scholarly journals Social enterprise and wellbeing in community life

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Farmer ◽  
Tracy De Cotta ◽  
Katharine McKinnon ◽  
Jo Barraket ◽  
Sarah-Anne Munoz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mental Mapping

Purpose This paper aims to explore the well-being impacts of social enterprise, beyond a social enterprise per se, in everyday community life. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study was used. The study’s underpinning theory is from relational geography, including Spaces of Wellbeing Theory and therapeutic assemblage. These theories underpin data collection methods. Nine social enterprise participants were engaged in mental mapping and walking interviews. Four other informants with “boundary-spanning” roles involving knowledge of the social enterprise and the community were interviewed. Data were managed using NVivo, and analysed thematically. Findings Well-being realised from “being inside” a social enterprise organisation was further developed for participants, in the community, through positive interactions with people, material objects, stories and performances of well-being that occurred in everyday community life. Boundary spanning community members had roles in referring participants to social enterprise, mediating between participants and structures of community life and normalising social enterprise in the community. They also gained benefit from social enterprise involvement. Originality/value This paper uses relational geography and aligned methods to reveal the intricate connections between social enterprise and well-being realisation in community life. There is potential to pursue this research on a larger scale to provide needed evidence about how well-being is realised in social enterprises and then extends into communities.

scholarly journals How can social enterprises impact health and well-being?

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 697-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katy Gordon ◽  
Juliette Wilson ◽  
Andrea Tonner ◽  
Eleanor Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of social enterprise on individual and community health and well-being. It focusses on community food initiatives, their impact on the social determinants of health and the influence of structure on their outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Using an interpretive qualitative approach through case studies focussed on two community food social enterprises, the research team conducted observations, interviews and ad hoc conversations. Findings Researchers found that social enterprises impacted all layers of the social determinants of health model but that there was greater impact on individual lifestyle factors and social and community networks. Impact at the higher socio-economic, cultural and environmental layer was more constrained. There was also evidence of the structural factors both enabling and constraining impact at all levels. Practical implications This study helps to facilitate understanding on the role of social enterprises as a key way for individuals and communities to work together to build their capabilities and resilience when facing health inequalities. Building upon previous work, it provides insight into the practices, limitations and challenges of those engaged in encouraging and supporting behavioural changes. Originality/value The paper contributes to a deeper insight of the use, motivation and understanding of social enterprise as an operating model by community food initiatives. It provides evidence of the impact of such social enterprises on the social determinants of health and uses structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) to explore how structure both influences and constrains the impact of these enterprises.

The social enterprise as a space of well-being: an exploratory case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah-Anne Munoz ◽  
Jane Farmer ◽  
Rachel Winterton ◽  
Jo Barraket
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ethnographic Observation ◽  
Australian Case ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an Australian case study and to explore how social enterprises may be conceptualised as spaces of well-being, that is the ways in which social enterprises, not explicitly delivering health services, may be producing health and well-being benefits for those who come into contact with them. Design/methodology/approach – A case study in Australia is used to explore in depth the mechanisms of well-being production. Data were collected using ethnographic observation, focus groups and walking interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, GIS and the lens of therapeutic assemblage. Findings – The case study social enterprise produces well-being as integration, capability, security and therapy. The social enterprise acts as a therapeutic assemblage with well-being “spoken”, “practiced” and “felt” within the social enterprise. The ways in which well-being is generated are often linked to the productive element of enterprise – and have the potential to contribute to tackling several contemporary health challenges and inequalities relating to, for example, a lack of physical activity and levels of social isolation. Research limitations/implications – This paper draws on a single Australian case study but points to the need for further in-depth work in the area of social enterprise and health. Originality/value – The paper advances our understanding of how social enterprises may be linked to health and well-being. It goes beyond quantification of, for example, number of clients helped, to consider the wider experience of well-being for those who come into contact with social enterprises.

Exploring social entrepreneurial boundary spanning for compassion-triggered opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliada Wosu Griffin-EL
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Entrepreneurial Action ◽  
The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the research question: How does the social entrepreneur’s compassion inform how they engage with their environment to mobilize resources for social entrepreneurial action? Design/methodology/approach The study features a comparative case study analysis of seven high-profile social entrepreneurs within Cape Town, South Africa. Data via in-depth interviews, site visits and archival information and follow-up conversations were collected and then analyzed via thematic coding of qualitative analysis. Findings The findings suggest that compassion is an antecedent for the social entrepreneurial boundary spanning shaped by their orientation toward concern for others’ well-being. Propositions presented offer the groundwork for an emergent theoretical framework of social entrepreneurial boundary spanning. Originality/value The study builds upon the emerging compassion research within social entrepreneurship, extending the conceptualization of compassion to be shapers of the social structure – not just the individual or the organization – in an emerging market context.

Social enterprise and the well-being of young people not in education, employment or training

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Coles
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
County Council ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Budget Cuts ◽  
The Social

This chapter examines how social enterprises can improve the well-being of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). NEET or NEETs refer to young people aged 16–24 who are not in education, employment or training. There are two subcategories of NEETs: unemployed young people (those who are actively seeking work) and economically inactive young people (those who have not actively sought work recently and/or are unable to start work imminently). The chapter first explains what we mean by ‘NEET’, ‘well-being’ and ‘social enterprise’ before providing an overview of the prevalence and make-up of the NEET population. It then considers the risk factors of becoming NEET and the consequences of NEET status, along with the social impact of social enterprises. It also uses the case of the Cambridgeshire County Council in Scotland to show how budget cuts adversely affect NEETs and concludes by emphasising the importance of entrepreneurship for NEETs.

Healing work

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-99
Author(s):  
Sarah V. Suiter ◽  
C. Danielle Wilfong
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Barriers To Employment ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore women’s experiences in one such social enterprise, and to analyze the ways in which this social enterprise supports and/or undermines its employees’ health and well-being. Finding and keeping employment during recovery from addiction is a strong predictor of women’s ability to maintain sobriety and accomplish other important life goals. Many treatment organizations have programs that support job readiness and acquisition; however, less priority is placed on the quality of the workplaces and their consequences for continued health and well-being. Social enterprises that exist for the purpose of employing women in recovery have the potential to be health-promoting workspaces, but understanding how health is supported for this particular population is important. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides an ethnographic account of Light Collective, a social enterprise run by women in recovery from addiction. Data were collected through 2 years of participant observation, 38 interviews and 2 focus groups. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Findings Light Collective provides a health-promoting workplace by keeping barriers to employment low and making work hours and expectations individualized and flexible. Furthermore, the organization creates a setting in which work is developmentally nurturing, provides the opportunity for meaningful mastery and serves to build community amongst women who are often marginalized and isolated in more traditional contexts. Originality/value This study contributes to literature exploring the potential for social enterprises to create health-promoting workplaces by focusing the types of workplace commitments required to support a particularly vulnerable population. This study also explores some of the challenges and contradictions inherent in trying to create health-promoting work environments vis-à-vis the constraints of broader economic systems.

Delineating novel aspects of social enterprise theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Murphy ◽  
Artem Kornetskyy ◽  
Joseph T. Nixon
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ventures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Social ◽  
Enterprise Theory

Purpose Social enterprises are defined in practice in terms of one operational model generating measurable value in more than one of the economic, social and natural/ecological value denomination categories. However, entrepreneurship theory does not generally or explicitly reflect this definition, which has generated confusion about the social enterprise concept. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to social enterprise theory by delineating novel aspects of this definition and their conceptual ramifications. Design/methodology/approach The authors review the social enterprise literature with a focus only on the most original contributions and most distinct research questions. The authors do not explicitly review research on traditional for-profit entrepreneurial ventures, not-for-profit/non-governmental organizations or mainstream social entrepreneurial ventures. Findings The authors offer several implications for social enterprise theory based on practices that are unique to the area but not amenable other areas of entrepreneurship. The contribution is instrumental to establishing social enterprise as a distinct theoretic area. Originality/value By focusing on novel aspects of social enterprise not easily explainable by mainstream theoretic traditions, the authors offer an original contribution to the development of social enterprise theory.

scholarly journals Where social enterprise practitioners draw the line

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pam Seanor ◽  
Michael Bull ◽  
Susan Baines ◽  
Martin Purcell
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Visual Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
The Social ◽  
Words And Images

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer new reflection upon the contested interaction of social enterprises with the public sector. It does this by fore fronting the notions of boundaries, boundary work and boundary objects. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports qualitative research with social enterprise practitioners (from social enterprises and support agencies) in the north of England. Accounts elicited through interviews are combined with visual data in the form of pencil drawings made by practitioners when the authors invited them to respond to and rework diagrammatic models from the literature about the social and economic dimensions of social enterprise. Findings – Participants explained in words and images how normative images of social enterprise depicting linear and static boundaries inadequately represent the complexity of ideas and interactions in their world. Rather, they perceived an iterative process of crossing and re-crossing boundaries, with identities and practices which appeared to shift over time in relation to different priorities. Research limitations/implications – Through participant generated visual data in which social enterprise practitioners literally redrew models from the literature, the paper open space to show movement, transgression and change. Originality/value – This paper is timely as social enterprises are becoming increasingly prominent in the welfare mix. The authors make novel use of conversations and drawings in order to better understand the dynamic and everyday practices of social enterprise within public services. In doing this, the authors also potentially contribute to richer methodological resources for researching the movement of services between sectors.

From nonprofit organization to social enterprise

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1287-1306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunlei Wang ◽  
Zhaowen Duan ◽  
Larry Yu
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Social Entrepreneur ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose This study aims to examine the development of a social enterprise in China’s tourism industry by analyzing the coevolution of the social entrepreneur and the social system. Design/methodology/approach Purposeful sampling was used to select 1kg.org as a single-case study. Semistructured in-depth interviews of three informants were conducted to obtain organization-specific insights. Interview data were analyzed following structuration theory. Secondary data and interviews of other social entrepreneurs and experts were used to support the findings. Research findings were validated using triangulation and member-checking methods. Findings Because of the institutional environment, most nonprofit organizations in China do not have resource independence and clear legal identity. Meanwhile, social enterprise has emerged as a new organizational form with the objective of creating social value through profitable business operations. Practical implications Social enterprise is still in its infancy in China, particularly in the tourism field. This study reveals an innovative and sustainable model for nonprofit organizations in China facing institutional challenges and competitive funding environments. It provides recommendations to policymakers for improving mechanisms to increase social services through social enterprises. Originality/value This study proposes a new conceptual framework for studying social entrepreneurship by adapting structuration theory to address contemporary social and business issues.

scholarly journals Corporate governance practices and outcomes in social enterprises in the UK

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Mswaka ◽  
Olu Aluko
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Mission ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Governance Models ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Enterprise Governance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the growth of social enterprise in the UK in the context of the renewed interest in the creative use of organisations with a social mission to complement public service delivery. Given the impact of globalisation and increased demands for effective social welfare interventions, this paper specifically focuses on the nature and type of social enterprise governance models and how they influence their outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises a mixed method approach involving the complementary use of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Findings – The paper finds that the way in which the social enterprise governance structure is designed ultimately influences its outcomes. In particular, those with stewardship governance models tend to perform better than those with democratic models of governance. This leads to a conclusion that in the social context of the UK, social enterprise should aim for a paradigm shift in the design and selection of governance models. Research limitations/implications – Comparative regional experiences in other regions or social contexts could enrich our understanding of whether these results are applicable across the board. Practical implications – This paper is of potential benefit to researchers and particularly those designing policies for the governance of social enterprise. Originality/value – The study employs innovative analytical theoretical lenses not normally associated with the social economy, namely agency, stewardship and resource dependency theories to provide a more in-depth analysis of the governance of contemporary social enterprise.

Social enterprise in Antebellum America: the case of Nashoba (1824-1829)

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Murphy ◽  
Jack Smothers ◽  
Milorad M. Novicevic ◽  
John H. Humphreys ◽  
Foster B. Roberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moral Conviction ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This paper examines the case of Nashoba, a Tennessee-based social enterprise founded in 1824 by Scottish immigrant Frances Wright. The Nashoba venture intended to diminish the institution of slavery in the USA through entrepreneurial activity over its five years of operation. Design/methodology/approach This study methodology entailed mining primary source data from Wright’s letters; communications with her cofounders and contemporaries; and documentations of enterprise operations. The authors examined these data using social enterprise theory with a focus on personal identity and time-laden empirical aspects not captured by traditional methodologies. Findings The social enterprise concept of a single, self-sustaining model generating more than one denomination of value in a blended form has a deeper history than the literature acknowledges. As an entrepreneur, Wright made strategic decisions in a context of supply-side and demand-side threats to the venture. The social enterprise engaged injustice by going beyond market and state contexts to generate impact in the realms of institutions and non-excludable public goods. Research limitations/implications This study generates two formal implications for the development of new research questions in social enterprise studies. The first implication addresses the relation between social entrepreneurs and their constituencies. The second implication pertains to the effects of macro-level education, awareness and politics on social enterprise performance and impact. The implications herald new insights in social enterprise, such as the limits of moral conviction and the importance of social disruption. Originality/value This paper broadens the current understanding of how social enterprises redress unjust and unethical institutions. It also contributes new insights into social enterprise launch and growth based on shared values within communities and coordinated strategic intentions across communities.

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