SOCIAL ECONOMY & SOCIAL ENTERPRISES: Institutional issues, impact, and historical resilience
(p.13-16) |
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Yorgos RIZOPOULOS , University of Paris |
Dimitra PAPADIMITRIOU, University of Patras |
Niki GLAVELI, University of Aegean |
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Keywords : Social economy, Social enterprise |
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JEL classification : B55, L20, L31 |
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Abstract |
Social economy is the expression of a social, political and cultural movement aimed at the promotion of production and exchange activities governed by participatory practices, self-organization, democracy, ethics, transparency and social responsibility. It relies on the conscious participation of employees organized within work collectives in order to promote their political autonomy, through principles of government and managerial practices based on equality, reciprocity and solidarity among members. The ability of social economy to have an impact on sustainable development at local and national level depends on factors traced both at the macro and the micro level.
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“SOCIAL” ENTERPRISE BY THE “SOCIALIZATION OF CAPITAL” PROCESS IN CAPITALISM (p.17-37) |
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Constantinos V. LAMBROPOULOS, GENERAL CONFEDERATION OF WORKERS OF GREECE |
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Keywords : Social Enterprise, Social Economy, Socialism, Classical Political Economy, Marx, Engels |
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JEL classification : B14, J54, P13 |
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Abstract |
This paper argues alongside the Marxian – Engelsian variant of the Classical Political Economy by considering “social” enterprise as the end outcome of the process of “socialization of the capital” in capitalism. The main theoretical finding of the paper is that “social” enterprise is the enterprise which is owned by all citizens except those who work in it as its salaried employees. This thesis is completely original in the bibliography. Consequently, “social” economy, i.e., the integrated total of “social” enterprises, belongs in common to all citizens by joint share-holding of their capital. Consequently, “social” economy is the economic synonym to a value-based “socialism” minimizing but not eliminating surplus-value, i.e., exploitation of man by man. |
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SOCIAL ENTERPRISES IN BULGARIA: POST-SOCIALIST LEGACY AND STRATEGIC CHANGES OF NPOs AND WORKERS’ COOPERATIVES (p.39-56) |
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Mariyana AMOVA, University of Paris |
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Keywords : Social Enterprise, Social and Solidarity Economy, Non-profit Organizations, Workers Cooperatives |
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JEL classification : L31, L26, J54 |
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Abstract |
This article presents the main factors, features and challenges of the development of social enterprises by worker’s cooperatives and non-profit organizations (NPOs) since the 1990s post-socialist transition until the adoption of the Law on the enterprises of the Social and solidarity economy in 2018. These factors and features have been identified through an extensive case study on the emergence of the Social and solidarity economy (SSE) in Bulgaria conducted between 2015 and 2019. The study shows that social enterprises in Bulgaria are not a new organizational model, but are rather strongly dependent on the heritage of the NPOs and cooperative sectors since the transition. The social enterprise appears as either funding or legitimation strategy implemented by umbrella organizations. We examine several challenges of the development of social enterprises by NPOs and cooperatives related to their specific features and to the required support from the public actor. |
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THE EDUCATIONAL ECOSYSTEM OF SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES: INSIGHTS FROM EUROPE (p.57-78) |
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Luigi CORVO, UNIVERSITY OF ROME “TOR VERGATA” |
Lavinia PASTORE, UNIVERSITY OF ROME “TOR VERGATA” |
Arianna MANTI , UNIVERSITY OF ROME “TOR VERGATA” |
Aikaterini SOTIROPOULOU, UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS |
Erzetic Barbara HVALIC, UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA |
Irma POTOCNIK, UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA |
Marie TAYLOR, LIMERICK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY |
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Keywords : Social enterprise, Sustainability, Growth, Training, Education |
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JEL classification : A2, B55, L31 |
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Abstract |
Social Enterprise (SE) has been an established field of research and training for more than two decades in EU, (EC 2020) and curricula on social enterprise today exist in the high-level educational system (HE) and Vocational Education and Training (VET), both in countries where the social enterprise is widespread and in countries where it is a new trend (Borzaga 2020). This paper reviews the provision of education and training for SE, at HE and VET level, in Italy, Greece, Ireland and Slovenia, with the aim to deepen on what themes are addressed under the topics of sustainability and growth, as well as how social impact is combined with sustainability and growth. Moreover, a focus is given to the training approaches and techniques most utilized by lecturers. The research shows that the provision of education and training in SE varies greatly. The findings identify a range of teaching contents used to address the same topic, specifically for the two issues analyzed (sustainability and growth). At the same time the awareness of the key challenges that characterized SE education programs is broadly shared. |
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CREDIT COOPERATIVES IN BULGARIA AND ROMANIA: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES (p.79-101) |
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Tsvetelina MARINOVA, NEW BULGARIAN UNIVERSITY and University of Picardie Jules Verne |
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Keywords : Rural credit cooperatives, Popular banks, Balkan countries, Agriculture, Socioeconomic development |
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JEL classification : N53, N54, P13, O13, R51 |
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Abstract |
The paper aims at exploring the emergence and evolution of cooperative credit institutions (particularly agricultural credit cooperatives and rural popular banks) in two Balkan countries (Bulgaria and Romania) during different periods of their socioeconomic development (Ottoman, capitalist, socialist and post-socialist/capitalist) from the second half of 19th century till nowadays. Rural credit cooperatives and popular banks became the most widespread and important lending institutions to the peasants from the beginning of 20th century to WWII. The paper discusses the dominant role of the state in the proliferation of credit cooperatives in Bulgaria and Romania which predetermined similarities and divergences in their institutional paths of development. Furthermore, I am interested in the major causes for their disappearance in the post-socialist period as well as the main challenges to credit cooperatives today. |
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THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL BANKING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (p.103-123) |
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Stefanos DOURTMES, INTERNATIONAL HELLENIC UNIVERSITY |
Andreas ANDRIKOPOULOS, UNIVERSITY OF AEGEAN |
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Keywords : Social banking, Economic development, General least squares, Panel data set, Random effects model |
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JEL classification : G21, O16 |
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Abstract |
We investigate the association between social banking and economic development. We employed a random effects model to estimate panel regressions on annual GDP per capita growth and assess the variables that concern social banking and can affect economic development. We find statistically a significant relationship between social banking and economic development in developing countries. It seems that social impact and financial sustainability, even when achieved simultaneously, can be beneficial for the economy. |
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DETERMINANTS OF SURVIVAL: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM EUROPEAN SOCIAL AND NON-SOCIAL ENTERPRISES (p.125-141) |
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Kristjana JACE, HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITY |
Leonidas MAROUDAS, UNIVERSITY OF PATRAS |
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Keywords : Social and non-social enterprises; Bankruptcy; Empirical analysis |
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JEL classification : G33, L25, L26, L31 |
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Abstract |
This study contrasts bankrupt social enterprises with bankrupt non-social enterprises in order to identify distinguishing financial features (if any) influencing the survival prospects of aforementioned groups. To do so we explore a rich sample of 1249 European firms for the period 2008-2017. We provide empirical evidence that certain financial figures such as sales growth and leverage do affect differently social and non-social enterprises. Future research could verify these results using more advanced econometric techniques and a battery of additional sensitivity tests. |
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