Changes in the Portuguese social economy identified by a social entrepreneurial taxonomy. (20th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ciccarino, Irene; da Silva, Jorge; Rodrigues, Susana
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 376(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-11-20
• Subjects: ocial entrepreneurship -- Social innovation -- Taxonomy -- Portuguese social economy -- Sustainable development; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134268
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Scholars, governments, and society are interested in how entrepreneurship and innovation can help overcome the challenges that humanity is facing. Investment has been done to search new business models for sustainable development. But theory still needs progress to examine and support practice. This paper poses a taxonomy based on the social entrepreneurial theory to offer a classifications structure, helping theoretical consolidation. It also enlarges the research focus by describing changes in the Portuguese social economy, highlighting the relationship between incumbent and new SEIs. The research design relies on several statistical steps to comply with topic complexity and delivery a structure that allows further replication. Exploratory factor and cluster analyses provided the information structure, confirmed by MANOVA and post-hoc tests. A social entrepreneurial initiative (SEI) can be Persistent, Innovative or stuck in the middle., Persistent SEI are the best when the innovation regards risk and cost reduction. If the main goal is to solve a critical social problem or sustain effective social change, the solution will be riskier and more expensive. In that case, Innovative SEIs are the best. It is hard to cut cost and go for innovations simultaneously, so SEIs stuck in the middle tend toward underperformance. Highlights: We pose a taxonomy to classify business models as Persistent, Innovative, or stuck. Exploratory factor analyses and cluster analyses provide the taxonomy structure. MANOVA and post-hoc tests confirm the taxonomy. It highlights incumbent and new initiatives relationship (31.3% increased). The results favor sustainable development to help in solving social problems.