CfP: Emerging Trends in Social Entrepreneurship and Social Economy

2023-05-26

Social entrepreneurship (SE) is widely recognized as an important instrument of social and economic policy, especially in relation to unemployment, social exclusion and sustainable regional and local economic development (Borzaga and Bodini, 2012). However, with the increase in the number of social enterprises, now represented in most economic sectors (Zahra and Wright, 2016; Defourny and Nyssens 2021; Defourny et al. 2021), their areas of engagement are gradually expanding to address more emerging societal issues such as climate change, pollution, financial and gender inclusion as well as digitization.  

In recent times, the field of social entrepreneurship and social economy is rapidly evolving, as new innovations and trends are emerging in major sectors of the economy across the globe. Social enterprises are increasingly introducing innovative solutions not only in areas such as professional activation, social and health services or local development, but also in sectors such as renewable energy, socially engaged agriculture and the environment (including recycling) as well as culture. This is due to the fact that countries set increasingly broader social goals which are in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as such, many social enterprises now focus on "green policy", poverty reduction, gender equality and environmental sustainability (EC, 2020). In line with these goals, we have seen a growing interest in decarbonization, the circular economy, short food chains, energy cooperatives, and many other areas that have the potential to create significant social and environmental impact. This call for papers therefore seeks to explore the latest developments in these areas and other emerging trends in social entrepreneurship and social economy.

We invite contributions from academics, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders working in the field of social entrepreneurship and social economy. We welcome research papers, case studies, theoretical discussions, and policy analyses that focus on the following topics:

  • Decarbonization: How might social enterprises and the social economy aid in the shift to a low-carbon economy? What are the challenges and opportunities facing social enterprises in this area?
  • Circular Economy and waste reduction: How can social enterprises and the social economy advance circular economy principles? What advantages and difficulties do social firms face when implementing circular business models?
  • Short food chains and local food systems: What role may social enterprises and the social economy play in the growth of local food systems and short food chains? How can these projects enhance the neighborhood's social, environmental, and economic well-being? What opportunities and difficulties exist in this field? How can entrepreneurs in agriculture become more resilient to climate change problems?
  • Energy cooperatives and community-owned renewable energy: How can community-owned renewable energy projects and energy cooperatives aid in the shift to a low-carbon economy? What are the main success elements and difficulties faced by energy cooperatives? What opportunities and difficulties exist in this field?
  • Arts and creative industries: How can social enterprises and the social economy contribute to the development of arts and creative industries? What opportunities and difficulties exist in this field?
  • Other Emerging Trends: Papers examining further emerging trends in social entrepreneurship and the social economy, such as social impact bonds, digital social innovation, social franchising, and others, are encouraged.

We encourage papers that take a multidisciplinary approach and that address both theoretical and practical aspects of social entrepreneurship and social economy. We welcome papers that use different research methods, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches.

All papers submitted will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, and accepted papers will be published in a special issue of the Social Entrepreneurship Review.

SUBMISSION

The complete articles must be formatted according to Social Entrepreneurship Review requirements (link) and submitted until October 31, 2023 via the OJS system at https://ser.uek.krakow.pl/index.php/

Please choose Section Cfp for this call.

Scheduled: Vol. 1/2024

For further information, please contact the guest editors:

Martyna Wronka-Pośpiech, University of Economics in Katowice, Poland martyna.wronka-pospiech@ue.katowice.pl

Irina Nikolskaja Roddvik, Østfold University College, Norway irina.n.roddvik@hiof.no

Rifkatu Nghargbu, Nasarawa State University Keffi, Nigeria rifkatunghargbu@nsuk.edu.ng

 

SUGGESTED READING

Alevizou, P. J., Gkanas, I. (2017). Community energy cooperatives and social entrepreneurship in Greece: A new paradigm?. Journal of Cleaner Production, 162, 151-S160.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.048

Armstrong, R.M., Grobbelaar, S.S.S. (2020). Sustainable business models for social enterprises in developing countries: a conceptual framework. Management Review Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-022-00260-1

Battilana, J., Lee, N. (2014). Advancing Research on Hybrid Organizing – Insights from the Study of Social Enterprises, The Academy of Management Annals, 8:1, 397-441, DOI: 10.1080/19416520.2014.893615

Chandra, Y., Paras, A. (2021). Social entrepreneurship in the context of disaster recovery: Organizing for public value creation, Public Management Review, 23:12, 1856-1877, DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2020.1775282

Costanza, F. (2023). When the business is circular and social: A dynamic grounded analysis in the clothing recycle. Journal of Cleaner Production, 382, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135216

Ćwiklicki, M., O'Riordan, L. (2022). Enablers and barriers in the transition to Circular Business Models: Investigating the critical success factors for the tipping and break-even point. In: Wojnarowska, M., Ćwiklicki, M., Ingrao C. (Eds). Sustainable Products in the Circular Economy. Impact on Business and Society. Routledge.

European Commission (2020), Social Enterprises and Their Ecosystems in Europe. Comparative synthesis report, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2020.

Geissdoerfer, M., Vladimirova, D., Evans, S. (2018). Sustainable business model innovation:  A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 198, 401-416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.240

George, G., Howard-Grenville, J., Joshi, A., Tihanyi, L. (2016). Understanding and tackling societal grand challenges through management research. Academy of Management Journal, 59(6), 1880–1895. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.4007

Hockerts, K., & Wüstenhagen, R. (2010). Greening Goliaths versus emerging Davids—Theorizing about the role of incumbents and new entrants in sustainable entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 25(5), 481-492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2009.07.005

Huybrechts, B., & Haugh, H. (2018). The Roles of Networks in Institutionalizing New Hybrid Organizational Forms: Insights from the European Renewable Energy Cooperative Network. Organization Studies, 39(8), 1085–1108. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840617717097

Johansson, J., Karlsson, L. (2018). The role of social entrepreneurship in community-based renewable energy projects. In Community Energy: Stakeholder Engagement and Integrated Planning (pp. 203-218). Springer, Cham.

Markman, G. D., Waldron, T., Gianiodis, P., Espina, M. (2019). E Pluribus Unum: Impact entrepreneurship as a solution to grand challenges. Academy of Management Perspectives, 371-382. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2019.0130

Rawhouser, H., Cummings, M., & Newbert, S. L. (2019). Social Impact Measurement: Current Approaches and Future Directions for Social Entrepreneurship Research. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 43(1), 82-115. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258717727718

Renting, H., Marsden, T. K., Banks, J. (2003). Understanding Alternative Food Networks: Exploring the Role of Short Food Supply Chains in Rural Development. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 35(3), 393–411. https://doi.org/10.1068/a3510

Warren, C. R., & McKechnie, J. (2018). Social entrepreneurship and community energy: From concepts to practice. In Community Energy: Stakeholder Engagement and Integrated Planning (pp. 167-181). Springer, Cham.