From Social Sustainability to Social Entrepreneurship

Author(s):  
Kerem Toker

Despite the discussion of social sustainability, which has been a crucial component of sustainable development for decades, unfortunately, the desired successful outcomes have not been realized in practice. This failure caused the need to examine the concept of social sustainability differently than ever before. Social entrepreneurship is a valuable tool to meet this need. Concordantly, this chapter purposes to evaluate the relations between social sustainability and social entrepreneurship by comprehensively analyzing them. Discussing this relationship and proposing a new perspective will support overcome theoretical dilemmas and practical struggles. Therefore, the concept of sustainability was explained in detail through a wide literature review, and then the concept of social entrepreneurship was examined, and links, similarities, and gaps were revealed between the two concepts. As a result, the effective implementation of social sustainability policies depends on the social impact and value created by social entrepreneurship.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 00001
Author(s):  
Agusta Ika Prihanti ◽  
Tri Kuntoro Priyambodo ◽  
Bayu Sutikno ◽  
Hendrie Adji Kusworo

There is a synergistic potential between heritage and tourism which can offer a type of special interest tourism. However, despite the potential, it also brings out conflicts that result in negative socio-cultural impacts. Therefore, sustainability issues should be considered in developing heritage tourism. There are three dimensions incorporate in Sustainable Development, which are environment, economic, and social. As sustainable tourism was derived from sustainable development, thus the three dimensions of sustainable development are also applied in sustainable tourism development, especially in sustainable heritage tourism. Generally, the relationships between the three aspects of sustainable development are assumed to be compatible and mutually supportive. However, among the three dimensions of sustainable development, social sustainability is the least developed and often is proposed in relation to ecological or economic sustainability. There have been efforts to address and incorporate the social dimension of sustainability into standard setters, planners, and practitioners in many diverse areas such as forest certification, organic agriculture, conventional agriculture, urban and regional planning, corporate social and environmental management, reporting, and responsibility and fair-trade certification. However, there are still few studies of the social dimension in tourism development. To achieve sustainable tourism development, we cannot neglect the social dimension and only focuses on the economic and environmental dimensions. Social sustainability is not absolute or constant which has to be considered as a dynamic concept, which will change over time in a place. The purpose of this study exploring the key aspects of sustainable tourism development social dimension which is linked to theoretical and on how we should define and understand the fluid concept of the social dimension in tourism sustainability that can also be applied in heritage tourism. This research is using a systematic literature review to identify social dimension aspects or themes of sustainable development, sustainable tourism development, and sustainable heritage tourism. The preliminary findings show that there are few studies of the social dimension of sustainable tourism development. Therefore, it is rather difficult to obtain related articles of the social dimension, especially in the tourism subject fields. To this point, 160 works of literature were obtained and after screening, assessing, and selecting against the criteria for eligibility, there were 19 pieces of literature selected. Selected literature was reviewed to explore how the social dimension aspect in sustainable development debates is variously understood and how it constructs a social pillar. This research compiles a cross-disciplinary major theoretical concept from sustainable development, sustainable tourism development, heritage tourism, political sociology, economic theory, social theory, governance, and urban development to build a new multi-dimensional inquiry into the subject of social sustainability. Thus, this research gives a comprehension of the aspects of social sustainability which contributes to the improvement of the fluid concept of social tourism sustainability, especially in heritage tourism.


2021 ◽  
pp. 251512742110219
Author(s):  
Angela E. Addae ◽  
Cheryl Ellenwood

As boundaries between the business and social sectors dissolve, social entrepreneurship has emerged as a phenomenon that bridges two worlds previously divided. Now, social entrepreneurs embrace market-based tools to address society’s greatest challenges. Coinciding with the growth of the sector, students and researchers have sought to understand development, growth strategies, and the practical challenges related to social entrepreneurship. In turn, universities have bolstered social entrepreneurship education by creating academic offerings that emphasize business, social impact, and innovation. Still, social entrepreneurship education remains in its infancy. Courses are as varied as the field itself, and instructors routinely rely on their professional backgrounds and networks to develop curricula that explore the field’s multifaceted character. Thus, social entrepreneurship courses are diverse across disciplines, and the academic literature theorizing the phenomenon is similarly emergent. As social entrepreneurship courses combine theoretical insights with experiential learning in a myriad of ways, aligning theoretical insights with necessary core competencies presents a challenge. To address this dilemma, we highlight the importance of employing theory-driven concepts to develop core competencies in social entrepreneurship students. In doing so, we review key threshold concepts in the social entrepreneurship literature and suggest how instructors might link theoretical insights to practical skill sets.


Author(s):  
Irene Liliana Bahena-Álvarez ◽  
Eulogio Cordón-Pozo ◽  
Alejandro Delgado-Cruz

Responsible innovation combines philanthropic and economic aspects and it is common to refer to entrepreneurs who lead it as "social entrepreneurs". The present study of 100 Mexican SMEs, provides knowledge of exploratory nature about what the models of organization are conducive to SMEs in the generation and development of responsible innovations. Through the statistical technique of cluster analysis, this study identified and characterized four models of organization according to the level of social entrepreneurship reached: (1) “The techno-scientific organization”, (2) “The techno-social organization”, (3) “The capitalist-social organization” and (4) “The capitalist organization”. While in Europe the dominant discourse about responsible innovation focuses on the control of the risk of social rejection of the advance of science and technology; in contexts such as the Mexican, the phenomenon is configured as the mechanism through which entrepreneurs articulate its technological and scientific capabilities to solve priority and specific problems of the society, however, the social impact does not crucially affect their business initiatives. The techno-scientific organization (50% of studied SMEs) is proposed as the model of organization with greater viability for Mexican entrepreneurs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Ayman K. Abdelgadir ◽  
Omer A. Abu Elzein ◽  
Faris Hameed

Sustainable development and sustainable housing indicators are a response to the trend of adopting sustainable development objectives, adopted by most countries, especially developed and less developed countries. It is difficult to implement indicators developed for a developing country context in other contexts with different social, economic and environmental conditions. Social sustainability is the most important priority regarding evaluating the housing development projects in the developed and less developed countries. Economic conditions is linked in many aspects to the social sustainability indicators. Environmental indicators are important, but the less developed countries in general has a very low environmental foot prints, this is because the industry sector is usually week comparing to the developed countries. This paper reviews the sustainable housing indicators, with a focus on United Nations reports and indicators developed for contexts similar to study area, without ignoring the most reputable indicators developed for developing countries context. The research came with a set of indicators reflects the social priorities of the new housing development in Sudan. A questionnaire participants decided the relative important of each indicator and also the importance of the parameters of each indicator. Developing a set of social priorities for Sudan will give extra efficiency in promoting and assessing sustainability in the study area. Description of the questionnaire results which reflects the national social sustainable housing development priorities are discussed. The researches came with a set of recommendations to enhance the social aspects for new housing development projects in Sudan. Using this set of priorities and recommendations will give extra efficiency in promoting and assessing sustainability in the study area.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Räikkönen ◽  
Susanna Kunttu ◽  
Teuvo Uusitalo ◽  
Josu Takala ◽  
Shah Rukh Shakeel ◽  
...  

Abstract Investments towards sustainable development are vital for the future and they must be carefully planned to deliver immediate and long-term benefits. Hence, the ability to communicate the forms of impact of sustainable investments to local societies, people, investors and other stakeholders can provide a competitive advantage. However, the assessments are often under pressure to demonstrate short-term effects rather than emphasise the long-term impact. In addition, indirect and intangible forms of impacts should not be measured solely in economic terms. This paper proposes an assessment framework to support the integrated economic and social impact assessment of sustainable investments aimed at improving physical and socio-economic wellbeing. The framework is demonstrated in two case studies: new construction and renovation investments in affordable housing and social impact investment in sustainable development. The investments in the case studies are evaluated, selected and prioritized not only in terms of money but also with regard to sustainability, social acceptability and their overall impact on society, as a whole. The results indicate that a systematic integrated assessment of monetary and non-monetary factors can be successfully combined with the sustainable development decisions.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Silva ◽  
Margarida Rodrigues ◽  
Mário Franco ◽  
Cidália Oliveira ◽  
Nuno Sousa

Purpose Using self-determination theory and individual social responsibility’s (ISRs) association with pure social entrepreneurship, this study aims to answer the following question: How and why have the different actors responded to the crisis caused by the pandemic? Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research (multiple case studies) was adopted, resorting to interviewees with seven economic and non-economic actors in the Portugal context. Findings The results obtained, using MAXQDA software, show that those carrying out actions of social responsibility have a high degree of self-determination and intrinsic motivation, and are true social entrepreneurs, which lets them improve the well-being of those around them. In addition, these individuals feel good about themselves by performing these actions, as they measure their performance by the social impact of their actions on society in general. Practical implications This study suggest there is a high awareness amongst people to exercise that responsibility in a voluntary way, through humanitarian initiatives and campaigns brought about especially by an unprecedented pandemic. In practice, people joining these initiatives motivate many others towards the causes, creating the will to continue in the future and satisfy unmet needs provoked by social crises. Originality/value This study is innovative because it is related to filling the gaps identified, mainly by carrying out an empirical study about ISR, rather than that of firms, where studies are more common.


Author(s):  
John P. Wilson ◽  
Sonal Choudhary

Sustainability accounting has become a mainstream practice for a large majority of S&P500 companies, and this reflects global society's increasing interest and concern around sustainability issues. In particular, the United Nations published its “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” and 193 countries signed up to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets. The UN also called upon companies to help this process across their supply chains and developed a natural capital protocol for assessing and valuing environmental areas and a social capital protocol (SCP) for assessing and valuing human and societal capital such as skills, knowledge, wellbeing, shared values, and institutions. This chapter systematically investigates each of the 12 steps of the social capital protocol and identifies a range of benefits and substantial challenges which companies will face if they wish to account for their social impact across the supply chain.


Author(s):  
Jorge Colvin Díez ◽  
José Manuel Saiz-Alvarez

The social entrepreneur has been analyzed from many perspectives, either from its social impact, its proposed social value, or its direct or indirect action. This chapter attempts to analyze the entrepreneur from a new approach: the perspective of the leader. Therefore, the question arises: is leadership in social entrepreneurs an evolutionary process or not? Is it a natural ability or a learned technique? Is the social entrepreneur a leader born or made? To answer this, [1] we will analyze the main contemporary theories of leadership from two different paradigms (Colvin, 2013), [2] we will define new concepts in the world of social entrepreneurship, [3] we will establish a life cycle of strategic leadership promoted by the social entrepreneur focused on his or her organization in order to serve as a seed for the intended social impact.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Annalise John ◽  
Elizabeth Gamarra ◽  
Melissa Bird ◽  
Rachel L. Wright ◽  
Caren J. Frost

The health of women is a crucial component to family and community wellbeing. However, social work scholars have not been very engaged in research pertaining to the health needs of women. With the Grand Challenges of Social Work becoming a major element for national discussion and with the revision of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) in 2015, we wondered how connected the 12 Grand Challenges and the 17 SDGs were. We searched the social work literature from 2005 to present to identify what salient publications were available about women’s health and then connected them to the current themes of the Grand Challenges and SDGs. There are no more articles to review in the social work literature. Using a feminist social work framework, we summarize the topics covered in these articles and define a call to action for more scholarly work on women’s health in the context of current national and global conversations about this social justice issue.


2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Popovic ◽  
Andrzej Kraslawski

Social impact as growing concern is becoming an important aspect of the design and operation of wastewater treatment processes. A need has arisen for the development of quantitative indicators of social sustainability. Design and operation of wastewater treatment processes additionally require simple and effective methods to represent and understand the interconnections between the indicators of social sustainability. This paper presents an approach for the development of quantitative social sustainability indicators, and introduces a novel method for defining and visualizing indicator interdependence. It outlines equations for quantitative evaluation of health, safety and security, and comfort. Weighting method of the bipartite network of the relations between the indicators and stakeholders enables clear visualization of the interdependencies of the indicators and facilitates simplification of the set of social sustainability criteria. It creates a basis for reduction of amount of data needed for performing the analysis and reducing the social sustainability assessment’s costs.


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