Developing Social Entrepreneurship in the EU: A Cross-Country Analysis

Abstract

The development of the European social model rests on the concept of social entrepreneurship. The concept has a significant contribution to the development of the European social economy. Social entrepreneurship has a remarkable potential, through its innovative solutions, to play an indispensable role in the social cohesion of EU Member States.The development of social economy in the EU contributes significantly to employment creation, sustainable growth and a fairer distribution of income and wealth. Thanks to the social sector it is possible to combine profitability and social inclusion and to achieve correspondence between services and needs in the public and private sectors. It is essential that compared to other sectors this one has demonstrated its economic and social potential to better address the economic crisis. Therefore, it is getting more and more support for development in almost all EU countries. However, there are significant differences in the scope and scale of development of social economy within the European Union.The purpose of this study is to examine the state and development of social entrepreneurship based on different national models in six EU countries. The majority of the study is based on the results of the comparative analysis of experts' evaluations occupying different positions in the social economy structure of the following European countries:

From Science to Policy: How to Support Social Entrepreneurship in Croatia

“…The perception of social enterprises as a form of organized economic activity is growing, and the specificity of their purpose implies the need for special legislation, as well as the support of the state and society as a whole. The promotion of social entrepreneurship entails the promotion of wellbeing and contribution of social enterprises to the economic and social development of the country and society and should be based on the best modern communication and information technologies and ideas implemented in various programs and measures (Terziev et al 2020).…”

Scaling up social entrepreneurship to reduce poverty: Exploring the challenges and opportunities through stakeholder engagement

“…Apart from Indonesia, the movement has spread to other countries, such as South Africa and South Africa. To understand social entrepreneurship, we need to define it as a concept that enables the creation of alternative business models that are market-oriented and provide social good (Terziev et al, 2020 ). It is crucial to realize that social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship are fundamentally different.…”

Social Entrepreneurship as a Form of Social Work for the Social Cohesion of Society

“…The concept has made a significant contribution to the development of the European social economy. SE has a remarkable potential, through its innovative solutions, to play an indispensable role in the social cohesion of EU member states (Terziev, 2020).…”