical literature of commercial entrepreneurship. Thereafter follows a discussion that challenges prevailing definitions.Findings. The different possible responses can explain the diversity in definitions.A key finding is that the differing social enterprise and social innovation orientations may be rooted in alternative understandings of the relationship between social entrepreneurship and commercial entrepreneurship.Originality /value. The questions provide theoreticians with a unique and valuable prism to understand theoretical underpinnings of the different definitions of social entrepreneurship and enable them to make informed decisions regarding their operational definitions.

СОЦИАЛЬНОЕ ПРЕДПРИНИМАТЕЛЬСТВО В ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОМ ПРАВЕ: ПОНЯТИЕ И ПРОБЛЕМЫ

The article examines the history of the development of legal regulation of social entrepreneurship in Russia. The author's definition of social entrepreneurship as an independent institute of entrepreneurial law has been proposed. The main gaps in the legislation of Russia in relation to social enterprises were investigated. The role of the state and business for investing in a new innovative project has been identified. It was also proposed to amend the legislation on state financing for start-up social enterprises. It was concluded that relevant regulations at the Russian level should be adopted on social business.

Helm: a social enterprise expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in Egypt

Case synopsis Drawing from individual experiences and shared passion, Amena and Ramez first founded Helm as a student club at the American University in Cairo in 2012. As a club, Helm worked extensively to identify the main challenges facing persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Egypt. During meetings with various stakeholders, Helm found that employment was a recurring theme. The employment rate for PwDs in Egypt was only 21.3% compared to 40.2% among the non-disabled. During its first year alone, Helm found jobs for 300 individuals with some sort of disability. Despite this initial success, Helm strived to increase its social impact by increasing the integration of PwDs in Egypt through changing employers’ mindset and building inclusive work atmospheres where PwDs could work and thrive. There were, however, major cultural barriers in Egypt standing in the way of this vision. Despite these challenges, Helm managed to play a pivotal role in creating social transformation around disability in Egypt. Helm became a key player in reshaping Egypt’s legislation on PwDs through participating in several policymaking discussions, parliamentary committee meetings and programs with governmental entities. In the hope of increasing Helm’s potential social impact, Amena and Ramez aimed to maintain their growth in Egypt and to expand to other markets in the region. Accordingly, they were faced with a set of compelling questions. Amena and Ramez further wanted to make sure that their current business model and contribution to social transformation for PwDs could help them to grow and serve other markets. Should they adapt their business model and services offerings to scale up their social impact accordingly? If so, how? Case learning objectives This case allows students to consider the nature of social enterprises in developing countries and how they create social transformation in supporting PwDs in local communities. This case also introduces students to social enterprises’ business models, scalability and the sustainability issues which such enterprises face in the context of developing countries. By the end of studying the case, students should be able to understand the following: Objective 1: Identify the characteristics of social entrepreneurship and apply it to a social enterprise using Robinson’s (2006) definition of social entrepreneurship; Objective 2: Analyze the business model of a social enterprise using the nine building blocks of the business model canvas of Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010); Objective 3: Evaluate the social enterprise revenue model for sustainability using Yunus et al.’s (2010) building a social business model; and Objective 4: Suggest business model modification to improve a social enterprise’s scalability and service offerings in a new market. Complexity academic level This case study is aimed at students who are enrolled in entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, non-profit management, corporate social investment and sustainability courses. This case is written at an honor of graduate level so it can be used for master’s level, short graduate programs, MBA. The case is directed to students who have a business background and want to understand and explore social entrepreneurship. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

TYPES INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS AN ELEMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY

This article explores the typology of social entrepreneurship as an element of civil society. The article formulates the author's definition of social entrepreneurship, reflecting the essential characteristics of the institution under study. Based on the analysis of international standards of the rights of socially vulnerable categories of population and based on the social orientation of the Belarusian state, the author specifies a list of persons who should be covered by the norms of social entrepreneurship. As a result of the comparative legal research of models of the institute of social entrepreneurship in such areas as structural forms (share of commercial component in the activity), level of integration of social program and business processes, scale of solution of social tasks, directions of solution of social tasks, availability of state support, the author systematizes types of the institute of social entrepreneurship. The conclusion is argued that the analysis of the essential characteristics (signs) of social entrepreneurship, its types (typology) acts as an indispensable condition for the development of the concept of the Belarusian model of social entrepreneurship and will be the key to its effectiveness.

СОЦІАЛЬНЕ ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВО: ІННОВАЦІЇ, РОЗВИТОК, РІШЕННЯ

The dynamic present in Ukraine forms a new interpretation of the concept of “entrepreneurship”. In the modern sense, entrepreneurship involves identifying, evaluating and using new, as yet unseen opportunities to attract the attention of consumers and maximize profits. In this sense, opportunities are a tool for finding innovation and creating new products or services. According to the Business Dictionary, entrepreneurship means the ability and desire to organize a business, taking into account the potential risks, in order to profit from it. According to Lowry, the concept of “entrepreneur” is defined as a person who seeks to achieve their goals in the economic space, to meet their desires and needs. According to the position of the consulting company McKenzie, entrepreneurs are responsible for improving the lifestyle of consumers, as well as for solving the problems faced by consumers. Most of these problems are social in nature. An enterprise that seeks tools of influence to solve such problems is called social. In our opinion, social entrepreneurship is a field of activity that can have both commercial and non-commercial basis, all efforts of which are aimed not at maximizing profits, but at solving social problems with innovative ideas. The spread of social entrepreneurship is currently fragmented and in its infancy. Entrepreneurs who choose to engage in social enterprises are often called innovators because they try to solve “outdated” social problems with “new” entrepreneurial approaches. Most researchers confirm the view that social entrepreneurship is entrepreneurship with innovation and even social entrepreneurship itself is called innovation in the social sphere. The definitions of social entrepreneurship are considered in the work, its innovative content is determined. Innovative social entrepreneurship in Ukraine is analyzed. The effectiveness of the introduction of social enterprises to solve social problems is substantiated. Examples of functioning social enterprises in Ukraine are given and social enterprises that are currently represented in Ukraine are grouped into three groups. The main stages of implementation of social entrepreneurship are summarized.

Social entrepreneurship: theory and practice

This article examines the existing approaches to the interpretation of the concept of "social entrepreneurship". Social entrepreneurship, as a field of scientific research, in the process of its formation is characterized by insufficient definition of theoretical boundaries, content and conceptual apparatus. The need to clarify the definition of social entrepreneurship will determine the format of its use and development in the process of growing contradictions between social and economic problems and, in the context of the global Covid-19 pandemic that has embraced all countries of the world. Being one of the actively developing forms of entrepreneurial activity, today social entrepreneurship is designed to solve problems affecting the improvement of the level of well-being and quality of life of both socially vulnerable groups of the population and society as a whole. Kazakhstan's experience of social entrepreneurship is a new trend in the development of the economy. Crowdfunding and fundraising should be mentioned as innovative and used tools in the foreign practice of social entrepreneurship. The realities of the current crisis indicate that the adaptation of people of a socially vulnerable group in society, the growth of their social and economic activity are becoming one of the many tasks that social entrepreneurship is designed to implement. In this regard, it is necessary to actively cooperate with state structures, the business and social sectors. The article uses general scientific principles and methods of logical analysis, synthesis, ascent from the abstract to the concrete, as well as a system of general methodological principles of dialectical cognition of social reality as the methodological basis of the research.

К вопросу о признаках социального предпринимательства: научная дискуссия и правовое регулирование

Social entrepreneurship is a developing economic and social phenomenon that needs scientific interpretation and solid legal framework. Russian and foreign researchers are actively discussing the content, boundaries, determinants of social entrepreneurship. The article examines modern approaches to the definition of social entrepreneurship, summarizes the typology of social enterprises, analyzes the characteristics of socially oriented non-profit organizations. The author gives a description of socially oriented non-profit organizations in the Russian Federation, points to the legitimacy of these organizations as a public service and recipients of government preferences and presents the reflections on the exclusion of government institutions from social entrepreneurship.

Consensus on the definition of social entrepreneurship: a content analysis approach

PurposeThis study aims to reach academic consensus on key factors and boundaries used in defining the concepts of “social entrepreneurship” (SEsh), “social entrepreneur” (SE), and “social enterprise” (SEV). This study also explores the complex relationships among social/business enterprises, definitional categories and factors, missions, and impacts on effectiveness of practices and organizing for venture success.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis is conducted on articles published from 1998 to 2016 in peer-reviewed academic journals in the fields of management and organization. Furthermore, 80 articles are obtained and analyzed in terms of factors and frequently used terms for unified definitions and their intertwined linkages.FindingsThe unifying factors for the definitions of SEsh, SE, and SEV include primary mission and processes and resources. Strong linkages are observed between SEsh and actors, SE and characteristics, and SEV and organizational form. Results indicate that definitional categories and factors share numerous joint terms that can be used to propose unified definitions. This study identifies the effective interactions of variables among social mission, capabilities to manage resources and processes, entrepreneurial characteristics of actors, and forms of ventures in a process that provides potential for organizational sustainability and impact maximization.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to research by identifying clear and agreed-upon factors and traits as boundaries to propose definitions that can advance the legitimacy of social entrepreneurship as an academic field worthy of future exploration.Practical implicationsThe findings emphasize social mission that achieves public benefits while preventing mission drift. Economic value and choice of organizational form can advance the fulfillment of objectives and governance practices. This study also presents the key influencing factors at various stages of an entrepreneurial process to determine how these concepts interact to increase the likelihood of organizational emergence and survival.Originality/valueThis work is the first to systematically review management and organizational literature on the key factors and terms that constitute the distinct definitions of SEsh, SE, and SEV and help clarify their complex relations in an entrepreneurial process.

Formation of socially oriented projects using the financial and investment mechanism in the field of environmental management

The research is devoted to the development of ideas for application of the financial and investment mechanism in the field of environmental management with the joint participation of the state and representatives of the business community. During the research, the authors used methods of structural and logical analysis and expert assessments. The research hypothesis is based on the idea that the implementation of socially oriented projects in the field of environmental management should be carried out using the financial and investment mechanism of public-private partnership. At the same time, the state will get not only an economic effect in the form of reducing the payback period of investment projects and a positive financial result, but also a social effect in the form of attracting business to environmental problems, supporting special tourist zones of the country and introducing ecotourism and a healthy lifestyle of the nation among preschool and school-age children. The authors analyzed scientific approaches to understanding the term “social entrepreneurship”, the author’s definition of social entrepreneurship and social investment is supplemented and proposed, five business processes are identified and classified in which a social enterprise is developed and financed. As practical recommendations for combining the ideas of social entrepreneurship in the field of ecotourism, justified by certain authors of business processes, and the use of a financing mechanism in the form of public-private partnership on the example of the already tested scheme for obtaining annual vouchers to children’s country camps, the socially oriented investment project Academy “Go green hand” is proposed to support the domestic tourism industry and develop investments in the country’s ecology.

Определение социального предпринимательства

Определение социального предпринимательства

Legal aspect of social entrepreneurship

The article discusses the main issues of definition of social entrepreneurship, both from economic and legal point of view. Since Russian legislature is only at the beginning of the way to create legal framework for activities, legislation on social entrepreneurship seems fragmentary and inconsistent. All of that adversely affects development of social entrepreneurship. Official city statistics (Nizhnevartovsk) show that less than a third of all entrepreneurs are interested in this type of activity; entrepreneurs who already have business in the field of social entrepreneurship mostly do not plan to expand current activities in this area. Analysis can contribute to creation of developed socio-economic relations in Russia. It can be achieved by building effective relations between social entrepreneurs and beneficiaries on the one hand, and also between social entrepreneurs and the state on the other.

Social entrepreneurship in a sport policy context

This article investigates social entrepreneurship in relation to government state policies in Sweden and to the Swedish sports movement. Social entrepreneurship within sport comprises three elements that need to be qualified: the social element, entrepreneurship and sport. We wish to offer both a specific and a wider definition of social entrepreneurship in sport; specific in the sense that we try to define the concept theoretically, and wider in that we place the concept in a societal context where we relate it to different sectors in society. The method can be described as ethnographically inspired case studies. Four cases are presented. Previous research and the cases have helped us to formulate theses concerning ‘sport’ and ‘profit’ as means for social entrepreneurship, ‘social’ being normatively defined in the public sector, and entrepreneurial activities being understood as acts, crossing boundaries between the different sectors of society, leading to conflicts.

Unjani “clinics in a container”: social franchising in South Africa

Subject area This case study focuses on social entrepreneurship in emerging markets, looking at what is social entrepreneurship, theories of market failure, opportunity generation through effectuation, social franchising and funding. Study level/applicability Students of social entrepreneurship, development studies, sustainable livelihoods and asset-based development. It is useful for customised or short programmes or for students with a background in business (e.g. Diploma in Business Administration/MBA/custom programmes) wanting to understand social enterprise and blended theories of social and economic change. Case overview The case tells the story of Unjani container clinics which are providing affordable, quality access to people who struggle to access South Africa’s crumbling public health system. Dr Iain Barton recognised the role that nurses can play to relieve pressure on the system, by providing primary healthcare. He piloted Unjani using shipping containers as clinics with support from his company, Imperial Health Sciences. The story of Unjani is therefore one of startup and sustainable growth, partnership and building independent, self-sustaining social enterprises in a franchising system. The theory explored includes the importance of context, the role of market failure in spotting opportunity, developing opportunity through effectuation, defining social entrepreneurship and funding and growing the organisation. Expected learning outcomes The teaching objectives are framed by Mair (2010) who finds that where social entrepreneurs operate affects what they do and how they do it. Objective 1: Explores the influence of context on social entrepreneurship helping students frame a definition of social entrepreneurship. Objective 2: Students are able to connect the theory of market failure to opportunity identification and effectuation for social entrepreneurs. Objective 3: Students apply the definition of social entrepreneurship based on Santos’ (2010) Positive Theory. Objective 4: Students will be able to apply knowledge of social franchising models, as an approach to scaling. Objective 5: Students understand the principles of resource dependency theory and are able to use the funding spectrum as a tool to identify funding types. Supplementary materials Links to two videos are provided in the case. Recommendations are also made for materials to be used in the class, e.g. Global Competitiveness Index and Gapminder World, which are excellent tools to demonstrate the social and economic growth divide. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Social Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneur and Social Enterprise:A Review of Concepts, Definitions and Development in Malaysia

A decade ago the concept of social entrepreneurship was rarely discussed in Malaysia even though the practice of delivering social values to the population has been around for years. Efforts that combined the concept of entrepreneurship and social development were established years before the emergence of the term. Only in recent years the concept of social entrepreneurship is making a significant breakthrough and attaining more interest not only from social entrepreneurs but also academics and policy makers due to globalized economic system that in turn has resulted in the emergence of social entrepreneurship within a complex framework of political, economic and social changes occurring at the global, national and local levels. Nevertheless, the concept and definitions of social entrepreneurship, social entrepreneur and social enterprise need to be comprehended by those who are involved in the sector to further sustain the development of pertinent initiatives. Therefore, this paper reviews current literature pertaining the concepts and definitions of social entrepreneurship, social entrepreneur and social enterprise and recent development of the sector in Malaysia.

Factors Stimulating Social Innovation in Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Evidence of Inter-Organizational Alliances in Italy

This article will focus on the meaning of social innovation, which could represent the tipping point of the modern entrepreneurship phenomenon, allowing it to reach a larger scale and increase its social benefits. After having described the definition of social entrepreneurship and how it may be influenced by inter-organizational social arrangements, we will analyze the Italian scenario, which is particularly significant for investigating inter-organizational alliances and their social outcomes. Specifically, the focus will be on inter-organizational alliances in the Region of Tuscany, underlining how the Third Sector is capable of creating both direct and indirect effects on social innovation, thus becoming a possible turning point for modern societal evolution. Consequently, the article will conclude with theoretical propositions concerning the direct and indirect effects that inter-organizational alliances have on social entrepreneurship, thus emphasizing the positive outcomes that such interactions have both on the financial equilibrium of the organizations and on their organizational structure.

The reluctant social entrepreneur: shaving entrepreneurship theories when they are square pegs for round holes

Research on social entrepreneurship has grown rapidly over the past decade. Despite this growth, the literature does not provide insight for the person who could gain by pursuing social entrepreneurship initiatives, but who has no desire to pursue a social mission. This paper explores this issue using the case of the struggling rural North Carolina tobacco farmers who could gain greatly by changing crops to organic wheat, but are reluctant to do so. We believe that the existence of disciplinary silos generates the major obstacle to generating and applying relevant entrepreneurship knowledge to the plight of rural tobacco farmers, and to other groups facing similar situations. The paper argues that applying entrepreneurship literature relating to risk perception and entrepreneurial ecosystems may provide insights. It further contends that the definition of social entrepreneurship may need to be expanded if it is to include the 'reluctant social entrepreneur'.

Social entrepreneurship: the foundation of tomorrow's commercial business models?

Social and commercial entrepreneurship are often said to be two contrasting disciplines that are, at best, only tenuously related. Even though there is a lack of consensus on how to define both social and commercial entrepreneurship, most definitions of social entrepreneurship commonly state that solving social problems demands a narrow, specialised focus, whilst commercial entrepreneurship is often seen as a more conventionally 'business'-like activity. In this article, we put forward our arguments using theoretical discussion backed up by practical case studies to show that many of today's commercial business models are based on ideas with a social intention. Our findings on the economic importance of innovative social business ideas highlight the importance of social entrepreneurship, and the importance of encouraging social aspects in teaching, practical entrepreneurship support and research. In fact, we even find that social and commercial entrepreneurship are highly interrelated phenomena, which should not be treated as separate disciplines.

Understanding the Dynamics between Social Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Growth in Subsistence Marketplaces

This article explores how social entrepreneurs utilize their unique circumstances and resources at a micro level to facilitate the creation of shared value at the meso level, leading to inclusive growth at a macro level in the context of subsistence marketplaces. Drawing from explanatory case studies of two social enterprises—Waste Concern (Bangladesh) and Seven Women (Nepal)—the findings suggest that social entrepreneurs act as bricoleurs to integrate their operant and operand resources in subsistence marketplaces to facilitate inclusive growth. The authors further connect with and extend three discourses of research—social entrepreneurship, social bricolage, and service-dominant logic—to develop a framework providing insights into the “bottom-up” approach, the underlying dynamics of shared value creation, and inclusive growth in subsistence marketplaces by social entrepreneurs. The findings also strengthen Dees's (2001) definition of social entrepreneurship, confirming its applicability and relevance in subsistence marketplaces and further extending the theory of social bricolage. The authors discuss the implications of these findings, including tactical interventions aimed at providing better understanding of how social entrepreneurs create value in resource-constrained marketplaces, from a bottom-up perspective.