Abstract
The objective of the thesis is to find out the major factors contributing to the sustainability of social enterprise business models. It aims to study whether social enterprises manage to successfully balance social and economic value creation. The thesis addresses the research gaps on the impact of social imprinting, strength of the partner network, social bricolage and public sector on sustainability of social enterprises. The paper-based thesis consists of three papers and uses a mixed methodology combining systematic literature review, quantitative and qualitative studies.The first chapter describes the nature of social entrepreneurship (SE), comparing it to other types of entrepreneurship and presents the main social entrepreneurial paradigms. Through an analysis of SE typologies, schools of thought and definitional debates, as well as legal differences and national specificities, a definition of social entrepreneurship is proposed from the common core of these approaches. The ways for the operationalization of the definition are also offered.In the second chapter, a conceptual model of sustainability of social enterprises is introduced and tested on the data collected from 115 Swedish work integration social enterprises (WISEs). Multiple regression analysis of the data suggests that social imprinting and the strength of the partner network have a positive relationship with social performance, whereas social bricolage has a positive impact on both social and economic performance of SEs. The results also show that social and economic performance of social enterprises are positively associated with each other, suggesting that SEs can be successful in both dimensions.Finally, the third chapter offers a case study analysis covering 29 interviews with Swedish work integration social enterprises and their stakeholders based in the region of Scania, Sweden. Data analysis shows that SEs are characterised with a variety of levels of social imprinting, collaborations and social bricolage. The chapter also discusses the challenges that SEs face in balancing social and economic goals, as well as business model patterns which contribute to their social and economic outcomes. Lastly, the influential role of the public sector in sustainability of social enterprises is discussed.The thesis contributes to the SE literature by studying the gaps in relationship between social and economic value creation among SEs, as well as impact of social imprinting, partner network, social bricolage, and public sector on sustainability of social enterprises and their business models.