Determinants of the Development of Social Enterprises in the Lagging Region of Warmia and Mazury
Social enterprises in Europe are increasingly evolving into hybrid entities, simultaneously striving to attain both social and economic objectives. This transformation aligns them uniquely with the EU's Cohesion Policy, which seeks to reduce disparities and promote harmonious development acr...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Editura ASE
2024-05-01
|
| Series: | Amfiteatru Economic |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.amfiteatrueconomic.ro/temp/Article_3317.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Social enterprises in Europe are increasingly evolving into hybrid entities, simultaneously
striving to attain both social and economic objectives. This transformation aligns them
uniquely with the EU's Cohesion Policy, which seeks to reduce disparities and promote
harmonious development across its regions. These hybrid enterprises can play a central role
in this policy framework, particularly in regions marked by economic and social challenges.
The main objective of the paper is to explore potential strategies to improve the
performance of social enterprises operating in economically disadvantaged regions. The
Warmia and Mazury region in Poland serves as a pertinent example in this context, marked
by the highest unemployment rate in the nation alongside other notably weak economic
indicators. These factors contribute to its designation as a “lagging region” by the European
Union, thus making it a focal point for intervention under the Cohesion Policy. A key
strategy suggested for regions facing these challenges involves fostering the growth of
social enterprises, which are dedicated to addressing social issues through market-driven
approaches. This study presents findings derived from a survey-based methodology. A
comprehensive analysis was conducted on data sourced from 104 social enterprises in the
Warmia and Mazury region, employing univariate descriptive statistical techniques. These
techniques included the evaluation of frequency distributions, the calculation of
percentages, means, standard deviations, and the application of nonparametric tests. The
analysis provided insights that indicated that social enterprises that engaged in diversified
business practices exhibited superior effectiveness compared to those with a narrower
scope of activities. Furthermore, the perspectives of managers of these social enterprises
were scrutinised, revealing a significant trend. The managers of diversified companies
possessed a markedly optimistic outlook for future financial performance. However, it is
important to note a critical limitation observed in the study – even the enterprises that demonstrated success within their local region faced challenges in replicating this success
in other areas, suggesting a potential constraint in the scalability of their business models.
|
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1582-9146 2247-9104 |