scholarly journals Catalysing innovation for social impact: The role of social enterprises in the Indian sanitation sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 216-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shyama V. Ramani ◽  
Shuan SadreGhazi ◽  
Suraksha Gupta
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Bellucci ◽  
Carmela Nitti ◽  
Serena Franchi ◽  
Enrico Testi ◽  
Luca Bagnoli

PurposeThis study aims to assess the effectiveness of social return on investment (SROI) as a measure of the social impact produced by non-profit organisations and social enterprises that support family-centred care, an approach that focuses on the pivotal role of families in paediatric health care.Design/methodology/approachThe study offers an analytical evaluation of the SROI created by the Italian branch of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and highlights (a) the participatory analysis of stakeholders and outcomes; (b) the measurement of inputs; (c) the definition of outputs and proxies for the measurement of outcomes; (d) the calculation of the SROI ratio; and (e) the results of a sensitivity analysis.FindingsThis study discusses the advantages and shortcomings of SROI analyses, the practical implications of this research on governance and management and the role of engagement in managing the expectations of stakeholders. The value of SROI measurements in shaping strategic and management decisions – with special emphasis on stakeholder relations – is also discussed.Originality/valueNon-profit organisations and social enterprises often require tools that assess the outcomes of their activities. The present research can provide new guidance to SROI analysts, while drawing attention to the most suitable proxies and indicators for evaluating the SROI of organisations operating in the health care sector.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Bacq ◽  
Laurel F. Ofstein ◽  
Jill R. Kickul ◽  
Lisa K. Gundry

Social entrepreneurs face unique challenges in their dual pursuit of social and financial value creation to address pressing societal problems. While social entrepreneurs' behaviour and actions have been highlighted as an important source of creativity and innovation, this issue has largely been underresearched in the field of entrepreneurship. This paper explores the role of social entrepreneurs' bricolage behaviour in enabling their enterprises to scale their operations. The authors test their hypothesis on a unique database of 123 social enterprises using an online survey. They find a positive relationship between entrepreneurial bricolage and the scaling of social impact. The paper concludes with study implications, post hoc analyses and limitations and directions for future research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 507-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Cheah ◽  
Yuen-Ping Ho

There has been limited study on the role of the startup ecosystem in social entrepreneurship. This article addresses the gap by applying a theoretical framework of startup ecosystem to two social enterprises originating from a Singapore university, examining how they engage with stakeholders to create social impact. WateRoam Pte Ltd is a water innovation startup that deploys cost-effective water filtration solutions to rural communities and disaster-hit locations. Tware is a wearable technology startup with a range of therapeutic products for individuals with autism, stress or anxiety. The two cases provide insights on the ecosystem for social ventures in Singapore. The Finance domain is identified as a potential area of improvement, as there is uncertainty on the appropriate growth trajectory for funding. University incubation and mentor networks are found to be pivotal in extending the Markets domain. Finally, this study highlights the Supports domain in the form of university R&D facilities and accelerator programmes that have been instrumental in strengthening connections. Extending beyond the university context, it is evident that infrastructural resources in the ecosystem are crucial. Policymakers may draw on the experience of countries, like Israel, which have successfully built such support facilities to nurture innovation-based social enterprises.


Author(s):  
Rakhshanda Khan ◽  
Satu Pekkarinen ◽  
Suvi Konsti-Laakso ◽  
Helinä Melkas

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether or not the social enterprises in Finland are in reality socially sustainable. This paper mainly draws on the empirical data gathered from surveys sent to the social enterprises all across Finland. In addition, a part of the data was also collected from four workshops that focused on social enterprises in Finland. The authors' analysis showed that employee participation was highly valued and the employees were given equal opportunities. However, the organisations needed some improvements in terms of their workplace practices. Most of the social enterprises collaborated with businesses, non-governmental organisations and public sector organisations but had little collaboration with universities and research organisations. The role of the social enterprises is still unstable and developing. Their most important role is the employment generation which has had a tremendous positive social impact.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Sutton ◽  
Morven McEachern ◽  
Kevin Kane

Purpose By using the lens of the social enterprise mark (SEM) accreditation which enables social enterprises to “prove” that the interests of people and planet are put before shareholder gain, this study aims to enhance the knowledge of how effectively the social agenda is communicated by higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach By using a qualitative research design, this exploratory study uses a combination of both a focus group and in-depth interviews with HEI holders of the SEM. Findings With a particular focus on University A, this study advances the knowledge around how social agendas and the role of the SEM in particular are used to communicate to HEI employees as a key stakeholder group. Research limitations/implications At the time of this study, fewer SEM accredited HEIs existed, and therefore, the following conclusions are based upon a small select sample of HEIs that held the SEM. Further studies are needed to provide a more representative view of each university’s use of and commitment to the SEM/ Social Enterprise Gold Mark. Practical implications Building on Powell and Osborne’s (2015) observations regarding the role of marketing in social enterprises, the findings of this study offer practical insight into current and or prospective HEI SEM holders as to the role of “social” accreditations, stakeholder perceptions of such marketing initiatives and how they can be used as a vehicle to improve social communications in the future. Originality/value The area of social enterprise and social impact has been evolving in recent decades, but literature in relation to its promotion and communication in the higher education sector remains scant. This study responds to this gap in the literature by providing greater insight into how social agendas and engagement with the SEM, specifically, are communicated by HEIs.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000183922110206
Author(s):  
Christiane Bode ◽  
Michelle Rogan ◽  
Jasjit Singh

Firms increasingly offer employees the opportunity to participate in firm-sponsored social impact initiatives expected to benefit the firm and employees. We argue that participation in such initiatives hinders employees’ advancement in their firms by reducing others’ perceptions of their fit and commitment. Because social impact work is more congruent with female than male gender role stereotypes, promotion rates will be lower for participating men, and male evaluators will be less likely than female evaluators to recommend promotion for male participants. Using panel data on 1,379 employees of a consulting firm, we find significantly lower promotion rates for male participants relative to female participants, female non-participants, and male non-participants. A vignette experiment involving 893 managers shows that lower promotion rates are due to lower perceptions of fit, but not commitment, and greater bias against male participants by male evaluators. Taken together, the results of the two studies suggest that the negative effect of participation on promotion is conditional upon participant and evaluator gender, underscoring the role of gender in evaluation of social impact work. In settings in which decision makers are predominately male, gender beliefs may limit male employees’ latitude to contribute to the firm’s social impact agenda.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
CHERYL HIU-KWAN CHUI ◽  
CHEE HON CHAN ◽  
YANTO CHANDRA

Abstract Policymakers have increasingly embraced social enterprises as a vehicle to create job opportunities for the disadvantaged. However, there is limited research on social enterprises in the context of disability in relation to labour market integration. Drawing on the perspectives of representatives of work integration social enterprises and people with disabilities employed in these enterprises (n=21), this study examines whether and how work integration social enterprises promote inclusion for people with disabilities, and also explores the role of WISEs in enabling people with disabilities to transition into open employment. Thematic analysis revealed three key emergent themes: Cocooned inclusion but not transition; Reinforced normative demarcation; and WISEs as a deflection from institutionalizing proactive disability policy measures. This article argues that, although WISEs were able to provide job opportunities for people with disabilities, their purported function in enabling disabled people to transition into open employment remains constrained by factors beyond their control including prevailing norms and the absence of proactive disability employment measures. This article cautions against the over-romanticisation of WISEs as the primary means to ensure the rights of people with disabilities to participate in the labour market. Implications on disability employment policies in relation to social enterprises are discussed.


Author(s):  
Andres Felipe Camargo Benavides ◽  
Michel Ehrenhard

AbstractFor decades, the cooperative enterprise (CE) produces market goods and/or provides services in the interest to its members, such as communities, customers, and suppliers. The upsurge of interest in social enterprises, and their balancing of social and economic interests, has also led to a renewed interest in CEs, often seen as a specific type of social enterprise. However, from an organizational perspective, this renewed interest has been both limited and scattered over a variety of fields. In this paper, we systematically review papers on CE in the mainstream organizational literature, defined as literature in the fields of economics, business, management and sociology. Our review integrates and synthesizes the current topics in the mainstream organizational literature and provides a number of avenues for future research. In addition, we compare our findings in the organizational literature to the social issues literature as these appeared to be quite complimentary. We found multilevel studies, determination of social impact—in particular measurable impact, managerial practices for sustainable (organisational) development, and the entrepreneurial opportunity generation process as the four key avenues for future research.


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