The Role of CSR on Social Entrepreneurship: An International Analysis

Abstract

The increase in the weight of social entrepreneurship (SE) in the economy has driven the increase in research on the subject. Within the set of approaches developed by scholars to analyse SE, the institutional approach has recently acquired greater relevance. Following this research trend, this article seeks to expand the empirical research on SE by focusing on the informal factors that are less studied in the literature and using a cross-national base. Using the New Institutional Economics and partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), our findings show the influence of cultural context on the SE dimension. In addition, this influence occurs through two groups of variables led by social capital and corporate social responsibility, although their impacts show opposite signs. These factors have important implications for policy makers in charge of fostering SE development.

Does Entrepreneur Moral Reflectiveness Matter? Pursing Low-Carbon Emission Behavior among SMEs through the Relationship between Environmental Factors, Entrepreneur Personal Concept, and Outcome Expectations

“…Sampene et al [36] suggested that entrepreneurs can contribute to education and to job creation, improve the environment, contribute to social and economic progress, and meet other basic human needs. The importance of sustainability and the critical role of entrepreneurs in solving social and environmental problems has increased the relevance of CSR significantly over the last three decades [37]. Entrepreneurs are supported in conducting a voluntary campaign and exhibiting behavior that supports CSR to help maintain the environment in which they operate.…”

Entrepreneurship and Sport: A Strategy for Social Inclusion and Change

“…In the process of creating social value, understood as the commitment of a company to achieve community improvement [ 82 ], corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays an important role as a support element to social entrepreneurship [ 83 ], since it helps entrepreneurs to fulfill those responsibilities aimed at improving people’s quality of life [ 84 ], and to act positively to strengthen the welfare state [ 66 ].…”

The Social Economy as a Factor of Economic Development and Resilience of Population in Rural Areas. A Study of Mediating Effects in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)

“…This allows them to integrate the needs and concerns of the environment [22], taking into account its specific circumstances (social, environmental and cultural), while acting as dynamizing agents of local resources [106]. In addition, their activity is linked to a specific area which favors, on the one hand, the creation of networks capable of strengthening the social and economic relations of local actors [107], and, on the other hand, the reinvestment of profits causing a multiplier effect on the generation of wealth, employment, and economic activity [16], bringing added value to the local development process [108,109]. In this way, social economy companies play a key role as service providers in those areas that are less attractive, economically speaking, for the rest of the for-profit companies [110].…”

“…Following the theoretical framework proposed, social economy entities act as development agents in rural and depressed areas [17,21] through the generation of economic activity [111]. This, in turn, allows the emergence of new companies in the different sectors of economic activity [112], strengthening the economic and social relations of the actors involved [23,107], and favoring the process of modernization and industrialization of the productive fabric [114], as well as the diversification of the business fabric [32,116]. Similarly, they act on job creation [101,113]), and thus on an improvement of the labor market, collaborating both in the livelihood of local economic activity, as well as in the resilience of the population [18,26,125].…”