Editorial

Abstract

Nowadays, Social Entrepreneurship attracts the attention of both academics and practitioners, as it is supported by the growth of the theoretical literature about the topic, as well as by the rise of new scientific and not scientific communities (Zahra et al., 2009; Chell, 2007). However, in spite of this, social entrepreneurship is still a misunderstood phenomenon, challenged by competing definitions and conceptual frameworks, gaps in the research literature, and limited empirical data (Mair & Marti, 2006; Nicholls, 2006). As Cukier, Trenholm, Carl and Gekas (2011) show, the available studies about social entrepreneurship lack for consistency in definitions and the objects of focus, as well as for rigorous comparative analysis. In a content analysis of 567 unique articles concerning ‘social entrepreneur’ or ‘social entrepreneurship’, the authors highlight the existing overlapping between and among different levels of analysis, including studies of individuals (micro), studies of organisations and processes (meso), and broader studies of the economic, political and societal context (macro). They also found that the majority of the journal articles focused are more theoretically grounded than empirically based. Referring to its meaning, definitions of Social Entrepreneurship are often vague, covering a wide variety of activities and representing different models worldwide (Hoogendoon & Hartog, 2011; Kerlin, 2009; Nicholls & Cho, 2006). The multiplicity of actors involved in innovative and social activities, as well as the variety of motives which lie upon their adoption (Baccarani & Pedrollo, 2015) also improve the complexity of the phenomenon. Therefore, the need for a better understanding of social innovation processes in different contexts (e.g. Canestrino, Bonfanti, & Oliaee, 2015) was elicited, thus the present call for articles was announced.