Eco-social enterprises in practice and theory - A radical versus mainstream view

JOHANISOVÁ, Naděžda and Eva FRAŇKOVÁ. Eco-social enterprises in practice and theory - A radical versus mainstream view. In Anastasiadis, Maria. ECO-WISE-Social Enterprises as Sustainable Actors. Brenen: Europaischer Hochschulverlag GmbH, 2013, p. 110-129. 1ed. Studies in Comparative Social Pedagogies and International Social Work and Social Policy, Vol. XVI. ISBN 978-3-86741-893-5.

Basic information

• Original name: Eco-social enterprises in practice and theory - A radical versus mainstream view
• Authors: JOHANISOVÁ, Naděžda (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Eva FRAŇKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Brenen, ECO-WISE-Social Enterprises as Sustainable Actors, p. 110-129, 20 pp. 1ed. Studies in Comparative Social Pedagogies and International Social Work and Social Policy, Vol. XVI, 2013.
• Publisher: Europaischer Hochschulverlag GmbH

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Chapter(s) of a specialized book
• Field of Study: 50200 5.2 Economics and Business
• Country of publisher: Germany
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Publication form: printed version "print"
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14230/13:00071244
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• ISBN: 978-3-86741-893-5
• Keywords in English: ecological economics; eco-social eterprises

Abstract

Social enterprises have been studied from various perspectives, which can roughly be collapsed under the "mainstream" and the "radical". From the "mainstream" perspective, social enterprises are seen as complements to mainstream enterprises, mitigating poverty and inequality and enhancing employment and growth. From the "radical" perspective they are seen as alternatives to mainstream enterprises and as part of an alternative non-growing economy, based on co-operation, sharing and equity. The definition of eco-social enterprise depends on the definition of social enterprise, which in turn depends on authors perspectives. Based on research from Great Britain and the Czech Republic, we look at eco-social enterprises and discuss their forms and definitions from an explicitly "radical" perspective. We first give a generic overview of different types of eco-social enterprises, showing that not all of them exist primarily to provide goods and services and that many have combined ecological and social goals. We also suggest that social enterprises that have explicit ecological goals are more likely to have beneficial social impacts as well, while the reverse (explicitly socially oriented social enterprises with added-on environmental benefits) is less common. We then suggest a revision of the mainstream definitions of eco-social enterprise to include entities that do not aim at operating in the mainstream economy and those without a formal legal structure. We go on to discuss the structural aspects of social enterprises (share ownership rules, governance structure, not-only for profit character) that arguably give every social enterprise a potential green dimension, and finish with discussing five dimensions of an eco-social enterprise which might form the basis of a tentative sliding-scale definition (goal of activity, dimension of production/consumption process, scale and governance structure).