Role Of Social Enterprises Research Articles

DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UKRAINE

The article examines the theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of the development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine in modern conditions. The main factors affecting the slow development of this sector have been identified and analyzed, including: lack of legislative regulation of the activities of social enterprises, insufficient awareness of the population about their activities, a small number of social enterprises and socio-economic instability of the national economy. Key external and internal factors contributing to the development of social entrepreneurship at the regional level were discussed, and recommendations aimed at improving the situation were substantiated, including the need to develop a national strategy for the development of social entrepreneurship. The authors justified the importance of applying a comprehensive approach to the development of social entrepreneurship and support at all levels to ensure the rapid development of social enterprises, which will contribute to solving social problems and improving the welfare of society. It was found that the development of social entrepreneurship in the regions of Ukraine is determined by a combination of external and internal factors, including informing the population, simplifying taxation, grant support, preferential lending, support from the authorities, staff training, production development and the search for new customers. It was determined that in order to ensure the effective development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine, it is necessary to develop a national strategy that would ensure the coordination of efforts of all interested parties, as well as support regional initiatives, such as the creation of resource centers and the development of regional strategies. The role of social enterprises in the employment of vulnerable segments of the population, employment of youth, solving gender problems, and generating funds to finance the solution of social problems within the scope of their activities has been studied.

Weaving a Sustainable Future for Fashion: The Role of Social Enterprises in East London

Weaving a Sustainable Future for Fashion: The Role of Social Enterprises in East London

Sustainability in Agriculture Management: Role of Social Enterprises in Creating A Better World

Sustainability in Agriculture Management: Role of Social Enterprises in Creating A Better World

Energy co-operatives in Spain: The role of social enterprises in the energy transition

Decentralized and small-scale forms of organization are reappearing in Spanish’s energy system. Co-operatives have a social approach based on three dimensions: the purpose of the initiative, the form of organization and ownership, and embeddedness. In this paper, we apply this analytical framework to twelve energy co-operatives in Spain. These collectively owned organizations are energy-marketing communities, and they have specific objectives: These are an ecological objective (to reduce energy consumption and generate renewable energy) and a social objective (to propose an alternative to the reality of the energy market and citizen empowerment). Energy co-operatives in Spain have been typified as social enterprises, and these social enterprises have experience in common energy service, with which they may mark their future role in local energy communities. These results show the consolidation of energy co-operatives as a sign of the maturity of Spanish society in the face of energy challenges.

Closing the Socio-Economic Gap: The Role of Social Enterprises in Kedah

Kedah is one of the Peninsular Malaysia states with a high poverty rate. Existing gaps in regional, state, and rural-urban development continue to exist. Hence, several endeavours have been undertaken to address this socioeconomic disparity, including promoting the establishment of social enterprises. This concept was derived from the Kedah Book 2035, specifically its Core 3: Social and Cultural Inclusion, whose purpose is to strengthen the poverty eradication program and reduce the socio-economic disparity among the population. With a particular focus on the Urban Poverty Eradication Programme Empowerment Initiative for the B40 Group, the primary aim of this research is to highlight the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing the challenge of a higher poverty rate in Kedah. Additionally, this study seeks to examine the challenges and prospective opportunities that pertain to social enterprises within the state of Kedah. In the present study, the research methodologies include using secondary data sources, including journals and articles acquired from online databases. In summary, social enterprises have the potential to mitigate the issue of poverty in Kedah, Malaysia. However, previous evidence suggests that social enterprises encounter many challenges that impede their growth. Therefore, the state government should implement additional actions to guarantee the efficacy of social enterprises in eliminating poverty.

Exploring the economic impact of institutional entrepreneurship, social Innovation, and poverty reduction on carbon footprint in BRICS countries: what is the role of social enterprise?

The world is facing challenges to reduce carbon emissions, the complex interplay between socioeconomic dynamics and environmental sustainability is of utmost importance. In the context of the BRICS nations-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-this study explores the intricate interactions between institutional entrepreneurship, institutional innovation, poverty reduction, social globalization, urbanization, and social entrepreneurship as well as their combined effects on the carbon footprint over the period of 1990 to 2021. This work examines the multi-dimensional interactions inside this nexus using a thorough analytical strategy that includes the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), Three-Stage Least Squares (3SLS), and Robust regression approaches. Institutional entrepreneurship and innovation are the main forces behind institutional change and may have an impact on how people behave in terms of the environment. Strategies for reducing poverty frequently involve greater resource usage, which has an impact on carbon footprint. Examining social globalization's impact on carbon footprints is necessary given how it affects consumer habits and economic activity. Rapid urbanization is a dual problem because it spurs both increased energy demand and novel sustainability measures. With its emphasis on community-driven solutions, social entrepreneurship can provide regional solutions to reduce poverty and carbon emissions. The study's findings provide policymakers, practitioners, and researchers with insights into the complex web of socio-economic factors that underlies carbon footprint fluctuations. This research paves the way for informed policy decisions, sustainable business practices, and the pursuit of harmonious development that addresses both economic aspirations and environmental imperatives within the BRICS countries by illuminating the connections between institutional entrepreneurship, innovation, poverty reduction, social globalization, urbanization, social entrepreneurship, and carbon emissions.

Role of Social Enterprises in Bridging Healthcare Sector Gap: A Case of ‘Santhwanam’

The increasing rate of non-communicable diseases calls for early identification and intervention. Trained paramedical forces can cater to the healthcare needs on the prevention front. This opens the doors for social enterprises to address this social need in an economically sustainable way. The present research article discusses the unique health intervention ‘Santhwanam’, a collaborative effort of Kudumbashree, the State Livelihood Mission of Kerala, the State Bank of India and Health Action by the People. It addresses the rural people’s unmet health needs by creating a pool of trained paramedical professionals. At present, ‘Santhwanam’ has trained 356 women in paramedical services and reached nearly 3.41 lakh people’s lives in 14 districts of Kerala.

Organizing for transformative innovation policies: The role of social enterprises. Theoretical insights and evidence from Italy

Transformative innovation policies can provide systemic solutions to socio-environmental challenges because of their “experimental”, “reflexive” and “inclusive” character. We contend that social enterprises can act as catalysts for transformative innovation for the geographically and socially marginalized. Thus, including social enterprises in transformative innovation policies can mitigate the negative effects of innovation-based growth, making policies more socially and geographically inclusive. Following a syncretic approach to the literatures on transformative innovation policies and social entrepreneurship, this paper identifies the key dimensions of social enterprises' transformative innovation potential: directionality (i.e., social goals as the purpose of innovation); social and geographical inclusiveness (i.e., the inclusion of marginalized areas and individuals in the provision of goods or services); reflexivity (in terms of participatory governance and monitoring the achievement of goals); and experimental character (in terms of establishing partnerships with heterogeneous actors). We then assess this capacity through an exploratory cluster analysis of Italian social enterprises. We identify three distinct groups that suggest a range of entrepreneurial approaches from largely transformative to not at all. The transformative innovation readiness of social enterprises has implications for policymakers seeking to undertake pilot schemes and implement actions that support an appropriately transformative innovation ecosystem.

글로벌 자원기반 관점 역량이 사회적기업의 재무성과에 미치는 영향

The role of social enterprises can be cited as an alternative to solving the difficulties of small business owners caused by COVID-19. The results were derived by empirically analyzing the impact of new product development capabilities, product quality levels, price competitiveness, customer retention capabilities, purchase intentions, the number of employees and the number of vulnerable employees on financial performance.
 This study shows that financial performance can be improved when the corporate capabilities of social enterprises are mutually harmonized. Since the Social Enterprise Promotion Act was enacted in 2007, it is significant that it will contribute to enhancing the sustainability of social enterprises and establishing the original identity of social enterprises by analyzing and presenting factors that affect financial performance.
 As an implication, if research related to the performance of social enterprises develops social enterprises and creates a market that realizes the friendly image and social values of social enterprises themselves, social enterprises will become a subject in Korean corporate society.

The role of social enterprise in student employability: the case of SIDshare, a co-curricular student led social enterprise

ABSTRACT Within Geography, as in other disciplines, the neoliberalisation of Higher Education has led to an increasing curriculum focus on graduate attributes with student employability as an outcome. The multiple and competing discourses of employability that shape pedagogies can at times ignore social enterprise and enterprising skills that are too often neglected within geography curricula. In this contribution we draw on our experience working with SIDshare, a co-curricula student run social enterprise operating as an NGO (non-governmental organisation), to show how enterprising skills nurtured through student communities of practice have enhanced employability. Drawing on a series of semi-structured interviews undertaken with graduates who previously participated in SIDshare we analyse how their engagement contributed to graduate employment outcomes. SIDshare had increased not only the development of enterprising skills and entrepreneurialism but also encouraged the development of transferable, so-called “softer skills”. These included strong interpersonal skills, team skills and good working relationships as well as professionalism developed through participation in an extracurricular student community of practice alongside engagement with external partners. Effectual and causal reasoning skills were developed further encouraging entrepreneurialism. Graduate interviewees clearly demonstrated that their career success had been aided by their involvement in the co-curricular student led social enterprise, SIDshare.

Value co-creation as a mediator between strategic planning and social enterprise performance

PurposeThe purpose of this study is twofold. The first was to explore the relationship between strategic planning (SP) and social enterprise performance (SEP). The second was to ascertain the mediation of value co-creation (VCC) to the relationship between SP and SEP.Design/methodology/approachThis study followed a quantitative methodology using a survey conducted with 147 social enterprises (SEs). The location of the study was the Eastern Cape, a province in South Africa. Respondents to the study occupied the status of key decision-makers who either owned or managed a SE.FindingsThe findings show that a relationship exists between SP and VCC; VCC and SEP; and finally SP and SEP. Concerning the mediation, results show that VCC had a fairly weak positive and significant mediating effect on the relationship between SP and enterprise performance.Originality/valueThere are renewed calls for research that focuses on understanding issues related to the management of SEs, especially within the South African context. Such calls stem from the high dependence on state support to alleviate challenges experienced by communities. The role of SEs in such a context is thus heightened. The findings give support to issues that assist not only in understanding the decision-making capability but also in understanding the role of VCC.

Filling in the Cracks: The Role of Social Enterprises in the Development of Sustainable Societies

Filling in the Cracks: The Role of Social Enterprises in the Development of Sustainable Societies

Navigating network governance: the role of social enterprise in local employment services

ABSTRACT Neoliberalisation of welfare has stimulated growth of hybrid organizational forms – including social enterprises – that bridge welfare objectives and market models of service provision. However, the role of social enterprises in governance networks remains underexplored. Drawing on a comparative case analysis of four work integration social enterprises (WISEs) in Australia, this paper examines how WISE operate within local employment services systems and labour markets. We find WISEs both attract non-traditional resources and generate social value in new ways as an effect of their hybrid organizational arrangements. However, their effectiveness is constrained by lack of legitimacy within supralocal governance systems.

The role of social enterprises in facilitating labour market integration for people with disabilities: A convenient deflection from policy mainstreaming?

AbstractPolicymakers have increasingly embraced social enterprises as a vehicle to create job opportunities for the disadvantaged. However, there is limited research on social enterprises in the context of disability in relation to labour market integration. Drawing on the perspectives of representatives of work integration social enterprises and people with disabilities employed in these enterprises (n=21), this study examines whether and how work integration social enterprises promote inclusion for people with disabilities, and also explores the role of WISEs in enabling people with disabilities to transition into open employment. Thematic analysis revealed three key emergent themes:Cocooned inclusion but not transition; Reinforced normative demarcation; andWISEs as a deflection from institutionalizing proactive disability policy measures. This article argues that, although WISEs were able to provide job opportunities for people with disabilities, their purported function in enabling disabled people to transition into open employment remains constrained by factors beyond their control including prevailing norms and the absence of proactive disability employment measures. This article cautions against the over-romanticisation of WISEs as the primary means to ensure the rights of people with disabilities to participate in the labour market. Implications on disability employment policies in relation to social enterprises are discussed.

Some aspects of establishment and development of social entrepreneurship

Problem setting. Social entrepreneurship as a phenomenon has long been known to the world community. Although its formation in Ukraine has started relatively recently, the pace of development of Ukrainian social entrepreneurship is simply impressive. Target of research is to study the main factors promoting social entrepreneurship. To achieve this goal, structural, comparative and statistical research methods were used. Analysis of resent researches and publications. Problems of development of social entrepreneurship have received considerable coverage in the works of scientists: B. Androschuk, N. Gusak, A. Kornetsky, V. Nazaruka, A. Tumanova and others. Article’s main body. A. Kornetsky and B. Androschuk identify three main stages in the development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine. The first is called the period 1991-2010, when international donors, in particular the United States Agency for International Development, began to finance the development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine. In 1991, the Law of Ukraine “On the Fundamentals of Social Protection of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine” was adopted. It is still in force and provides benefits for doing business for people with disabilities, in particular, determines the financing of their business initiatives from a special state fund. The second stage defines the period 2010-2016, which was characterized by the merger of partner organizations into consortia to launch educational and financial programs for social entrepreneurship. In 2010, the Consortium for the Promotion of Social Entrepreneurship in Ukraine was established. With its support, a number of trainings for trainers were conducted, three resource centers were opened (in Kyiv, Donetsk and Lviv) and the first lending program for social enterprises was launched. During this period, the publication of educational materials on social entrepreneurship began. It is believed that the third stage of development of the social enterprise began in 2016 and continues to this day. Significant assistance in the development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine during this period is provided by the European Union (EU) and some EU member states. Conclusions and prospects for the development. In general, Ukraine is currently at the stage of forming an ecosystem of social entrepreneurship and networking of local centers for its development. In the period from 2016-2020, about 10 Ukrainian-language manuals on social entrepreneurship were published, 3 Ukrainian-language online courses were created. Every year, the number of educational activities aimed at promoting social entrepreneurship increases, and public awareness of the role of social enterprises is growing. However, an important aspect is that, for the most part, the implementation of activities aimed at the development of social entrepreneurship in Ukraine is supported by international donors, rather than government programs and initiatives. Further research should focus on the study of foreign experience in determining the main factors of social entrepreneurship, as well as a detailed analysis of these factors.

Social Enterprise and Self-rated Health Among Low-Income Individuals in South Korea: A Multilevel Analysis

Previous studies have shown that social enterprises can improve the health conditions of socially disadvantaged people through qualitative approaches. As income-related health inequality has grown, the role of social enterprises in addressing this issue has become more significant. This study examined whether social enterprises could positively affect the self-rated health of South Korean low-income residents using multilevel models. The results showed that government-certified social enterprises were associated with positive self-rated health among low-income residents. On the other hand, preliminary social enterprises with insufficient profitability and weak corporate governance showed mixed results. Based on the empirical results, this study suggests relevant policy implications.

Sustaining Forest Ecosystem Services Through Social Enterprises: Motivations and Challenges from a Case Study in Scotland

Both the concepts of ecosystem services and social enterprise have gained popularity as means of addressing social and environmental issues in recent years. But while research on ecosystem services has focused on non-governmental organisation and local community-led approaches, the role of social enterprises has received less attention. In Scotland, social enterprises play an important role in delivering social and environmental justice, as well as reaping economic benefits through forest-based practices. These practices are often small-scale and attract participants from local communities. But despite this prominence their motivations and the challenges they face remain largely unexplored. This research attempts to integrate both concepts mainly using field observations and interviews, and to reinforce the findings with the existing literature. It explores the motivations and challenges of social enterprises in sustaining forest ecosystem services through a case study, and discusses their potential within the context of current policy. The research suggests that social enterprises are equipped to tackle a range of social and environmental issues. The enterprise under investigation aims to improve participants’ wellbeing and employability, as well as to provide public education and promote environmental awareness. But these efforts are often hindered by the difficulties of high requirements of the manager and staff members in balancing multiple objectives and most importantly, of managing financial risks. The research concludes that a practical method of assessing cultural ecosystem services as well as the use of innovative funding norms may resolve these challenges, allowing social enterprises to fill the current policy gap and create synergies in the fields of ecosystem services and social enterprise.

Reaffirming trust in social enterprise in the COVID-19 era: Ways forward

COVID-19 has overwhelmed and stretched existing healthcare infrastructure in both developed and developing economies and pushed governmental response mechanisms to the brink. Globally, governments elicited the call for corporate support, asking social entrepreneurs and social business ventures to organise efforts to build voluntary support for the large-scale response needed during the sudden lockdown disruptions. By April 2020, 26.5 million jobs were lost in the US alone (Lambert, 2020), global stocks plummeted at least 25% and gross domestic product (GDP) contracted significantly for all countries. With reduced domestic demand for non-food goods, reduced foreign demand for US goods exports, supply-chain disruptions, and plant closures, the manufacturing sector saw a huge decline (Reinicke, 2020). Governments all over the world announced massive stimulus packages. The US has approved $2 trillion financial support to combat the economic downturn so far (Emma & Scholtes, 2020) and EU finance ministers have recently approved €500 billion in stimulus measures (Riley, 2020). It is estimated that the global economy will grow at -3 percent in 2020. This article sheds light on the role of social enterprises in addressing the societal problems caused by COVID-19. The authors highlight the efforts of virtual and collaborative associations who seek to swiftly recognise issues and develop solutions, which create social value and alleviate the plights of suffering communities. This article sheds light on the role of social enterprises in addressing the societal problems caused by COVID-19. The authors highlight the efforts of virtual and collaborative associations who seek to swiftly recognise issues and develop solutions, which create social value and alleviate the plights of suffering communities. The authors place emphasis upon the role of the social entrepreneur in developing a way forward in these challenging times and present a contemporary conceptualisation of the social entrepreneur in the form of an “avatar” and the impact that this may have on social enterprise.

Alleviating social and economic inequality? The role of social enterprises in Thailand

PurposeThailand is a developing economy underpinned by high levels of wealth inequality and an ingrained patronage culture. This research aims to examine how social enterprises (SEs) have been encouraged in Thailand in recent years as “micro-level challenges” to capitalism and their potential impact in addressing inequality.Design/methodology/approachThrough analysing policy documents and consultations, this paper traces the development of Thai policies intended to encourage SEs’ development. Additionally, the paper uses case study interviews and documents to demonstrate how SEs tackle inequality. From these, a framework is developed, outlining SEs’ roles and interventions to reduce inequality.FindingsThailand’s new policy is in contrast to those countries where SEs face policy neglect. Nevertheless, government has been slow to embed processes to encourage new SEs. Despite SEs’ “challenge” to capitalism, listed companies are increasingly providing in-kind and financial support. The case study data shows SEs reduce inequality as they work with rural citizens to increase their employment and incomes. This work may also contribute to diminishing rural citizens’ dependency on political patronage.Research limitations/implicationsWhile SEs can address inequality gaps, the research includes only existing SEs on specific lists. Nevertheless, the Thai experience will be useful to other developing countries, especially those beset by political patronage.Originality/valueThe research shows legislation is insufficient to support SE growth and inequality reduction. The framework highlights the need for both government policy attention and interventions from donors and companies to support SEs’ efforts.

Vehicle Maintenance Contracting in Developing Economies: The Role of Social Enterprise

Problem definition: Difficulties in healthcare delivery in developing economies arise from poor road infrastructure of rural communities, where the bulk of the population resides. Although motorcycles are an effective means for delivering healthcare products, governments in developing economies lack expertise in proper maintenance, resulting in frequent vehicle breakdowns. Riders for Health, a nonprofit social enterprise (SE), has developed specialized capabilities that enable significant enhancements in vehicle maintenance. Riders for Health has engaged with the governments and provided its services using different contracting approaches. However, the effect of such practice on improving vehicle availability—the main social mission of Riders for Health—is not well understood. Academic/practical relevance: This paper presents one of the first rigorous analyses of how SEs achieve their goals through innovations in operations. Our analysis highlights the relationship between a social mission objective and a service contract choice, contrasting it with the choice by a profit-maximizing organization traditionally assumed in the service contracting literature in operations management. Methodology: We construct and analyze a stylized model that combines the elements of reliability theory and contract theory, explicitly accounting for the SE’s social mission in her objective function. Results: We find that the “total solution” approach of providing all aspects of vehicle maintenance, including fleet ownership, is a preferred choice for an SE that prioritizes improving vehicle availability; by contrast, an organization that focuses on profit maximization would find this approach less attractive. Moreover, we show that the total solution approach induces the SE to exert more efforts on failure prevention and repair lead time reduction in equilibrium. Our analysis also suggests that the SE could further improve vehicle availability by the total solution approach if it manages a large fleet that consists of vehicles with high resale values. Managerial implications: Our findings provide theoretical support for Riders for Health’s recent move toward the total solution approach as it expands its service into wider rural areas in many countries. The insights obtained from our analysis offer actionable guidelines to other SEs operating in developing economies.