A

MINI PROJECT
ON
Social Entrepreneurship as a Path for
Social Change and Driver of Sustainable
Development

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR

THE AWARDED OF DEGREE OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Session -: 2024-2025

SUBMITTED TO:- SUBMITTED BY:-

Mrs. Avinash Dikshit Priyanshu Yadav
[ Head of Department ] MBA 1nd Semester
(Department of Management Studies)

1
 DECLARATION

I am Priyanshu Yadav here by declare that the project report on “Social

Entrepreneurship as a Path for Social Change and Driver of Sustainable
Development” with reference to “Social Entrepreneurship for Social Change
And Development Creation” prepared by me under the guidance of
Mrs. Avinash Dikshit Assistant Professor Of Management,.

I also declare that this project report is towards the partial fulfillment of the
university regulations for the award of the degree of MASTER OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION by RAJ SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT & SCIENCES.

Date :-

Place :- Varanasi
Aman Singh

2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the present world, there is a high competition in which,

those who are willing to move forward in spite of all hurdles,
succeed. A project to conduct a study, in this aspect serves as a
bridge between theoretical principles and practical working. The
success and final outcome of this project required a lot of
guidance and assistance from many people and we are extremely
privileged to have got all this along the completion of our
project
We owe our deepest gratitude to Mrs. Avinash Dikshit , Assistant
Professor, who motivated us to conduct this study by
imparting asound theoretical basis and supervised our
work.
We also thank our friends whose names could not be
mentioned, for supporting us and providing us with valuable
information for the completion of this project.

5
Abstract:

Social entrepreneurship has been recognized as a tool to attain sustainable

development. This paper highlights the role of social entrepreneurship in
triggering social change and attaining sustainable development. The paper
contributes significantly to the existing literature by conducting a
systematic review of extant works. To this end, we analyzed and reviewed
173 research papers from the Web of Science database. The results are
presented in the form of descriptive findings and thematic discussion. The
paper concludes by setting up the agenda for future researchers in the field.

6
 Table contents

1. Introduction………………………………………. 1.

2. Objective…………………………………………..3.

3. Research Methodology……………………………5.

4. Result and Discussion……………………………..10.

5. Suggetion…………………………………………..45.

6. Conclusion…………………………………………47.

7. Bibliography……………………………………….50.

8. Refrences…………………………………………..54.

9. Questinnaire……………………………………….58.

7
1. Introduction
Academic interest in sustainable development is growing significantly. Researchers are
approaching the subject of sustainable development from various contexts. In that
course, the concepts of social entrepreneurship and sustainable development are also
crossing paths . Social entrepreneurs have been understood as change agents who employ
entrepreneurial means for providing systemic solutions to social and environmental
problems. while also ensuring their own survival and sustainability . Recent literature on
social entrepreneurship focuses on the relevance of small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) and entrepreneurship for economic development . In developing countries where
resources are scarce and banks and financial institutions are reluctant to lend financial support
to SMEs, the governments have an even larger role to play by providing sources of
financing for SME development . While lack of resources is considered to be the major
barrier or hindrance to responsible business practices in SMEs, resource-poor entrepreneurs
are looking for innovative business models in order to sustain themselves . Considerable
attention has been devoted to sustainable development supporting social, economic
and environmental aspects . To recognize opportunities for sustainable development,
entrepreneurial knowledge and innovative abilities play a key role . The innovative
power of entrepreneurs has an important part in ensuring a more sustainable future.
Entrepreneurs are, therefore, recognized as the engines of sustainable development .
While entrepreneurs are considered as vehicles for meeting (currently) unmet social
needs, the academic discourse on how this process will
actually unfold has been sparse .
The present paper consolidates the developments in extant literature on the contribution of
social entrepreneurship towards sustainable development through systematic review
methodology and suggests the agenda for future researchers in the field. The paper
contributes to the literature of social entrepreneurship as well as sustainable development in
a novel way by providing ready reference of the extant literature to the potential
researchers in both fields. In a specific way, we combine the research outcomes and
parameters of the extant literature in six categories. These include the studies.
focusing on (a) innovation and technology adopted by the social entrepreneurs; (b)
contribution of social entrepreneurs towards rural and community development and
urbanization; (c) social, economic and environmental considerations of the social
entrepreneurs; (d) financing and crowdfunding patterns in social entrepreneurs; (e) women
entrepreneurs; and (f) corporate social responsibility performed by the social entrepreneurs.
We also identify parameters within each category being addressed by the extant literature;
and the objectives studied, methodologies employed, and findings of the important studies
within the six categories. Finally, we highlight research directions in the field by indicating
the following research questions for future researchers.

RQ1: What are the major themes and sub-themes identified and discussed by extant

8
literature studying social entrepreneurship in the context of sustainable development?
RQ2: Which methodological approaches have been employed by the extant literature to
study social entrepreneurs in the context of sustainable development?
RQ3: What are the gaps in existing literature studying social entrepreneurship in the
context of sustainable development; and what are the potential focus areas for future
research in the field?

The paper is organized as follows. The present section introduces the ideation of
the paper and the research questions; the second section outlines the methodology applied
for this review; the third section presents the descriptive findings and thematic analysis
of the papers under reference; the fourth section concludes and suggests the research
agenda for future research in the field.

9
1. Research Methodology

The methodology of this paper is inspired by Tranfield, Denyer, and Smart ,

Jabbour ; Junior and Filho ; Sharma, Aryan, Singh, and Kaur ; Talan and Sharma .
We use the Web of Science database to conduct our search using the BOOLEAN
criteria. Web of Science provides access to multidisciplinary research which allows for
in-depth examination of particular sub-fields within an academic or scientific discipline .
To answer the research questions specified in the Introduction, we have conducted a
comprehensive systematic review of the literature. Following their initial application in
medical research, systematic reviews have been widely used in the fields of economics
and management, due to their ability to improve the quality of review process and
establish a systematic, clear and duplicable literature review . Systematic reviews
involve detailed examination of each paper considering their abstract, introduction,
methods, findings and conclusions , thereby highlighting the major trends and results
from the existing literature and providing directions for future research . In systematic
reviews, where a typical number of papers are inspected, the researcher specifies the
Boolean query to find relevant papers . The usage of BOOLEAN criteria has become
much prevalent across disciplines in recent times . Boolean is used to structure a query,
that is easily replicable and editable, and for more control in retrieving plurals and
different spellings that result in stronger and more precise searches . The papers that
match the query are retrieved and inspected but those which do not match the query are
never viewed regardless of their relevance .
A systematic search was conducted (on 1 March 2018) in the Web of Science (WoS)
database to identify all peer-review papers using the following BOOLEAN:
TS= ((social*) AND ((entrepreneur*) OR (entrepreneurial*) OR
(entrepreneurship*) AND (“sustainable development”).

The query led to 176 papers, which were further evaluated as per the procedure
exhibited in Figure 1. To begin with, non-English papers were rejected. We came down
to a list of 175 papers, out of which two papers were doubtful, so the papers were
reassessed and finally rejected as they were not directly related to the study. Afterwards, a
final list of 173 papers was obtained (Supplementary Materials). After collecting and
screening the research papers, we categorized and coded them to have an overall view of
the studies on social entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

10
 Figure 1. Search and selection process

The classification includes seven major subjects, numbered from one to seven, and
coded using alphabetical letters that go from A to I. Table 1 depicts the categorization
framework and codes.

Table 1. The framework for categorizing and coding the studies analyzed.

Catego Meaning Codes for Alternatives

ry
Year-wise publications
1. 1992–2018
and citations
A Developed countries
-
B- Developing
2. Coverage countries or
emerging
economies
C No specific coverage
-
A- Europe
B- North
C- America
3. Geographical coverage
D- Asia
E- Africa
F- Other countries
No specific countries
 A- Economy-related
B- Environment-
4. Dimensions
C- related Related
D- to social issues
Others
A- Concept
5. Methodology B- ual Case
C- study
Empirical testing

Table 1. Cont.

Catego Meaning Codes for Alternatives

ry
A- Conceptual
foundation of
social
entrepreneurship
B- Innovation and
technology
6. Themes C- Rural and
community
development
and urbanization
D-
Socio-economic
considerations E-
Environmental and
ecological
considerations
F- Education and skills
G- Financing
and crowd
funding
H- Leadership and
governance I-
Others

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 A- New perspectives
B- Consistent
with previous
7. Contribution literature
C- Previous model
with different
database/time
period
D- Comparative study

The classification and categorization scheme is in line with Jabbour ; Ferreira et al.
Sharma et al. ; Jain and Sharma ; Talan and Sharma .
The first category identifies the distribution of publications per year and year-wise
citations for the period 1992–2018 to arrive at the period witnessing an increase in
academic interest to the subject. The second category involves identifying the coverage of
the selected papers, which have been coded as: “A- Developed countries”, “B- Developing
countries” and “C- No specific coverage”. Code “C” is applied to the papers, not specific to
a specific country. To further specify the geographical area covered by the papers, the third
category has been created, which are coded on a scale from A–F. The fourth category
classifies the papers based on the dimensions studied by them, and is coded by the letters A,
B, C and D. Social entrepreneurship has been used as one of the most powerful tools for
promoting sustainable development , which entails social, economic and environmental
dimensions . The fifth category identifies the research method applied in the extant literature
and is coded on a scale from A–C.
This category identifies the prominent methods used by the extant literature. The sixth
category associates with the main themes of the reviewed research papers, coded from A–I.
The seventh category classifies the studies according to their contribution to the body of
knowledge, and codes the papers on a scale of A–D.
The aim of this category is to assess the findings of the papers and to verify whether the
authors have introduced a new stream of research or conforming to the previous literature.

13
Results and Discussion
Descriptive Findings
The descriptive findings provide an overview and help clarify the main
characteristics and methodology used by selected studies.

Year-Wise Publications and Citations

Figure 2 presents the number of papers published per year and the citations of all
the reviewed papers per year for the period 1992–2018. Figure 2 reveals an increasing
trend signaling an increased interest of researchers in this area [1]. The highest number of
publications and the sum of times cited are in the year 2017.

Figure 2. Year-wise citations and publications.

 Table 2 shows the results obtained after the analysis of 173 research papers. The
number of papers belonging to different categories are shown in the table, while the
percentage of the papers belonging to specific categories is shown in the parenthesis. N/A
represents the categories in which these codes are not applicable.

Table 2. Descriptive findings of papers reviewed.

Code(s) Coverage Geograp Dimensio Methodol Themes Contribut

hical
ns ogy ion
Coverag
e
A 71 (41%) 65 (38%) 82 (47%) 43 (25%) 6 (3%) 15 (9%)
B 58 (34%) 14 (8%) 36 (21%) 47 (27%) 16 (9%) 140 (81%)
C 37 (21%) 28 (16%) 20 (12%) 67 (39%) 20 (12%) 4 (2%)
D N/A 11 (6%) 13 (8%) N/A 5 (3%) 11 (6%)
E N/A 9 (5%) N/A N/A 22 (13%) N/A
F N/A 42 (24%) N/A N/A 5 (3%) N/A
G N/A N/A N/A N/A 11 (6%) N/A
H N/A N/A N/A N/A 10 (6%) N/A
I N/A N/A N/A N/A 27 (16%) N/A
Multiple 7 (4%) 4 (2%) 22 (13%) 16 (9%) 51 (29%) 3 (2%)
Total 173 (100%) 173 (100%) 173 (100%) 173 (100%) 173 (100%) 173 (100%)

Coverage

Category two involves identifying the coverage analyzed by the research papers. The
analysis shows that most of the previous research is dedicated to the developed countries
followed by developing countries or emerging economies. There are some studies that
compares data between countries. The results reveal that there exists fewer papers that
cope with the relationship between social entrepreneurship and sustainable development in
developing countries. Murthy, Sagayam, Rengalakshmi, and Nair highlight the necessity
of exploring the concept in developing nations since the details concerning social issues in
these countries and the strategies adopted by them to strive are limited.

Geographical Coverage

15
 The third category relates to specific geographical coverage of the researched
countries. A large proportion of studies come from Europe, while the contributions from
Asia and North America are still modest. Although the research in these regions are
comparatively low, the concept has been emerging since 1990s. Public authorities along
with social enterprises are paying attention towards mobilizing economic and social
resources towards the growing welfare needs [26].

Dimensions
The fourth category analyses the dimensions addressed by extant literature covered in
the study. According to the concern of the present research, most of the studies focuses
on economy-related issues, followed by environment-related issues and social issues
respectively.

Methodology
The fifth category identifies the research methodology applied in the selected
literature. The analysis clearly reveals that most of the research papers use empirical
methodology (67 percent), while 27 percent of the papers employ case studies
methodology. Although there exists empirical research in the field, more empirical studies
are required in order to understand the important antecedents and outcome of social
entrepreneurship [27,28]. More in-depth interviews with informants shall better manage
the cultural and social issues concerning access to informants, social desirability bias [29].

Themes

The results reveal that extant literature has mostly focused on environmental and
ecological considerations, rural and community development and urbanization. The
concept of social entrepreneurship takes multiple forms, depending on socioeconomic
and cultural circumstances, placing obstacles on research in the area. This calls for further
research to establish concrete definitions for overcoming ambiguity of the concept [3,27].

Contribution of the Research Papers.

The seventh classification explores the contribution made by the existing literature.
Findings of the maximum papers (81 percent) are ‘consistent with previous literature’. To
further inform social entrepreneurs for contributing towards sustainable development, more
comparative and longitudinal research can be conducted [28,30].

Thematic Discussion.

The term “entrepreneur” was originated by Schumpeter in the 20th century who calls
the entrepreneur a “man of action” who drives the creative-destruction process considered

16
as the core of capitalism. He describes entrepreneurs as the innovators and catalysts behind
social and economic progress facing the risks and reforms or revolutionize the process of
production for producing new goods or producing existing ones in a new way [22].
Entrepreneurship is progressively accepted as a duct to create sustainable
products/services and processes integrating social and environmental concerns. The extant
literature does not extensively discuss the contribution of entrepreneurs towards a
sustainable future [8]. Belz and Binder [31] conclude that it is crucial for entrepreneurs to
blend social, ecological concerns and customer benefits as a solution to the triple bottom
line further leading to the sustainability of their ventures as also that of the universe.
Social entrepreneurship has emerged as a sub-discipline within the field of
entrepreneurship [27]. Social entrepreneurs create social value by providing social benefit
for all, and economic value by creating jobs and income for their venture while
accomplishing their vision and missions [32]. Partzsch and Ziegler [2] propose that the
innovative capacity of social entrepreneurs is their primary source of authority to deal with
the commonly perceived problems.
Although the objective of a profit-maximizing firm is different from a social
business, the managerial mindset should be the same as in a business while
creating social benefit. Social businesses can certainly generate income while
achieving their social missions and can be self-sustainable. The surplus generated by
such businesses may be reinvested in the business to provide cost-effective quality
goods and services to the target group of beneficiaries [33].
Traditional financial institutions are cautious in lending to social entrepreneurs
whereas commercial entrepreneurs can attract traditional capital providers and equity
investors [34]. Belz and Binder [31] argue that resources for social enterprises are
confined not only to personal savings and banks loans but their social value creation and
environmental concerns open up the door to novel, unconventional and increasingly
important source of public funding such as crowdfunding.
Buil-Fabregà et al. [35] establish that the relationship between the individual dynamic
capabilities
(IDC) of managers with their social and environmental commitment to promote
sustainability is greater in cases of businesses being led by women. Vinokurova and
Natalia [36] argue that despite having many accomplishments, women hold lower
position in comparison with men as they are lacking in terms of academic capital and
scientific power.

Social responsibility of businesses is considered to be beneficial both the society

and the firm [37]. Doukas, Tsiousi, Marinakis, and Psarras [38] conclude that the
corporations with goals limited to the mandatory legislations achieve lower performance
as compared to the ones integrating fundamental environmental practices and corporate
social responsibility (CSR) concepts. To incorporate these practices into the corporate
policies and structures, United Nations general assembly proposes to integrate
entrepreneurship in the education curriculum and universities around the world shall be

17
encouraged to inform students about the demands of diverse communities and the
world [39]. Abou-Warda [40] opines that fostering entrepreneurial education requires
support from government authorities in the form of reviewing regulations on the
assistance of educators and entrepreneurs in entrepreneurship teaching activities; favoring
practical activities related to technology/entrepreneurship education, and sustainable
market; establishing awards for teachers and students of entrepreneurial universities; and
promoting positive examples of academic spin-offs.
The main purpose of thematic discussion is to identify new research directions and
synthesize the main outcomes extracted from the extant literature [24]. The thematic
discussion of this paper is based on the research outcomes and parameters of the extant
literature as exhibited in Table 3, followed by the parameters for each outcome as
identified by us for the purpose of this thematic discussion.

Table 3. Research outcomes and parameters.

Outcome Authors Resea Parameters

rch
Desig
n
Boons, Montalvo, Quist, and
Wagner [41]; Bridgstock,
Lettice, Özbilgin, and Tatli
[42]; Halme and Korpela [6]; Sustainable
Innovation Khefacha and Belkacem [43]; Conceptual economic
and Kraus, Burtscher, Niemand, and performance
Technolog Roig-Tierno, and Syrjä [44]; Empirical and growth,
y Provasnek, Schmid, Geissler, Social
and Steiner [45]; Rinkinen, innovation
Oikarinen, and Melkas [46];
Sanzo-Perez,
Álvarez-González, and Rey-
García [47]; Simón,
González-Cruz, and
Contreras-Pacheco [4]; Szabo,
Soltes, and Herman [48]
Angrisano et al. [49]; Role of public
Rural and Delgado [50]; Erzurumlu policies,
Community and Erzurumlu [51]; Conceptual Agriculture
Developmen López-i-Gelats, Tàbara, and and and Agro-
Bartolomé [52];
t and Empirical processed
Monshidi and Choolandimi
Urbanizatio industries,
[53]; Polak and Snowball [54];
n Cultural
Mykolaivna [55]; Ruiu et al.
heritage,
[56]; Yildirim and Turan [57]
Diversity of

18
 perceptions

Buil-Fabregà, Alonso-
Almeida, and Bagur- Dynamic
Social, Femenías [35]; Dixon and Conceptual capabilities of
economic Clifford [58]; Hollnagel, and an
and Araujo, and Bueno [59]; Empirical entrepreneur,
environment Mieszajkina [60]; Raszkowski Triple bottom
al [61]; Rizzi, Pellegrini, and line, Business
consideratio Battaglia [62]; Serenari, sustainability
ns Peterson, Wallace, and Stowhas
[63]; Stubbs [64]; Woźniak and
Pactwa [65]
Abdullah and Ismail [66];
Brown, Boon, and Pitt [67]; Marketing
Financing and Calic and Mosakowski [34]; Conceptual tool,
Crowdfunding Estapé-Dubreuil, Ashta, and and Sustainabilit
Hédou [68]; Hahn and Figge Empirical y orientation,
[69]; Hurt [70]; Meyskens and Role of
Bird [32]; Parhankangas and Government
Renko [71]; Vealey and
Gerding [72];
Wonglimpiyarat [5]

Buil-Fabregà et al. [35]; Favre Individual

Women [73]; Hallak, Assaker, and Lee Conceptual dynamic
Entrepren [74]; Morshed [75]; and capabilities,
eurs Pirakatheeswari [76]; Shah and Empirical Problems and
Saurabh [77]; Sigalla and prospects,
Carney [78]; Vinokurova Microfinance
[36]; Warnecke [79]
García-Rodríguez, García-
Rodríguez, Castilla-Gutiérrez, Human
and Major [80]; Ketschau Resource
Corporate Conceptual
[81]; Pless, Maak, and Stahl Development,
Social and
[82]; Rahdari, Sepasi, and Business
Responsibil Empirical
Moradi [22]; Raimi, Strategy,
ity
Akhuemonkhan, and Sustainability-
Ogunjirin [83]; Ras oriented
and Vermeulen [84]; innovations
Szczanowicz and Saniuk [85];
Wu [86]; Zinenko, Rovira, and
Montiel [87]

19
 In the following sub-sections, we discuss the important studies related to each
outcome in detail. Tables 4–9 are spread over five columns, namely: authors, objectives,
methodology and basis for inclusion for these studies of the outcomes.

Innovation and Technology

Table 4 discusses social entrepreneurship from the perspective of social innovation and
technology. The research on “social entrepreneurship” and “social innovation” has
increased during the last decade [47]. Innovation brings creative ideas into existence
[42]. Innovation in the context of social entrepreneurship is not only the replication of
existing practices but also involves creating something new [88,89]. Innovation forms part
of different stages in the social entrepreneurial process [90].

Table 4. Innovation and technology.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodolo Finding(s) Basis for

gy Inclusion
The paper
The paper deals with
Boons, To overview provides sustainable
Montalv sustainable Conceptual insight into the innovation
o, Quist, innovation, business model which
and business concept for includes
Wagner models and understanding social
[41] economic and advancing objectives of
performance sustainable the
innovation entrepreneu
rs towards
sustainable
developmen
t
Quantitati The paper
ve and The paper talks about
To examine the Qualitative argues for
Bridgstock how social
linkages 285 social
, Lettice, enterprises
between Questionnai enterprises to enhance
Özbilgin,
diversity res from consider
and Tatli innovation
management diversity options for DM and business
[42]
(DM), officers in the interests performance
innovation and Case of and
high study of maximization contribute
performance in social of innovation towards
social enterpris and business social
enterprises. es in UK performance entrepreneur

20
 ship

To investigate Entrepreneur
environmental The paper s are actors
ly and socially Qualitative concludes that who create
Halme
responsible Case SMEs can innovation,
and
innovations of studies of create therefore
Korpela
small and 13 Nordic responsible social
[6]
medium-sized SMEs innovations innovation
enterprises with very becomes
(SMEs) from a different crucial for
resource resource social
perspective combinations entrepreneur
ship
To provide new
empirical New
evidence on the Qualitat The paper technologies
causality ive 13 shows that total by
Khefacha between proxy countrie entrepreneurshi entrepreneur
and variables of s p activity related s enhances
Belkacem technology participated to the the social
[43] entrepreneurshi in Global technology conditions for
p and proxy Entrepreneu sector leads to the living
variable of rship improve the beings which
sustainable Monitor sustainability of are the focus
economic a nation in the of social
performance in long run entrepreneur
a vector error ship
correction
model.

To provide new
empirical New
evidence on the Qualitat The paper technologies
causality ive 13 shows that total by
Khefacha between proxy countrie entrepreneurshi entrepreneur
and variables of s p activity related s enhances
Belkacem technology participated to the the social
[43] entrepreneurshi in Global technology conditions for

21
 p and proxy Entrepreneu sector leads to the living
variable of rship improve the beings which
sustainable Monitor sustainability of are the focus
economic a nation in the of social
performance in long run entrepreneur
a vector error ship
correction
model.
The paper
shows four The paper
To find causal different explains that
Kraus, patterns that Qualitativ combinations of sustainable
Burtsche explain the e the entrepreneur
r, success of Comparat interconnected s and social
Niemand, sustainable ive variables of entrepreneur
Roig- entrepreneurs, analysis of innovation ship are
Tierno, using their 598 orientation, linked as
and Syrjä social Austrian environmental they share a
[44] performance as (SMEs) sustainability, common goal
a measure. and resource of positive
leveraging and environment
achievement al impact
motivation,
which all lead to
social
performanc

Table 4. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodolo Finding(s) Basis for

gy Inclusion
The paper
To advance Qualitat shows that the The paper
Provasn strategies for ive strategies of the argues that it
ek, the Bluefin companies is the social
Schmid, implementation Solutio correspond well welfare that
Geissler, of a sustainable ns to the typology entrepreneur
and corporate Elastic and allow s create
Steiner entrepreneurshi Innovat suggestions which lead to
[45] p process. ion where efforts sustainability
Index for sustainable of their
2014 corporate performance
entrepreneursh
ip could be
reinforced

22
 To identify The paper
whether and in suggests to
what way social develop SEs Social
Rinkinen, enterprises and perceive enterprises
Oikarinen, (SEs) are them as explain
Conceptual
and communicated potential social
Melkas as an innovative innovators and entrepreneu
[46] solution and as active rship an
a source of entrepreneurial alternative
innovations for actors in type of
economic and innovation sustainable
development systems innovation
activities contributing to policy
through economically,
regional environmentall
strategies. y and socially
sustainable
development
The paper
shows the
expected The main
To analyse social Survey purpose of
positive effects
Sanzo- , innovation Qualitativ social
Perez, under the e Survey of the two
umbrella of factors on entrepreneur
Álvarez- the 525 ship is to
González transformative foundatio social
innovation and achieve
and Rey- service research ns of social
García [47] framework. Spain performance,
and provide objectives
several which is
guidelines for achieved
implementing through
social social
innovations in innovation
service
industries
To provide a
Simón, transaction-based The paper
González- approach to social provides an The paper
Cruz, and innovation based Conceptual integrative introduces the
framework of
Contreras- on the three concept of
social
Pacheco [4] modes of innovation that social
transaction is firmly rooted entrepreneursh
coordination and in organization ip
governance as theory
identified by

23
 Powell.

Technology
and innovation
play a
To present a The paper significant role
identifies weak
Szabo, review of the in social and
points and
Soltes, and literature on the Conceptual economic
local strengths
Herman [48] relevance and the of innovation development.
role of innovation in the (post) Innovation-led
in growth. crises period growth is
and it identifies increasingly
the targets for place-based
the next period where
entrepreneurial
spirit and
social
innovation
come together

Social entrepreneurs create institutions to actualize their mission of social transformation

and to carry the innovative solutions forward. The major challenge faced by social
entrepreneurs includes the challenge of creating a new product or a service, creating
demand for the product or even assessing the inputs or assessing the markets [91].
Social entrepreneurs need to be innovative while framing their objectives in order to
maintain a balance between their social and economic objectives with limited resources
[92]. To improve the social and environmental impact by social entrepreneurs, a
Government must support and stimulate innovation in the form of funding and subsidies.
Government can encourage entrepreneurial solutions by directing public policies towards
innovative causes [6].
Individual entrepreneurs find new/innovative ways to create a product/ service
in order to cater to some social needs to achieve sustainable development without
compromising profits while conducting their activities. However, their ability to create
social value must be the primary objective [93].
Local entrepreneurs lack the ability to develop necessary capabilities for
innovation, product differentiation and technology improvement, and are confined to

24
competing on low price and large volume [94].

Rural and Community Development and Urbanization

Table 5 summarizes the important literature focusing on social entrepreneurship
from the perspective of rural and community development. Social entrepreneurs in
rural areas face many challenges including powerful resistance from time to time while
adopting new approaches to work for common and inclusive prosperity [94]. Social
entrepreneurs lead villagers’ cooperatives and rural communities towards a clear social
mission so as to improve the living conditions of underprivileged people [95]. The
outcome of this process of rural community development is largely dependent on the
personal experiences of the social entrepreneur dealing with the challenges and obstacles
[96]. Success of a social entrepreneur depends on his ability to attract resources (labor and
capital) and innovative ways to create social value in a competitive environment [97].
Social entrepreneurial policies of the government play an important role in rural
economic growth, which is dependent on allocation of research and development
(R&D) resources and labor mobility by the government [98].
The amount of social value created is considered to be the main sign or characteristic
of sustainable development of a region [50] therefore, the promotion of social
entrepreneurship and SMEs is crucial for creating social value and, therefore, contributes
towards sustainable regional development [4,54].

Table 5. Rural and community development and urbanization.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodology Finding(s) Basis for

Inclusion
To analyse the The paper
process to shows that it
is possible to Social
implement the
make enterprises
United
Nations UNESCO support
Angrisano recommenda heritage-led
Educational,
et al. [49] Conceptual tions regeneration
Scientific and
Cultural operational, and focus on
Organization transforming cultural
(UNESCO) conflicts into heritage as
opportunities the main
recommend
, producing driver for the
ation on the
economic urban
Historic
attractivenes transformati
Urban
s and on
Landscape
(2011) strengthen
social
awareness
and cohesion

25
 To analyse the The paper
process to shows that it
is possible to Social
implement the
make enterprises
United Nations
UNESCO support
Educational,
Angrisano et al. recommenda heritage-led
Scientific and
[49] Conceptual tions regeneration
Cultural and focus on
Organization operational,
transforming cultural
(UNESCO) heritage as the
conflicts into
recommendati opportunities main driver for
on on the the urban
, producing
Historic Urban transformation
economic
Landscape attractivenes
(2011) s and
strengthen
social
awareness
and cohesion
The paper
shows that The paper
To explore the Qualitative social suggests that
Delgado [50] emerging 4 Case studies economy social
initiatives that of innovative enterprises enterprises are
are relevant food chains in are a driving the drivers of
for sustainable Portugal force behind sustainable
development integrated development
in European sustainable
cities. development
approaches
in European
cities

Table 5. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodology Finding(s) Basis for

Inclusion

26
 To develop This paper
a shows that
community- early
centred community
approach by involvement
Qualitative The paper
Erzurumlu integrating and
Case study of focuses on
and rapid and rigorous
gold mining in the social
Erzurumlu participator impact
Central outcome by
[51] y nature of assessment
America the
design on a regular
entrepreneu
thinking basis
rs
with multi- motivate
criteria community
decision involvement
analysis and give
(MCDA) in value to the
order to social
support outcome of
sustainable mining
developmen developmen
t. t
To explore The paper The paper
the diversity identifies the argues that
López-i- of Qualitat four there exists
Gelats, perceptions ive 2 discourses of social
Tàbara, and rounds rurality, structure
and perspectives of namely: the behind
Bartolomé of the interviews agriculturalis every
[52] inhabitants of the t, organizatio
of the county inhabitants entrepreneur n involved
of El Pallars ial, in the
Sobirà, in the conservationi process of
Catalan st and rural
Pyrenees endogenous change
development
To The paper Rural
investigate shows that development
Monshidi the effects of Qualitative agriculture is a process
and agriculture Interview has great of social
Choolandim on of 200 effects on change by the
i [53] sustainable people economic, entrepreneur
rural social, and s which is the
development physical objective of
indices in development social
villages of of villages entrepreneur
Karkheh ship
rural district,

27
 Hamidieh.

To examine
the
relationship The industry
Qualitative
between The paper offers
Polak and Local entrepreneur
sustainability concludes
Snowball [54] Government s with
and local that the
economic policy opportunities
industry
development documents and offers many to develop
(LED) within reports, opportunities social capital,
the context of interviews with for create jobs
the emerging key informants development and develop
honey bush sustainable
tea industry wild
in the harvesting
Eastern Cape
To study the
role of social
entrepreneur The paper The paper
ship and shows that discusses the
social social role of social
Mykolaivna [55] Conceptual entrepreneur entrepreneur
innovation in
the solving of ship is a good ship in
socio- way to make solving
economic a standard socio-
problem and living and economic
sustainable improved problem and
development situation on sustainable
of regions in the labor development
Ukraine. market

Table 5. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodology Finding(s) Basis for

Inclusion

28
 The
combination
of the four
CADWAGO
(Climate
To introduce
Change
an innovative 12 interviews This paper
of local Adaptation
method aims at
entrepreneur and Water
Ruiu et al. [56] aimed at s and Governance)
enhancing
enhancing social
representativ pillars and La
social learning by
es of Rasgioni
learning by adopting
non- created an
adopting theatrical
theatrical governmental innovative
techniques
techniques organizations dialogical
among local
space that
and to report (NGOs) entrepreneur
enabled
the outcomes s
stakeholders
and
researchers
to collectively
identify
barriers and
opportunities
for effective
governance
practices
The results
reveal that
To re-use is The paper
demonstrate Qualitative generally deals with
that design 6 Case initiated by re-using
Yildirim and
criteria can studies of entrepreneur historic
Turan [57]
emphasise traditional ship and is areas that
the Sanliurfa typically a provides
significance houses in new activity social
of cultural Turkey intended to benefits to
heritage generate the
through income to community
adaptive- sufficiently
reuse. cover
restoration
and
maintenance
costs

Social, Economic and Environmental Considerations

29
 Table 6 discusses social entrepreneurship from the perspective of triple bottom-line.
The concept of triple bottom line refers to the social, economic, and environmental aspects
and dimensions of sustainable development [23,99]. The concept is pertinent to economic
development and related fields such as finance, business, planning and real estate [100].

Table 6. Social, economic and environmental considerations.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodolo Findings(s) Basis for

gy Inclusion
Quantitati The paper
ve Survey shows that The paper
To shed light on of 339 managers’ talks about
Buil-
the relationship managers individual capabilities
Fabregà,
between a who of managers
Alonso- dynamic
manager’s completed capabilities and their
Almeida,
individual Masters in help them social
and
dynamic Business commitment
Bagur- detect changes
capabilities Administr in the market which is
Femenías
(IDC) and ation earlier and embedded in
[35]
business (MBA) in promote a social
sustainability Catalan greater social entrepreneur
from a gender universities and ship
perspective in Spain environmental
commitment
from those
managers

Table 6. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodolo Findings(s) Basis for

gy Inclusion

30
 Qualita The paper finds
To examine tive a strong link
how Single between
Dixon ecopreneurs can case entrepreneurial The paper
and create an study ism and extends
Clifford economically of environmentalis research into
[58] viable business Green- m. The social
whilst retaining Works— entrepreneurial entrepreneur
their core semi flair of the chief ship
environmental structured yexecutive
and social officer (CEO)
interviews enables the
values. , pursuit of
micro- environmental,
ethnograph social and
and economic
document goals
analysis.
To analyse the The paper
contribution of indicates that
Hollnagel, residential the The paper
Araujo, and elderly care Conceptual development of promotes
Bueno [59] centre (RECC) model RECC social
to promote SD seems to be a entrepreneu
along with social viable rship
support in economic,
urban centres of social and
megacities. environmental
alternative for
the future of
cities in Brazil
The paper
shows that the
implementation The paper
of the idea discusses the
To harmonise main
three requires
Mieszajk Conceptual objective of
capitals- entrepreneurial
ina [60] entrepreneur
economic, activities aimed
at rationalising is the creation
social and of social
environment and
modernising development
al while
the economic,
social, and creating a
ecological sustainable
subsystems, as world
well as their
integration to

31
 achieve synergy

To discuss and The paper The paper

assess the Survey of shows that focuses on
Raszko solving
selected 422 residents are
wski social and
functional areas residents of highly
[61] economic
of Dzierżoniów the city interested in
Town based on development problems
its residents’ of their city using
opinions entrepreneu
rship and
creativity
To increase The paper
understanding Survey of 17 shows two The paper
Rizzi, of how key SF forms of SF, i.e., talks about
Pellegrini, institutional the
institutions in social impact
social-
and Battaglia actors are European investment
shaping social and ethical embeddedne
[62] countries
finance (SF) as a banking, guide ss of
potential new the institutions
paradigm in the institutionaliza creating
financing tion and social
impact on
paradigm- society
building
process
To understand The paper It discusses
how local shows that the the social
Serenari, people living in Qualitative social impacts impact
Peterson, and near three created by
Case study of and
private ecotourism
Wallace, and local people in consequences
protected areas of PPAs entrepreneu
Stowhas [63] Los Rios, rs which is
(PPAs) view facilitating
impacts of Chile the main
ecotourism
tourism development objective of
development on should be social
human well- subjected to entrepreneu
being and local the same level rship
governance of scrutiny that
has been given

32
 to public
protected
areas

Table 6. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodolo Findings(s) Basis for

gy Inclusion
The paper
To understand shows that B Sustainable
how Corps are entrepreneur
sustainable Qualitative focused on s and social
societal impact entrepreneur
Stubbs [64] entrepreneursh 14
ip is Interviews rather than ship are
implemented of maximizing linked as
by exploring an founder/dir profits and they they share a
emerging form ector of attempt to common goal
of business, ‘B Australian B legitimate this of positive
Corps’, that Corps form of environment
employs sustainable al impact
market tactics entrepreneursh
to address ip by
social and influencing the
environmental business
issues. community and
government
officials
The paper
shows that the Socially
To present two Qualitativ company responsible
Woźniak industry leaders e Case exploiting raw businesses
and Pactwa acting in studies of material using and social
[65] compliance two underground entrepreneu
with the general mining method rship are
principles of a companie implements linked by a
socially s of better practices common
responsible Poland in the area of goal of
business. corporate creating

33
 responsibility social value
of enterprises
in the
environmental
dimension

Extant literature studies entrepreneurs focusing on environmental aspects as

ecopreneurs. An ecopreneur is an individual or institution that seeks to popularize eco-
friendly ideas/products/technology/innovations either through the market or non-market
routes. The approach of ecopreneurship is helpful for policy makers and society at
large, since there is little doubt that the transformation to sustainable development
requires ecopreneurship on a grand scale [58,101]. Environmental policy that aims to
correct market failures or externalities, thereby impacting market forces is growing
strongly [102]. These ecopreneurs focus only on the environmental aspect of sustainable
development but the social entrepreneurship process involves integrating
economic/financial interest and social value as well. Social entrepreneurship is
emerging as a sustainable solution that requires a blend of social, economic and
environmental value or triple bottom line performance [103].

Women Entrepreneurs

Table 7 discusses social entrepreneurship from the perspective of women entrepreneurs

Female social entrepreneurs are characterized by a high degree of agreeableness, openness,
emotional stability and conscientiousness. The attribute related to agreeableness is more
significantly observed in female social entrepreneurs as compared to men [104]. Women
entrepreneurs reflect vision, which is the key characteristic, and improves the wealth of
a nation and therefore contributes to the growth of an economy [105]. Women in top
management help companies to provide socially desirable products and services. Such
entrepreneurs are able to create social value because of their greater social and
environmental commitment [35]. The qualities of women entrepreneurs include creativity, a
hardworking nature, determination, ability and desire to take risk and profit earning capacity
[76]. Professionally qualified and technically sound women must be encouraged to manage
their own business instead of being dependent on wage employment outlets [106].

34
 Table 7. Women entrepreneurs.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodology Finding(s) Basis for

Inclusion
The paper
To shed light Quantitative shows that The paper
on the Survey of managers’ talks about
relationship 339 IDC help capabilities
Buil-Fabregà
et al. [35] between a managers them detect of managers
manager’s who changes in and their
IDC and completed the market social
business (MBA) in earlier and commitment
sustainability Catalan promote a which is
from a universities greater social embedded in
gender in Spain and social
perspective environment entrepreneur
al ship
commitment
from those
managers
The paper
To offer a Qualitative observes that
practical and Case most The paper
business- studies of post- explores how
Favre [73] driven micro and colonial, entrepreneur
solution to small post- s developing
grow tourism tourism conflict or tourism
that would entrepreneur post- potential
help secure a s in Haiti, disaster catalyse long-
more stable Brazil, destinations term social
future in Lesotho, do not gains
spite of South Africa, understand especially for
potential Timor Leste, that women
instabilities Indonesia, developing
Ethiopia and tourism goes
India hand in hand
with
developing
entrepreneur
s and their
businesses
To study The results
the found that
relationshi Quantitative place identity
This paper
Hallak, Survey of 150 (sense of
p of examines
Assaker, and
entreprene male and 148 identity with
social

35
 Lee [74] urs’ place female their town of psychology
identity, tourism residence) of
self- business was positively entreprene
efficacy, owners in related to urs
and Australia entrepreneuri
performance al self-efficacy
across male (beliefs in
and female their
tourism capabilities as
entrepreneur entrepreneur
s s)
To examine The paper
This paper contends that
how the
Qualitative emphasises the
Morshed [75] poor
9 Case studies on economic entrepreneur’s
female
of women in growth as the role in social
borrowers
Bangladesh key indicator well-being is
of Grameen
of social the key
Bank
microcredi advancement indicator of
social
t in rural advancement
Bangladesh
sought to
fight social
marginalis
ation
The paper Women have
shows that been
empowering performing well
To examine women in different
Pirakatheeswari
the Conceptual entrepreneur spheres of
[76]
problems s is essential social activities,
and for achieving therefore, they
prospects the goals of have the
of women sustainable potential to
development become social
entreprene
and the entrepreneurs
urs in India
and contribute
in the era bottlenecks
towards
of must be
sustainable
globalizatio eradicated
development
n
The paper There is a
shows that it growing need to
is necessary encourage
Shah and Conceptual women
To create to raise
Saurabh [77]
women awareness of entrepreneurs
entreprene the challenges work towards

36
 urs for faced by poverty
poverty women and alleviation, just
alleviation support as social
institutions in entrepreneurs
fostering do
women
entrepreneur
ship

Table 7. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodology Finding(s) Basis for

Inclusion
To explore The paper
women’s suggests that
experiences some women This paper
as Quantitative create the explores the
entrepreneur Survey of conditions role of
Sigalla and
s, and reflects women for partial microcredit
Carney [78]
on how the participated control or and learning
learning in NGO- autonomy in among
processes and based their lives but women
outcomes training this must be entrepreneur
associated schemes attempted s in poverty
with within the reduction
microcredit existing
schemes social
‘shape the structures of
self’, often in Tanzanian
quite society
unpredictable
ways
The study
concludes
that the
Quantitative combination Women as
Data from of low entreprene
To study
Vinokurova various salaries in urs should
gender
[36] secondary education be
situation in
sources in and science encouraged
science and
Russia and the in order to
education
consequence achieve

37
 s of gender social well-
inequality being
manifest
themselves
most in terms
of the
material well-
being of
women
The results
show that the
new policies,
programs,
regulatory
To study the Entrepreneur
structures,
relationship s must focus
jobs and
Warnecke [79] between Conceptual incentives for
on gender
gender equity which
green
equity and is one aspect
initiatives
the of social
will neither
environment sustainability
benefit
in the
women and
developing
men equally,
world
nor maximize
results unless
gender is
thoughtfully
and
thoroughly
incorporated
into each
nation’s
strategy

Microenterprises provide new sources of income for women and can be helpful
in bridging the gap between the social and environmental dimensions of sustainable
development. They help in spreading sustainable agriculture, protecting and ensuring
accessibility of clean water sources, reducing deforestation and preserving biodiversity
[79]. To ensure the growth of women entrepreneurs, various programs of assistance and
incentives have been introduced by the government.

Financing and Crowdfunding

38
Table 8 discusses social entrepreneurship from the perspective of financing and
crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is a new form of entrepreneurship raising money to
address some social or cultural problems [72]. Crowdfunding is becoming an important
source of financing for social ventures. The process of crowdfunding takes place online
and includes choosing an online platform to raise funds for a campaign that focuses on
an initiative. Afterwards, the social entrepreneur remain active on the online platform to
encourage funders or backers to fund their operations and programs. In return, the social
ventures can choose the types of rewards for crowdfunders. Once the fundraising goal
at the end is met the creator of the project can use the capital raised and must distribute
the rewards [32]. A project with many reward possibilities offers more choice as well as
a greater chance of success to the funders [34].

Table 8. Financing and Crowdfunding.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodology Finding(s) Basis for

Inclusion
The cash
waqf -based
Islamic
To explore microfinance
The paper shows
the
Abdullah Conceptual that the cash waqf help micro
characteristic
and Ismail -based Islamic entrepreneur
s of waqf
[66] microfinance s, who hold
property and
needs to be property and
the
sustainable use the
management
revenue
of waqf
generated for
charitable
purposes, to
raise funds

39
 To examine
the extent to The results Crowdfundin
which show that g is a source
Brown, crowdfundin established of financing
Conceptual
Boon, and g websites firms’ increasing of social
Pitt [67] are interest in using entrepreneur
accessible to crowdfunding s who do not
organization websites may have access
s as a have a profound to other
marketing impact on the sources
channel and, crowdfunding
if so, what industry
role they can
play
To examine The paper
whether and concludes that The paper
how a sustainability opines that
Qualitativ
Calic and orientation crowdfundin
sustainability e 87,261
Mosako positively affects g has
orientation projects
wski [34] funding success emerged to
affects were
entrepreneur of crowdfunding address the
collected
s’ ability to projects and the financing
from
acquire relationship is needs of
Kickstarter
financial partially social
website
mediated by entrepreneur
resources
through project creativity s
crowdfundin and third-party
g endorsements
Investors
considers the
To study Qualitative The paper finds social returns
Estapé- investment A case study of that four factors along with
Dubreuil clubs in investment club lie beneath the economic
Ashta, and , France of France criteria used by returns while
Hédou [68] which have the micro-angels investing in
been coping in the monitoring entrepreneurial
with process ventures;
therefore, they
the balance modify their
of people, goals in line
planet and with social
profitability enterprises
for the last
three
decades

40
 The paper shows
that current Corporate
approaches are sustainability
rooted in a depend on
Hahn and Conceptual bounded notion social resources
Figge [69] To clarify the that are scarce
of instrumentality
ambiguous and thus have
which establishes
notion of to be taken into
a systematic
corporate account in
predominance of
sustainability corporate
economic
organizational decision making
outcomes over
environmental
and social aspects

Table 8. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodology Finding(s) Basis for

Inclusion
To seek Equity
evidence and The paper shows crowdfundin
understand that the actual g is both
Hurt [70] the Conceptual resource appealing
entrepreneur exchange is and available
ial routes by highly as a source of
using the moderated by financing for
sociological cultural and social
perspectives symbolic capital entrepreneur
of Bourdieus’ that is being built s
four forms of up through the
capital process
The paper
concludes a
To assess the theoretical The paper
Meysken role of explores the
s and Conceptual framework to
crowdfundin help social role of
Bird [32] g in social crowdfundin
ventures and
venture social investors to g in social
funding choose which ventures
type of
crowdfunding
might make most
sense to them.

41
 To study the The paper
linguistic The paper discusses
Parhanka style of Quantitati concludes that how
ngas and crowdfundin ve 656 linguistic styles linguistic
Renko g pitches and Kickstarter boost the success styles lead
[71] how such a campaigns of social to
style relates campaigns, but crowdfund
to the hardly matter for ing
success in commercial success
raising funds campaigns. among
social
entrepren
eurs
To examine
how to
incorporate Qualitative The paper The paper
Vealey new and Online focusses on two focuses on
and emerging Survey of projects that entrepreneu
Gerding forms of 1700 clearly rship with a
[72] entrepreneur undergrad foreground a social
ship into the uate social and civic mission
professional students mission.
and technical
communicati
on classroom
Qualitative The findings The paper
To examine and suggest that focuses on
Wonglimpi the Quantitativ China needs to the
yarat [5] governmenta e Case improve government’s
l financing study and regulatory attempt
policies and interviews policies in towards
the using semi- support of social
innovation structured innovative development
financing questionnai businesses which by
system of res in would help its supporting
China financial transition to an SMEs
centres in innovation-
China driven economy.

An informal form of Internet-based investor relation plays a crucial role in keeping

the crowdfunders happy and informed [107]. Crowdfunding websites are also used as
a marketing tool by established firms with different objectives such as fundraising,
creation of product ideas and direct sales. In order to succeed, a project must be appealing
to potential backers while fundraising and development updates must also be provided to

42
these backers [67]. On many crowdfunding platforms, entrepreneurs provide limited and
self-reported information based on which potential funders make their decisions [34].

Corporate Social Responsibility

Table 9 discusses social entrepreneurship from the perspective of corporate social
responsibility. Social entrepreneurship shares common goals with sustainable development
and CSR [108]. Aiming to achieve the highest profitability, business often use practices
which go beyond the legal requirements and have negative impacts on sustainable
development as they usually end up taking unsustainable solutions [103,109]. To reduce
the negative impacts of decisions and activities of businesses of all sizes, CSR drives them
to contribute towards social welfare [83].

Table 9. Corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodol Finding(s) Basis for

ogy Inclusion
CSR, when Social
García- zT,o identify the integrated into entrepreneu
extent to zw, hich Qualitativ business
Rodrígue rship shares
oil multinational
García- e Case strategy, impacts
eze,nterprises Study of 1 the company’s
common
Rodrígue (MNEs) goals with
contribute
sustainableto
Castilla- Oil immediate CSR of
Gutiérr and development Refinery surroundings as creating
Major through CSR in Angola well as the wider social and
[80] legislative, environment
administrative al benefits
and
entrepreneurial
context
The paper
lays a
To present a The framework framework
framework that links the concepts that helps to
Ketschau integrate the Conceptua of CSR and analyse the
[81] concepts of CSR l Human Resource development
and human Development by of
resource the idea of entrepreneuri
development lifelong learning al structures
(HRD) that enable
social
commitment
through
company
education

43
 In their
management
To discuss how The study development
the HRD function Qualitati discusses how programs,
Pless, can support ve organizations HRD should
Maak, corporate Intervie can incorporate a send the
and Stahl sustainability ws with responsibility participants
[82] strategy by 70 and to work with
designing and Ulysses sustainability social
implementing participa focus in their entrepreneur
leadership nts management s supporting
development development them in their
programs programs fight against
pressing
global
problems
To highlight the The study The paper
role of social highlights the the role of
Rahdari role social social
entrepreneurshi Conceptua
, Sepasi, enterprises and
p in l entrepreneu
and transforming sustainable rship in
Moradi businesses can
the business achieving
[22] play in achieving sustainable
into an engine
for sustainable the Sustainable developmen
development Development t
Goals
The result
indicates a
negative
To examine the relationship
between Gross The paper
prospect of
Quantita Domestic Product suggests that
utilising
Raimi, tive (GDP) and CSR
corporate social
Akhuemon Secondar poverty, positive embedded in
responsibility
khan and y data significant entrepreneur
and
Ogunjirin publishe relationship ship becomes
[83] , entrepreneurship d by antidotes to
(CSRE) as between GDP
antidotes for institutio and total crime poverty,
mitigating the nal rate, positive insecurity
incidences of bodies relationship and
poverty, between GDP underdevelo
insecurity and and pment
underdevelopme unemployment
nt in Nigeria rate, a negative
relationship
between GDP

44
 and industrial
growth rate and
a significant
positive
relationship
between GDP
and CSR

Table 9. Cont.

Author(s) Objective(s) Methodol Finding(s) Basis for

ogy Inclusion
Successful
entrepreneur
To identify Quantita The paper s require
Ras essential tive 478 indicates a skills for
and capacities, table model addressing
Vermeu drawn from grape explaining environment
len [84] literature on producer business al and social
(sustainable) s of performance and ethical
entrepreneursh South with issues which
ip Africa characteristics is considered

45
 of to be the
entrepreneurs traits of a
hip social
entrepreneur

In the model,
An evaluation the authors
To propose a CSR model, ESG risks have
Szczano evaluation and Conceptua catalogue for explained
wicz and CSR reporting l manufacturing how the
Saniuk model in small companies and a responsible
[85] and medium- tool for entrepreneur
sized enterprises monitoring and ship can be
reporting of ESG improved to
risks were achieve
developed social welfare
and
competitive
advantage
To link buying
firms’ socially The results This paper
responsible show that SRSD explores how
supplier Quantitat practices socially
development ive significantly responsible
Wu [86]
(SRSD) with Survey of and positively supplier
SME suppliers’ 83 affect SOIs, development
sustainability- Taiwan with SOIs and
oriented SMEs helping to sustainability-
innovations improve SP oriented
(SOIs) and and fully innovation
investigate the mediating the effects
influence of SRSD relationship sustainability
and SOIs on between SRSD performance
sustainability and SP
performance
(SP)
The paper shows Social
Secondar that entrepreneu
To discuss y data organizations rship shares
Zinenko, how ISO such as that set up CSR common
Rovira, 26,000 fits literature instruments have goals with
and within two reviews, to strengthen organization
Montiel predominant publicati their existing s adopting
[87] CSR ons and collaboration as CSR

46
 instruments online a network, in instruments
resources order to of creating
and contribute more social and
database effectively to environment
s sustainable al benefits
development

Although it is difficult for SMEs to compete with large-sized international

corporations, they have some relative advantage in the local market because of their
simple organizational structures and small size which enables them to maintain close
connections with communities by responding quickly to their local needs and
undertaking socially meaningful actions, thereby sustaining their competitive advantage
[85].
In developing countries, companies that view CSR as an opportunity rather than a
threat can contribute significantly towards sustainable development in their operating
environment while also increasing their profitability, competitiveness and expansion
opportunities [80]. To stimulate sustainable development, CSR must be embedded in the
company’s strategy by using various programs such as international service learning
programs [82].
While the majority of the studies have focused on environmental and ecological
considerations of social entrepreneurship, very limited literature has focused on
understanding the concept of social entrepreneurship. It is interesting to observe that out
of the studies focused on agriculture and rural development, a considerable number
comes from the developed regions.

Conclusions
This paper aimed at reviewing and consolidating the extant literature studying
social entrepreneurship from the context of sustainable development. For this purpose,
173 papers were studied, classified and coded to present the discussion in a systematic
way. Extant literature suggests that sustainable development is aimed at resolving the
challenges such as poverty; inequality; safety etc., which are deep rooted and
widespread in developing countries [29,110–112]. Since social entrepreneurship has
largely been practiced in the developed countries so far, there is a need to increase its
focus on the developing world [3]. Although there exists some empirical research on the
topic of social entrepreneurship and sustainable development, more empirical studies can
add to our understanding of the important outcomes of social entrepreneurship [27].
Further research is needed to establish a complete picture of social entrepreneurship [3].

47
There is a need for more longitudinal and comparative researches on this emerging topic
through empirical research [30].
Table 10 highlights the research gaps as explored through this study and suggests
research problems for the potential researchers in the field.

Table 10. Research gaps and suggested research problems.

Research Gaps Suggested Research Problems Relevant Studies

There is no Littlewood and Holt
clarity/agreemen Clarify and define key concepts [113]; Drăgoi et al.
t on the concept and elaborate on the essential [114]; Picciotti [1];
components of social Lange and
of social
entrepreneurship Dodds [115]; Partzsch
entrepreneurship
and Ziegler [2];
and its
Thorgren and Omorede
components.
[116]; Simón, González-
Cruz, and Contreras-
Pacheco [4]
Nga and
Which are the Visualize and measure the Shamuganathan [103];
dimensions of contribution of social Dixon and Clifford [58];
sustainable entrepreneurship to specific Moskwa, Higgins-
development, on dimension of sustainable Desbiolles, and Gifford
which social development [117]; Lange and Dodds
entrepreneurship [115]; Kraus et al. [44];
focuses? Dedeurwaerdere et al.
[118]
What are the Larsson [119]; Lettice
barriers hindering Explore the hindrances in and Parekh [120];
social entrepreneurs social entrepreneurship and Rahdari, Sepasi, and
from contributing suggest the role that Moradi [22]; Steinz,
towards sustainable governments can play in Rijnsoever, and Nauta
development? removing those hindrances to [121]; Wonglimpiyarat
ensure sustainable [5];
development. In particular, Pirakatheeswari [76]
What role can the government’s contribution in
government play in creating social incubators and Clausen and Gyimóthy
removing these broadening the scope of [122]; Barrutia and
hindrances and entrepreneurial education Echebarria [123]; Colvin
fostering may be studied and measured et al., [124]; Delgado
sustainable by the future researchers [50];
development Wonglimpiyarat [5];
through social Burch [125]
entrepreneurship?

48
 Picciotti [1]; García-
Why has social Rodríguez et al. [80]; Shah
entrepreneurship and Saurabh [77];
not emerged Ras and Vermeulen [84];
popular in Wonglimpiyarat [5];
developing Warnecke and
regions? Houndonougbo [126];
Defourny
and Kim [26]

As outlined in Section 1 of this paper, we considered three research questions—(a) to

identify the major themes and sub-themes discussed by extant literature studying social
entrepreneurship in the context of sustainable development; (b) to understand the
methodological approaches employed by the extant literature; (c) to identify research gaps
in the existing literature studying social entrepreneurship in the context of sustainable
development and the potential focus areas for future researches in the field. We contribute
to the body of knowledge in the twin fields of social entrepreneurship and sustainable
development by suggesting how social entrepreneurship can concretely help attain the
goal of sustainable development. Future studies may contribute towards investigating
issuue
have been uncovered during this review process. First, despite the existence of a
definition of social entrepreneurship, there is a need to standardize the term for bringing
more clarity to the concept and explore its important components and antecedents.
Second, social entrepreneurship has been focusing on the environmental dimension of
sustainable development while overlooking other social dimensions. Third, while on one
hand social entrepreneurs—by operating in a desirable manner—may help the cause of
sustainable development, the governments also have their task cut out to help remove
hindrances from the path of social entrepreneurship through policy making. It is also
suggested that governments to play a lead role in creating social incubators, which hold
the potential for social change. Also, by supporting and facilitating focused educational
institutions to further the cause of education and research in entrepreneurship, the
governments can provide a major nudge to social entrepreneurship, thereby contributing
towards the cause of sustainable development. Fourth, although research in the field is
emerging in developing countries but there is a lack of research on the topic in developing
regions, which merit the case for attention on the topic in developing countries.
The novel contribution of the paper is to identify the major outcomes of the extant
literature, namely—(a) innovation and technology adopted by the social entrepreneurs; (b)
contribution of social entrepreneurs towards rural and community development and
urbanization; (c) social, economic and environmental considerations of the social
entrepreneurs; (d) financing and crowdfunding patterns in social entrepreneurs; (e) women
entrepreneurs; and (f) corporate social responsibility performed by the social entrepreneurs
for the existing and potential researchers in the field. The study suggests a research agenda
for the future researchers in the field, while also highlighting the significant works that

49
can be used by future researchers. Future researchers would do well to carry forward the
research agenda suggested by this paper in order to further enrich the body of knowledge
in the fields of social entrepreneurship and sustainable development.

Supplementary Materials: The following are available online at

http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/4/1091/s1, Appendix 1: List of papers reviewed,
Appendix 2: Classification and coding of the analyzed studies.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, S.B., I.G., G.D.S.; Methodology, S.B.,
G.D.S.; Validation, S.B.; Formal Analysis, S.B., I.G.; Investigation, I.G., G.D.S.;
Resources, S.B. and I.G.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, S.B., I.G.; Writing—
Review and Editing, S.B., G.D.S.; Visualization, G.D.S.; Supervision, S.B.; Project
Administration, S.B., I.G., G.D.S.; Funding Acquisition, S.B.
Funding: No specific funding was received for this study. However, upon acceptance of
the paper, an application for funding the article processing charges shall be submitted to
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi. The authors thank the university
in anticipation of this funding.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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 Qustionnaire

Absolutely, social entrepreneurship is a powerful avenue for promoting social change

and driving sustainable development. Developing a questionnaire to gather insights
on this topic can help you understand the perspectives and experiences of
individuals involved in social entrepreneurship. Here's a sample questionnaire you
can use as a starting point:

Section 1: Demographics

1. Gender: [ ] Male [ ] Female [ ] Non-binary [ ] Prefer not to say

2. Age: ____
3. Educational Background: ____
4. Current Occupation: ____

Section 2: Understanding Social Entrepreneurship 5. How familiar are you with the
concept of social entrepreneurship? [ ] Very familiar [ ] Somewhat familiar [ ] Not
familiar at all

6. In your own words, how would you define social entrepreneurship?

Section 3: Social Impact and Sustainable Development 7. Do you believe social

entrepreneurship can contribute to positive social change? Please explain your
answer.

8. In your opinion, what are some key social or environmental challenges that social
entrepreneurship can address effectively?
9. How do you think social entrepreneurship differs from traditional business models in
terms of its focus on sustainable development?

Section 4: Motivations and Goals 10. What motivated you to become involved in
social entrepreneurship, if applicable?

11. Are your goals primarily profit-oriented, impact-oriented, or a combination of both?

Please elaborate.

Section 5: Challenges and Barriers 12. What challenges have you faced or observed
in the process of running a social enterprise?

13. Are there any specific financial or resource-related obstacles you've encountered?
How have you overcome them?

55
 Section 6: Collaboration and Networks 14. How important is collaboration with
other organizations, governments, or communities to the success of a social
enterprise?

15. Have you experienced any partnerships or collaborations that significantly enhanced
the impact of your social enterprise? If yes, please provide an example.

Section 7: Measurement of Impact 16. How do you measure the success or impact
of your social enterprise in terms of social change and sustainable development?

17. Do you think there's a need for standardized metrics to assess the impact of social
entrepreneurship initiatives? Why or why not?

Section 8: Future Outlook 18. Where do you see the future of social
entrepreneurship heading in the next 5-10 years?

19. What policies or support mechanisms do you believe could further enhance the
growth and impact of social entrepreneurship?

Section 9: Personal Experience 20. If you are currently or were previously involved
in a social enterprise, could you briefly describe your experience and the type of
impact you aimed to achieve?

Section 10: Additional Comments 21. Is there anything else you would like to share
about social entrepreneurship, its impact, or its potential for driving sustainable
development?

Thank you for participating in this questionnaire. Your insights will contribute to a
better understanding of the role of social entrepreneurship in promoting social
change and sustainable development.

56
 Bibliography

1. Austin, J., Stevenson, H., & Wei-Skillern, J. (2006). Social and Commercial
Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 30(1),
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2. Dees, J. G. (1998). The Meaning of Social Entrepreneurship. Stanford Social Innovation
Review, 1(1), 27-39.
3. Mair, J., & Martí, I. (2006). Social entrepreneurship research: A source of explanation,
prediction, and delight. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 36-44.
4. Nicholls, A. (Ed.). (2006). Social entrepreneurship: New models of sustainable social
change. Oxford University Press.
5. Yunus, M., Moingeon, B., & Lehmann-Ortega, L. (2010). Building social business models:
Lessons from the Grameen experience. Long Range Planning, 43(2-3), 308-325.
6. Elkington, J. (1997). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st-century business.
New Society Publishers.
7. Phills Jr, J. A., Deiglmeier, K., & Miller, D. T. (2008). Rediscovering social innovation.
Stanford Social Innovation Review, 6(4), 34-43.
8. Bornstein, D. (2007). How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of
New Ideas. Oxford University Press.
9. Martin, R. L., & Osberg, S. (2007). Social entrepreneurship: The case for definition.
Stanford Social Innovation Review, 5(2), 28-39.
10. Dacin, M. T., Dacin, P. A., & Tracey, P. (2011). Social entrepreneurship: A critique and
future directions. Organization Science, 22(5), 1203-1213.
11. Short, J. C., Moss, T. W., & Lumpkin, G. T. (2009). Research in social entrepreneurship:
Past contributions and future opportunities. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 3(2),
161-194.
12. Alter, S. K. (2007). Social enterprise typology. Virtue Ventures LLC.
13. Alvord, S. H., Brown, L. D., & Letts, C. W. (2004). Social entrepreneurship and societal
transformation: An exploratory study. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 40(3),
260-282.
14. Thompson, J. L., & Doherty, B. (2006). The diverse world of social enterprise: A collection
of social enterprise stories. International Journal of Social Economics, 33(5/6), 361-375.
15. Light, P. C. (2008). Searching for social entrepreneurship: the role of the internet in
building a hybrid organization. In Handbook of Research on Social Entrepreneurship
(pp. 160-178). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Please ensure to properly cite these sources based on the citation style you are using
(APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) when you use them for your research.

57
 Suggetion

1. Case Studies and Success Stories: Explore specific social entrepreneurship initiatives
that have successfully driven social change and sustainable development. Analyze how
these initiatives were structured, the challenges they faced, and the innovative
approaches they adopted.
2. Comparative Analysis: Compare social entrepreneurship models with traditional
business models. Investigate the key differences and similarities, focusing on how social
entrepreneurship uniquely addresses social and environmental challenges.
3. Policy and Regulatory Environment: Investigate how government policies and
regulations either support or hinder the growth of social entrepreneurship. Explore
potential policy changes that could better facilitate the development of sustainable
social enterprises.
4. Collaborative Ecosystems: Study the importance of collaboration between social
enterprises, NGOs, governments, and corporate entities in achieving sustainable
development goals. Investigate how these collaborations enhance impact and
sustainability.
5. Impact Measurement Metrics: Delve into the various metrics used to measure the
social impact of social entrepreneurship initiatives. Explore challenges in quantifying
social change and sustainable development and propose potential solutions.
6. Innovation and Technology: Examine how technological advancements and
innovations contribute to the scalability and effectiveness of social entrepreneurship
initiatives. Investigate the role of digital platforms, blockchain, and other technologies.
7. Youth and Social Entrepreneurship: Explore the role of young entrepreneurs in driving
social change and sustainable development through innovative business models.
Investigate the challenges and opportunities specific to youth-led social enterprises.
8. Investment and Funding: Study the financial landscape of social entrepreneurship,
including impact investing, venture philanthropy, and crowdfunding. Analyze how these
funding mechanisms support the growth of sustainable social enterprises.
9. Education and Capacity Building: Explore how educational institutions and training
programs are preparing individuals for careers in social entrepreneurship. Investigate
the skills and knowledge required for success in this field.
10. Global Perspectives: Compare social entrepreneurship initiatives and their impact
across different countries and regions. Consider cultural, economic, and political factors
that influence the effectiveness of social entrepreneurship.
11. Ethical Considerations: Discuss the ethical implications and challenges faced by social
entrepreneurs, particularly in balancing financial sustainability with social impact.

58
12. Long-Term Sustainability: Investigate how social enterprises can ensure their initiatives
have a lasting impact on communities and the environment, considering factors like
scalability, replicability, and succession planning.
13. Community Engagement: Explore the importance of involving local communities in the
design and implementation of social entrepreneurship projects. Analyze how community
participation contributes to sustainable development.
14. Challenges in Scaling: Examine the difficulties social enterprises encounter when
scaling their operations. Discuss strategies to overcome these challenges while
maintaining their social and environmental mission.
15. Post-Pandemic Resilience: Investigate how social entrepreneurship has adapted and
responded to the challenges posed by global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Explore lessons learned and innovations that emerged.

These suggestions can provide a diverse range of angles to explore within the broader
topic of social entrepreneurship, social change, and sustainable development. You can
select one or more of these suggestions to further refine your research focus.

59
 Objective

1. General Objective:

 To explore the role of social entrepreneurship in fostering social change and driving
sustainable development.

2. Specific Objectives:

a. To examine the conceptual foundations of social entrepreneurship and its

distinguishing features compared to traditional business models.

b. To identify and analyze successful case studies of social entrepreneurship initiatives

that have effectively contributed to positive social change and sustainable development.

c. To assess the impact measurement methods and metrics used in evaluating the social
and environmental outcomes of social entrepreneurship projects.

d. To investigate the challenges and opportunities associated with funding and

investment mechanisms for social enterprises, including impact investing and
philanthropic support.

e. To explore the collaborative networks and partnerships established by social

entrepreneurs with governments, NGOs, corporations, and local communities to
enhance their impact and sustainability.

f. To analyze the role of technological innovation and digital platforms in scaling social
entrepreneurship initiatives and maximizing their reach and effectiveness.

g. To examine the potential of social entrepreneurship as a vehicle for addressing global

challenges and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

h. To evaluate the role of education, capacity building, and training programs in

preparing individuals for successful careers in social entrepreneurship.

i. To investigate the ethical considerations and dilemmas faced by social entrepreneurs

in balancing financial sustainability with their social and environmental mission.

60
j. To propose recommendations and strategies that could enhance the policy
environment, funding mechanisms, and supportive ecosystems for social
entrepreneurship to thrive and achieve meaningful impact.

k. To assess the long-term sustainability and lasting effects of social entrepreneurship

initiatives on communities and the environment.

l. To explore the impact of global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on social
entrepreneurship practices and resilience, and to identify lessons learned.

3. Methodology Objective:

m. To employ a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative case studies and

quantitative data analysis, to comprehensively investigate the multifaceted aspects of
social entrepreneurship, social change, and sustainable development.

These objectives provide a well-rounded framework for your research, allowing you to
delve into various dimensions of the topic and address key questions and concerns
related to social entrepreneurship's role in promoting positive social change and
contributing to sustainable development.

61