The role of social entrepreneurs in social economy: a case of Lithuanian social enterprises

Abstract

Individual entrepreneurship is very important as a source facilitating the development of social economy. As emphasized by Anderson, “it is not surprising that the entrepreneur appears as a hero in the innovation discourse and the modernization rhetoric, and to promote this conception, the proverb “None other but the imagination puts limits on what is possible” is repeated over and over again” (Andersen, 2008, p.55). However, the term “social entrepreneur” lacks a clear definition (Abu-Saifan, 2012), as the whole phenomenon of “social entrepreneurship” is still in early development state in Lithuania compared to other Western European countries (Greblikate, 2012). The key aim of an entrepreneur is to create economic welfare, whereas the key aim of social entrepreneurs is to achieve a social mission, contributing to social economy goals (Dees, 2001). Austin et al. (2006) note, that the key difference between social and commercial entrepreneurs is the nature of the organization’s missions and possibilities: social entrepreneurs aim at creating social worth for the society’s benefit, whilst commercial entrepreneurs aim at creating economic value for the owners of the organization. Thus, the creation of a social impact becomes central rather than the creation of profit (Dees, 2001).