On Social Enterprises and Social Entrepreneurship: An Extension

Abstract

Abstract Research on social entrepreneurship still lacks theoretical depth, as well as the analysis of the antecedents that lead to the emergence of social enterprises. Seeking to advance such discussion, this paper aims to analyze if and how the conceptual model for analysis of social entrepreneurship antecedents proposed by Jiao in 2011 is empirically supported. Thus, semi-structured interviews with ten Brazilian social entrepreneurs were conducted. From the results, the existence of a new antecedent not described in the conceptual model developed by Jiao was identified, and a framework for analysis of the antecedents that lead to the emergence of social enterprises is being proposed in this paper. The framework elaborated from cases present in an emerging economy that has several social problems also points to analytical inconsistencies in Jiao’s model. Besides allowing the theoretical advance about the initial stage of social enterprises formation, this paper also contributes presenting relations that help minimize the theoretical misunderstanding about the conceptualization of social entrepreneurship, generating a clarified definition. In addition, an agenda with directions for future research on social enterprises and social entrepreneurship is proposed.