Social enterprise – a new phenomenon in the field of economic and social welfare?

Drawing upon insights from historical institutionalism, this article critically examines the origins of social enterprise and its emergence into the mainstream policy arena. It begins by relating the social enterprise idea to major non-state/non-private institutional traditions, including the European social economy, US non-profits and the UK charitable sector, and places it within the specific field of economic and social welfare. In so doing, the article contests the idea that social enterprise is a new phenomenon in the social welfare field and proposes instead that the supposed ‘novelty’ of social enterprise as an organizational form and a subject of public policy lies primarily in the nature of the socio-political and economic context of the 1980s–1990s, during which time it became ‘en vogue’. The process of institutionalization of social enterprise and its ascension into the mainstream policy arena is examined in more detail in the case of England during the time New Labour was in office and beyond, and lessons are drawn from this experience concerning both the role that social enterprise plays or is expected to play as a vehicle to address economic and social needs, and how this is intertwined with both a dominant neo-liberal discourse, as well as alternative perspectives that emphasize more equalitarian and sustainable development paths. The article concludes with some reflections in relation to the apparent consensus that seems to exist around social enterprise as a legitimate subject of public policy and the resulting social enterprization of public services which is currently taking place in England

Outsider missing link or panacea? Some Reflections about the place of social enterprise (with)in and in relation to the Third Sector.

The paper argues that visions of social enterprise and its relationship with the third sector vary significantly from those that loudly or silently see social enterprise as conventional businesses and therefore as ‘outsiders’ to the third sector to those that see them as the ‘missing link’ between the third sector and markets and even as a ‘panacea’ to solve social problems. The paper critically examines these views in the UK context and concludes with some policy considerations in relation to the place of social enterprise within the third sector and future policy scenarios

CHANGES IN THE U.S. DEMAND FOR SUGAR AND IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPORT POLICIES

The thrust of this paper is to identify and measure structural changes in the U.S. demand for sugar and to derive subsequent implications for import restriction policies. Empirical results indicate that changes in consumer preferences and the availability of closer and cheaper sweeteners in food processing, especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), are exerting a downward pressure on sugar demand. As the U.S. demand for sugar decreases and the food industry adjusts faster to sweetener choices, the U.S. government would have to impose more restrictive import barriers to maintain prices to domestic sugar and HFCS producers. Furthermore, the welfare impact of U.S. sugar policy options on domestic consumers and food processors will be lessened.Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade,

Realising the diversity dividend: population diversity and urban economic development.

This paper critically examines the increasing use of population diversity as a source of competitive advantage and distinctiveness within policies promoting urban economic development. Rising levels of population diversity are a characteristic feature of many urban areas and this has led to increased policy attempts to realise a so-called ‘diversity dividend’. Yet much of this policy thinking demonstrates a restricted understanding of the nature of the relationships between diverse populations and urban economic change. Through a comprehensive review of existing theoretical and policy practice in relation to population diversity, this paper identifies an often narrow focus upon higher skilled and income populations and their needs within much urban economic policy thinking. It is argued that a more critical and wide-ranging approach to the complex relationship between population diversity and city development is required if a more just form of urban economic development is to be achieved

Conflict, displacement, and economic revival: the case of the internally displaced minority entrepreneurs in Pakistan

This article examines entreprise activities developed by internally displaced religious minorities (IDRM) and the role that social capital plays in supporting such activities. In particular, the paper examines how social capital is linked to micro enterprise development and the economic survival/revival of internally displaced religious minorities in Pakistan and why the link between entrepreneurship and social capital is critical for contexts with absent or poorly designed enterprise development policies. A three-staged, sequential research design was adopted, which comprised the analysis of secondary data on IDRM, face-to-face survey of entrepreneurs and interviews in two selected study sites. Our evidence shows how the role of social capital in supporting entrepreneurial activities is determined by socioeconomic inequalities as well as the characteristics of the formal enterprise support infrastructure, i.e. where formal institutions are weak, social capital is the main source of entrepreneurial support, with different types of social capital networks delivering different outcomes

Social enterprise support policies: distinctions and challenges

This chapter examines the support infrastructure for a specific segment of the SME market, namely social enterprises. The first section briefly examines the different definitions of social enterprise found in different countries. There is a spectrum of types of organisations ranging from commercial enterprises with social objectives, to voluntary or community sector organisations that have an element of trading activity. The second section discusses the rationales for public sector interest in support, examining how this differs between countries and over time. Particular attention is given to the emergence of social enterprise policies in the UK. The third section examines the different types of support that are commonly provided. This includes: encouraging social entrepreneurship and attitudes to starting a social enterprise; training and advisory services for start ups and for those wanting to grow or survive; social investment and finance; social enterprises and public sector procurement; and the transfer of public assets to social enterprise organisations. The final section examines the challenges of evaluating the effectiveness of these policies. Since social enterprises provide a combination of social, environmental and financial objectives, evaluation measures have to address both economic benefits and broader social value

Urban governance and economic development in the diverse city

This paper examines the discourses and practices surrounding urban governance and cultural diversity in relation to issues of economic development and labour market inclusion. The paper sets out the conceptual and political importance of an approach to the governance of cultural diversity in relation to the urban economy that is embedded within specific historic-spatial settings, and draws together wider institutional contexts with the specificities of urban spaces and places. Through examination of recent changes in the economic governance of London, a global city characterized by a rapidly growing and highly diverse population, the paper demonstrates the conflicts and contradictory tendencies evident in contemporary governance discourses and practice towards diverse populations. The analysis presented demonstrates how governance in London has developed in face of the tensions that exist between the spatially rooted costs and benefits of diversity within the urban economic development process, and the contradictions apparent within a discourse that seeks to combine notions of community cohesion and economic inclusion with neoliberal economic practice and widening levels of inequality

New ethnic minority business communities in Britain: challenges of diversity and informality for the UK business and policy frameworks.

Ethnic minority entrepreneurship in Britain is no longer mainly associated with established ethnic minority groups, notably, South Asian and Afro-Caribbean, but rather immigrant entrepreneurs are increasingly evident from the world over. This phenomenon, which is a product of the increasingly complex socio-economic geography that is emerging in many British cities as a result of globalisation, mass migration and the so called ‘diversification of diversity’, is particularly evident in the global ‘ethnic supermarket’ that is contemporary London. Yet, the phenomenon constitutes something of a challenge for mainstream business support organisations. The paper will therefore seek to address this challenge by exploring (a) the current understanding of the nature of entrepreneurship among new and emerging ethnic minority business communities; and (b) the relationship between such enterprise activity and the UK institutional business framework. The aim is to provide a basis for the development of policy strategies that can effectively engage with these groups, particularly with respect to the current interest in the possibilities for enabling transition from informal into formal enterprise activity

'Social enterprise spin-outs': an institutional analysis of their emergence and potential

The recent phenomenon of public sector ‘social enterprise spin-outs’ is examined in order to critically assess their nature and innovative potential as providers of public services. The study utilises a theoretical model of institutional creation and change which incorporates key characteristics of ‘corporate spin-outs’ and ‘university spin-outs’ to facilitate the examination of their public sector counterparts, drawing on interview evidence from 30 newly-established social enterprise providers of health and care services in England. A main contribution of the paper is to provide a conceptual framework which sheds light on the strengths and potential vulnerabilities of social enterprise spin-outs as novel organisations that span the public, private and civil society sectors

Territorial capital as a source of firm competitive advantage: evidence from the North and South of Italy

This paper investigates how territorial capital, defined as a mix of tangible and intangible local resources accumulated over time across different territories, becomes a source of competitive advantage for firms. The study draws upon semi-structured interviews with firms’ owner-managers operating in the North and South of Italy and shows how local resources generate firms’ costs and differentiation advantages through acting as territorial externalities or becoming an essential core asset to the firm. Results demonstrate how local resources are highly interconnected, making territorial capital unique in each place and not easily imitable, which ensures long term competitive advantages for those firms that benefit from its endowment. A mix of advanced local resources developed through long term investment is shown to be more valuable for firms than inherited resources, provided by ‘God’ or ‘ancestors’. Using the concept of territorial capital in this manner provides insights into understanding sources of firm competitiveness related to location and the persistence of territorial economic disparities