Investigating the Phenomenon of Social Entrepreneurship
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15678/SER.2024.1.06Keywords:
social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship theory, market failure theory, socioeconomic problemsAbstract
Background: Social entrepreneurship (SE) has been gaining ground in economy and politics since the 1980s, arousing scientific interest. But despite numerous studies, the field still lacks a standardized theory, inviting interpretations by other disciplines.
Research objectives: We show that SE draws on two theories of economics – entrepreneurship and market failure – and clarify their suitability for explaining the field.
Research design and methods: Our bibliometric analysis involved statistical methods to ascertain qualitative and quantitative shifts. We aimed to delineate the publication landscape and identify the emerging trends.
Results: The article calls for a standardized theory and better integration of perspectives in SE research, underlining social value creation, long-term effects, and contextual influences.
Conclusions: SE is a developing field without standardized frameworks, focusing on social rather than economic value. It underscores entrepreneurial qualities in addressing societal needs and advocates nuanced policies that support entrepreneurial processes and societal impact.
Downloads
References
Alvord, S. H., Brown, L. D., & Letts, C. W. (2004). Social entrepreneurship and societal transformation: an exploratory study. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886304266847
Aliaga-Isla, R., & Huybrechts, B. (2018). From “push out” to “pull in” together: An analysis of social entrepreneurship definitions in the academic field. Journal of Cleaner Production, 205, 645–660.
Arrow, K. J., Debreu, G. (1954). Existence of an equilibrium for a competitive economy. Econometrica, 22(3), 265–290.
Austin, J., Stevenson, H., & Wei-Skillern, J. (2006). Social and commercial entrepreneurship: Same, different, or both? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 30(1), 1–22.
Bacq, S., & Janssen, F. (2011). The multiple faces of social entrepreneurship: A review of definitional issues based on geographical and thematic criteria. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 23, 373–403. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2011.577242
Bruyat, C., & Julien, P.-A. (2001). Defining the Field of Research in Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 16, 165–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(99)00043-9
Choi, N., & Majumdar, S. (2014). Social entrepreneurship as an essentially contested concept: Opening a new avenue for systematic future research. Journal of Business Venturing, 29(3), 363–376.
Dacin, M. T., Dacin, P. A., & Tracey, P. (2011). Social entrepreneurship: A critique and future directions. Organization Science, 22(5), 1203–1213. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1100.0620.
De Bakker, F. G. A., Groenewegen, P., & Den Hond, F. (2005). A bibliometric analysis of 30 years of research and theory on corporate social responsibility and corporate social performance. Business Society, 44(3), 283–317.
Dees, J. G. (1998). The meaning of social entrepreneurship. Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
Dees, J. G., & Anderson, B. B. (2006). Framing a theory of social entrepreneurship: Building on two schools of practice and thought. Research on social entrepreneurship: Understanding and contributing to an emerging field, 1(3), 39–66.
Defourny, J., & Nyssens, M. (2010). Conceptions of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship in Europe and the United States: Convergences and divergences. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 1(1), 32–53.
Drayton, W. (2002). The citizen sector: Becoming as competitive and entrepreneurial as business. California Management Review, 44, 120–133.
El Halaissi, M. (2023). Social entrepreneurship: Laying the foundations of a nascent paradigm. Studies in Economics and Business Relations, 4(1), 16–30.
El Halaissi, M., & Boumkhaled, M. (2018). L’entrepreneuriat social: Vers une définition. Revue du contrôle, de la comptabilité et de l’audit, 2(3).
Gartner, W. (1985). A conceptual framework for describing the phenomenon of new venture creation. The Academy of Management Review, 10(4), 696–706. https://doi.org/10.2307/258039.
Janssen, F., Bacq, S., & Brouard, F. (2013). L’entrepreneuriat social: Un thème pour la recherche passée, présente et future. Revue internationale P.M.E.: Économie et gestion de la petite et moyenne entreprise, 25(3–4), 17–44. https://doi.org/10.7202/1018416ar.
Korosec, R. L., & Berman, E. M. (2006). Municipal Support for Social Entrepreneurship. Public Administration Review, 448–462. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00601.x
Leadbeater, C. (1997). The rise of the social entrepreneur. Demos. https://demos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/theriseofthesocialentrepreneur.pdf
Mair, J. (2010). Social entrepreneurship: Taking stock and looking ahead. IESE Business School Working Paper No. WP-888. https://www.iese.edu/media/research/pdfs/DI-0888 E.pdf or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1729642
Mair, J., & Marti, I. (2006). Social entrepreneurship research: A source of explanation, prediction, and delight. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2005.09.002.
Mair, J., Robinson, J., & Hockerts, K. (2006). Social entrepreneurship. Springer.
Martin, R. L., & Osberg, S. (2007). Social entrepreneurship: The case for definition. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://web.mit.edu/sloan2/dese/readings/week01/Martin_Osberg_SocialEntrepreneurship.pdf
Nicholls, A. (2010). The legitimacy of social entrepreneurship: Reflexive isomorphism in a pre-paradigmatic field. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(4), 611–633.
Nicholls, A., & Cho, A. H. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: The structuration of a field. In A. Nicholls, Social entrepreneurship: New models of sustainable change. (pp. 99–118). Oxford University Press.
O’Connor, P., Meinhard, A. (2014). Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs): Their potential contribution to labour market (re-)integration of at risk populations. Toronto Metropolitan University. Journal contribution. https://doi.org/10.32920/ryerson.14641602.v1
Omrane, A. (2013). Social entrepreneurship and sustainable development: The role of business models. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2232438 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2232438
Omrane, A., & Fayolle, A. (2010). L’entrepreneuriat social et le développement durable: quels modèles d’affaires dans le champ social? In XIXème Conférence de l’Association Internationale de Management Stratégique AIMS.
Pacut, A. (2020). Drivers toward social entrepreneurs engagement in Poland: An institutional approach. Administrative Sciences, 10(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci10010005
Parkinson, C., & Howorth, C. (2008). The language of social entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 20(3), 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985620701800507
Scherer, F. M., & Ross, D. (1990). Industrial market structure and economic performance. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Academy for Entrepreneurial Leadership Historical Research Reference in Entrepreneurship. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1496716
Shepherd, D. A., Patzelt, H., & Haynie, J. M. (2010). Entrepreneurial spirals: Deviation–amplifying loops of an entrepreneurial mindset and organizational culture. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00313.x
Shockley, G., & Frank, P. M. (2011). Schumpeter, Kirzner, and the field of social entrepreneurship. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 2(1), 6–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2010.544924.
Short, J. C., Moss, T. W., & Lumpkin, G. T. (2009). Research in social entrepreneurship: Past contributions and future opportunities. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 3(2), 161–194. https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.69.
Spear, R. (2001). United Kingdom: A wide range of social enterprises. In C. Borzaga, & J. Defourny (Eds.), The Emergence of Social Enterprise (pp. 312–332). Routledge.
Steyaert, C., & Hjorth, D. (Eds.) (2008). Movements in entrepreneurship. Vol. 3: Entrepreneurship as social change. Cheltenham. Edward Elgar.
Sulphey, M. M., & Alkahtani, N. (2017). Economic security and sustainability through social entrepreneurship: The current Saudi scenario. Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues, 6(3), 479–490. http://dx.doi.org/10.9770/jssi.2017.6.3(12)
Thompson, J., Alvy, G., & Lees, A. (2000). Social entrepreneurship: A new look at the people and the potential. Management Decision, 38(5), 328–338. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740010340517
Weerawardena, J., & Mort, S. G. (2006). Investigating social entrepreneurship: A multidimensional model. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 21–35.
Young, D. R. (1983). If not for profit, for what? Lexington Books.
Zahra, S. A., Rawhouser, H. N., Bhawe, N., Neubaum, D. O., & Hayton, J. C. (2008). Globalization of social entrepreneurship opportunities. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 2(2), 117-131. https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.43
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Social Entrepreneurship Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.