Paths out of poverty: Social entrepreneurship and sustainable development

Abstract

Poverty reduction in rural areas is an important development goal concerned by the international community, but the traditional poverty-reduction methods have certain drawbacks. Social entrepreneurship, with its innovative way to solve social problems, has gradually become a new sustainable development path to solve rural poverty. Using the case study method, this paper analyzes the social entrepreneurship process of 9 enterprises and the process mechanism of solving the rural poverty problem based on the identification and development of social opportunities. Our analysis suggests that social entrepreneurship is the process of identification, development and realization of social opportunities. Multidimensional rural poverty creates different social opportunities, including social opportunities in social, economic and ecological poverty. Enterprises integrate farmers into their value chain to develop and realize social opportunities, which is a sustainable means of poverty alleviation. In theory, we propose a conceptual framework for the sustainable development of social entrepreneurship and enriches the research on the process of realizing social opportunities in social entrepreneurship. In practice, we provide a sustainable development ideas for rural areas.

Prosocial motives of solar entrepreneurs combating energy poverty in South Africa

“…As of 2020, 112 REIPPP projects had been awarded in Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda (Zhang et al, 2022). As such, a study by Kooijman-van Dijk and Clancy (2010) finds that access to electricity boosts self-employment in home businesses.…”

“…Also, SEs include farmers in the value chain, mobilize people to actively participate in poverty alleviation, and combine local external and internal resources to improve local‐level predicaments in education, employment, medical care, and green energy. This will have long‐term rather than short‐term positive impacts on many aspects of the local economy, society and ecology, and in the end fulfill the mission of solving energy and overall poverty (Zhang et al, 2022).…”

“…Traditional projects have sought to benefit low‐income households by addressing energy poverty and/or by selling the electricity generated to the grid company. Such programs have been established in sub‐Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda (Zhang et al, 2022). As such, a study by Kooijman‐van Dijk and Clancy (2010) finds that access to electricity boosts self‐employment in home businesses.…”

Sustainable entrepreneurship out of entrepreneurial opportunity identification: The mediating role of psychological capital

“…According to Luthans et al ( 2007a ), PC is related to individuals' positive progress, consisting of self-sufficiency, optimism, hope, and resilience. Originally, as a psychological construct in the field of organizational management, previous studies have concentrated mainly on the positive relationship between PC and employees' engagement, employees' innovative intention, job satisfaction, business excellence, and organizational performance (Luthans et al, 2007b ; Nolzen, 2018 ; Alshebami, 2021 ; Saleem et al, 2022 ; Zhang et al, 2022 ). Entrepreneurs' mental states and entrepreneurial ideas play a key role in their entrepreneurial decisions; hence, the effects of PC on entrepreneurial activity may also exist in the field of business (e.g., Baluku et al, 2016 ; Su et al, 2020 ; Xie et al, 2022 ).…”

“…As a main driver of socioeconomic growth, innovation, employment, and tackling poverty (Shane and Venkataraman, 2000 ; Abdelwahed, 2022 ; Zhang et al, 2022 ), theoretically and practically, entrepreneurship has become an important issue to be dealt with. Previous studies highlighted that intentions are seen as a key factor in predicting potential entrepreneurs' decisions (Schlaegel and Koenig, 2013 ; Donaldson, 2019 ; Antončič and Auer Antončič, 2023 ; Yang et al, 2023 ).…”