scholarly journals Business Models of Social Enterprises: Insight into Key Components and Value Creation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12750
Author(s):  
Petra C. M. Neessen ◽  
Cosmina L. Voinea ◽  
Els Dobber

The increasing pressure on people to do something for society, in combination with the need for financial turnover in order to survive, is seen as one of the dominant factors for the rise of social enterprises. However, there is still debate on how social enterprises create social value in addition to economic value and how this is reflected in the business model. In this case study research, we investigate how the key components of the business model of social enterprises contribute to the creation of social and economic value. The cases in this research create social and economic value through the mutually interacting operation of key components and their sub-components. This interacting effect focuses on the one hand on the alignment of the internal architecture, market and financial management with the mission. The mission statement serves as a guiding principle. Furthermore, realizing the highest possible profit is not a goal in itself for social entrepreneurs. Generating profit serves the continuity of the company and the realization of social value. We also found that social enterprises can be configured as either market hybrids, blending hybrids, bridging hybrids or coupling hybrids.

Author(s):  
Hale Cide Demir

The intense competition and change by globalization and digitalization in the 21st century have made organizations and people face opportunities, threats, and uncertainty. Digitalization allows new and original business models and thus, presenting changes as a service or benefit to the consumer has become more important. A network is the most powerful instrument of social entrepreneurs or other employees to adapt to the new order. A very important tool of the new order is the blockchain technology which allows more secure, efficient, and trustworthy social enterprises. Social entrepreneurship is the process of establishing social enterprises to create social benefits and the relevant social value is general non-financial effects of programs, organizations, and interferences that include the wellbeing of people and communities, social capital, and the environment. This study tries to define and theorize that the results of digitalization can be managed by increasing social entrepreneurship and the resulting social impact and networking have an easing effect on this method.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 269-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepak Sardana ◽  
Vassiliki Bamiatzi ◽  
Ying Zhu

ABSTRACTNowadays social entrepreneurship is recognized as a two-way process, addressing both social and economic concerns that can bring social inclusion, equity, and development to disadvantaged groups in society. This aspect is particularly important and desirable within emerging economies. In these markets, which are constantly faced with profound economic and social challenges, we see the growing importance of social entrepreneurs as they take upon themselves the provision of welfare services and progressive activities. However, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the creation of social and economic values in social enterprises, and the factors contributing to the establishment of these value creation objectives, is still rather fragmented. Our article contributes to this gap in the literature by decoding the process via which for-profit social entrepreneurs from China and India create social and economic value. In addition, by combining a deductive and an inductive approach of analysis, we offer novel insights into the context-dependent processual patterns deciphered within the two countries. A new entrepreneurial process framework that reflects the contextualized social value creation process by social entrepreneurs is thus provided.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Herman T. Wevers ◽  
Cosmina L. Voinea

Little is known about how social enterprises and social start-ups compete with the bigger players on the market. It could be reasoned that social start-ups gain an advantage by the deployment of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) elements from the early beginning as a part of their core competences. The aim of this paper is to investigate if CSR elements can be a core competence and how they can contribute to the robustness of the business models of social start-ups. Data was gathered by conducting a case study and interviewing four social entrepreneurs in the first half of 2017. The data was analyzed with the help of a framework built upon the CSR pyramid, the business case for CSR and the Canvas business model. The main findings show that the CSR elements economic, ethical and discretionary responsibilities can be a core competence for social start-ups. Moreover, CSR elements can play an important role in the design of social business models. Especially the deployment of interrelationships between the CSR elements seems to be effective in designing a robust  business model of a social start-up.


Author(s):  
Valentyna Smachylo ◽  
Elizaveta Popova ◽  
Ihor Plichko

Modern transformations of economic systems involve the socialization of business processes, which requires business representatives to adapt and form not only economic, consumer, but also social value in the process of their activities. Social entrepreneurship is actively spreading in our country, based on both traditional Ukrainian practices of patronage and modern business models that are actively used in Western scientific thought. The lack of a legally regulated understanding of social entrepreneurship does not prevent the development of this activity in both scientific and practical senses. At the same time, the issue of choosing a business model of a social enterprise and providing it with resources remains open and relevant, including and human. The study analyzed the labor market, namely: the number of unemployed, unemployed in terms of age and gender, place of residence and causes of unemployment. Official statistics and statistical analysis methods were used. General scientific methods of analysis and synthesis were also used, abstract-logical - for theoretical generalization, formation of conclusions and recommendations, determination of the essential load of basic categories. This study analyzed the business model of social enterprises and found that most social entrepreneurs choose a model based on the inclusion of socially vulnerable groups in the labor market. The analysis of the structure of the unemployed and the unemployed allowed to form a portrait of a potential participant of a social entrepreneurship entity - a woman aged 15-34 and 40-49, who is unemployed or excluded from the labor market, and a man aged 15-29 and 40. -59 years; significant potential for employment and inclusion among socially vulnerable groups has been identified - 3244.0 thousand people. It is noted that when managing the personnel of social enterprises it is advisable to rely on the theory of generations, which takes into account the age of labor. Further research involves the development of recommendations for personnel management of social enterprises, taking into account the theory of generations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Byungchae Jin

AbstractThe hybridity of social enterprises – that is to say, their simultaneous pursuit of both economic and social value – has increasingly drawn the attention of scholars in the fields of social entrepreneurship and, more broadly, entrepreneurship. To date, there has been significant debate as to whether or how social enterprises are distinct from for- and non profit organizations and whether generating economic rents and achieving a social mission can complement or substitute for each other. To add nuance to this literature, this study focuses on the role of social entrepreneurs’ practical intelligence, seeking to understand how the practical intelligence of social entrepreneurs can contribute to creating both economic and social value. We generally find positive relationships between practical intelligence and the creation of both social and economic value. However, empirical evidence suggests that some dimensions of practical intelligence are closely related to the creation of economic value, whereas others are related to creating social value. Based on the findings, we discuss how practical intelligence can effectively help social entrepreneurs manage the hybridity of their social enterprises.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Cucari ◽  
Eugenio D’Angelo ◽  
Eduardo Esposito ◽  
Maria Vincenza Ciasullo

AbstractSocial entrepreneurship (SE) has gained prominence in recent years, becoming a primary field of study and providing rich research opportunities that are both challenging and intriguing. This paper seeks to fill the knowledge gap in this field by improving the understanding of business models of SE and, more specifically, investigating how social entrepreneurs design their business models in order to create both social and economic value. Using the abductive approach method, the paper explores a single case study that enquires about the business model of the social enterprise named “La Paranza Cooperative”, located in southern Italy and operating in the cultural heritage industry. Our main theoretical contribution lies in illustrating and formalising the ambidexterity perspective through which social enterprises simultaneously pursue goals that are apparently contradictory, such as economic and social ones. Furthermore, on the practical side, we assess the win–win managerial mechanisms that benefit social enterprises through their external environment as a bundle of distinctive resources while contributing to its requalification. Finally, our explorative study opens-up for deeper and more detailed future research on the business model of SE.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olu Oludele Akinloye Akinboade ◽  
Trevor Taft ◽  
Johann Friedrich Weber ◽  
Obareng Baldwin Manoko ◽  
Victor Sannyboy Molobi

Purpose This paper aims to understand social entrepreneurship (SE) business model design to create values whilst undertaking public service delivery within the complex environments of local governments in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach Face-to-face semi-structured interview was conducted with 15 purposively selected social entrepreneurs in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces. The interview guide consisted of main themes and follow-up questions. Themes included SEs’ general history, the social business model; challenges faced and how these were overcome; scaling and growth/survival strategies. These enabled the evaluation of SEs in terms of identifying key criteria of affordability, availability, awareness and acceptability, which SEs must achieve to operate successfully in low-income markets. Social enterprise owners/managers within the electricity distribution, water reticulation and waste management services sectors were surveyed. Findings Most respondents focus on building a network of trust with stakeholders, through communication mechanisms that emphasize high-frequency engagements. There is also a strong focus on design-thinking and customer-centric approaches that strengthen value creation. The value creation process used both product value and service value mechanisms and emphasized quality and excellence to provide stakeholder, as well as societal value, within their specific contexts. Practical implications This study builds upon other research that emphasizes SEs’ customer-centric approaches to strengthen value creation and on building a network of trust with multiple stakeholders. It contributes to emphasizing the business paradigm shift towards bringing social values to the business practice. Social implications Social good, but resource providers are demanding more concrete evidence to help them understand their impact (Struthers, 2013). This is because it is intrinsically difficult for many social organizations to document and communicate their impact in more than an anecdotal way. The research has contributed to the understanding of how SEs can provide evidence of value creation. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of how business models are designed to create value within the context of the overwhelming complexity of local government services in South Africa.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cinzia Battistella ◽  
Maria Cagnina ◽  
Lucia Cicero ◽  
Nadia Preghenella

Despite the high number of active small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in all sectors, current studies have barely developed investigations on the sustainability of their business models so far. The aim of this study was thus to bridge the gap between sustainable business models of SMEs in the service industry, to uncover the challenges that SMEs face when seeking business model reconfiguration toward sustainability. More specifically, the empirical investigation adopted a case study research design in the context of yacht tourism, as one business form among many within the tourism industry and thus within the broader category of the service industry. Interviews were conducted with seven European SMEs, whose business models were analyzed through the lens of the triple bottom line and sustainability challenges in their business models. The results display a varied typology of case studies, where business model components reveal diverse expressions of facing sustainability challenges. The work discusses reported findings with a cross-case comparison among detected business models and outlines a list of propositions for sustainable business models of SMEs. The paper contributes in continuing the discourse on sustainable business models, adopting the perspective of the challenges for SMEs and offers food for thought for managers of SMEs in comparing their own business with the identified business model types.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 7864
Author(s):  
Sophie Adams ◽  
Donal Brown ◽  
Juan Pablo Cárdenas Álvarez ◽  
Ruzanna Chitchyan ◽  
Michael J. Fell ◽  
...  

In recent years, numerous studies have explored the opportunities and challenges for emerging decentralized energy systems and business models. However, few studies have focussed specifically on the economic and social value associated with three emerging models: peer-to-peer energy trading (P2P), community self-consumption (CSC) and transactive energy (TE). This article presents the findings of a systematic literature review to address this gap. The paper makes two main contributions to the literature. Firstly, it offers a synthesis of research on the social and economic value of P2P, CSC and TE systems, concluding that there is evidence for a variety of sources of social value (including energy independence, local benefits, social relationships, environmental responsibility and participation and purpose) and economic value (including via self-consumption of renewable electricity, reduced electricity import costs, and improved electricity export prices). Secondly, it identifies factors and conditions necessary for the success of these models, which include willingness to participate, participant engagement with technology, and project engagement of households and communities, among other factors. Finally, it discusses conflicts and trade-offs in the value propositions of the models, how the three models differ from one another in terms of the value they aim to deliver and some of the open challenges that require further attention by researchers and practitioners.


Author(s):  
Francisca Castilla-Polo ◽  
Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez ◽  
M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández ◽  
María del Consuelo Ruiz-Rodríguez

Nowadays, and more than never, businesses´ stakeholders are demanding Social Responsibility (SR) and innovation. In this situation, any business is concerned about how to implement social and innovative practices in creating economic and social value at the same time. This chapter analyzes the relationship between SR and innovation in cooperatives. On the one hand, even acknowledging that the degree of implementation of SR is still different in companies, cooperatives seem to be responsible by nature. However, on the other hand, traditionally innovation has been not a visible strength in the cooperative enterprises. The focus is centered on a specific place: the olive oil cooperatives in the south of Spain and we will describe the cooperative entrepreneurial ecosystem created around this territory, demonstrating how SR and innovation are important features related to competitiveness and success. Cooperatives are strategic business models able to foster development in traditional rural areas, so we can define them as an entrepreneurial ecosystem in smart territories.


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