This paper analyzes the situation of social enterprises in Ireland. The first part provides an updated representation of the Irish social enterprise sector, while the second part presents Camara Education as a specific case of a successful Irish social enterprise. Read More
This paper describes the role of social enterprises and social cooperatives as a type of nonprofit economic organization that is assuming an increasingly central role in Europe (as demonstrated, for example, by the Social Business Initiative recently launched by the European Commission), contributing to its economic and social growth. Read More
In the European and Italian landscape, community enterprises are emerging, under different institutional forms, as key players in urban regeneration processes. The paper proposes an analysis of the Italian context proceeding from institutionalized organizations to less formal ones: community cooperatives, social enterprises and urban commons linked to social movements. Read More
Social entrepreneurship in Croatia is a rather new phenomenon and is still poorly developed. The paper continues on from the findings of the author’s PhD research and its intention is to provide an understanding of the socio-economic, political and cultural context in which social entrepreneurship emerges, as well as an overview of the current stage of its development in Croatia. Read More
This paper presents the experience of the Work Integration Social Enterprise (WISE) named Manipulados y Servicios Picarral SL. (MAPISER). This social enterprise is focused on employment and social integration for people with physical, sensory, intellectual, and mental illnesses. Read More
In this paper we use a unique dataset to study how participation in two specific types of nonprofit organizations, namely social welfare associations and social cooperatives, affects individual social capital. Descriptive analysis shows that both types of organizations have a positive impact. Read More
The main part of this paper is concerned with describing the legal models of cooperative societies from different perspectives: (a) by origin, (b) by type of cooperative, and (c) by continent. Conclusions are drawn on international guidelines for good cooperative law around a common core-the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Declaration of Cooperative Identity. Read More
This paper contributes to the literature by carrying out the first empirical investigation into the role of different types of enterprises in the creation of social trust. Drawing on a unique dataset collected through the administration of a questionnaire to a representative sample of the population of the Italian Province of Trento in March 2011, we find that cooperatives are the only type of enterprise where the work environment fosters the social trust of workers. Read More
Among the various expressions of social innovation, the regeneration of community assets by social purpose enterprises is assuming increasing prominence.The paper aims to explore this topic in depth, analyzing the main critical junctures of regeneration processes and highlighting the convergence at the scholarly level between the definitions of social enterprise and public policy. Read More
This article presents the main findings of an exploratory study of the social enterprise sector in Switzerland, funded by the National Science Research Fund, focusing on the purpose of job placement of vulnerable people. Read More
This study analyzes the contribution of social cooperatives in Italy at the regional level, highlighting differences related to age and business sectors. It also assesses social cooperative efficiency and profitability by conducting further analysis based on a series of economic and financial ratios. Read More
The crisis in global markets has severely affected the labor market, on the one hand, making it even more difficult for disadvantaged people to find new jobs and, on the other, creating new conditions of social fragility and thus new labor needs. While social cooperatives are a concrete way to respond to these emergencies, they often find themselves having to self-sustain in a highly competitive market with narrow profitability margins and restrictive spending policies. Read More