Addressing Poverty through Social Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development

Toledano Hesselbarth^*
*Correspondence: Toledano Hesselbarth, Department of Business Management, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, 95400 Tornio, Finland, Email:

Keywords

Social entrepreneurship • Poverty alleviation • Sustainable development • Economic empowerment • Community development • Innovative business models • Social impact • Inclusive growth • poverty eradication

Introduction

Poverty remains a pressing global challenge, with approximately 689 million people living below the international poverty line. In response to this challenge, social entrepreneurship has emerged as a promising approach to address poverty and promote sustainable development. Social entrepreneurs leverage innovative business models to tackle social and environmental issues while generating financial returns. This article aims to analyze the scholarly literature on social entrepreneurship and its role in poverty alleviation and sustainable development through a bibliometric lens. The bibliometric analysis employs various bibliographic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar, to identify relevant scholarly articles published between 2000 and 2023. Keywords such as "social entrepreneurship," "poverty alleviation," and "sustainable development" are used to conduct the search. The analysis focuses on parameters such as publication trends, citation patterns, geographic distribution and thematic clusters to provide a comprehensive overview of the field [1].

Literature Review

The analysis reveals a significant increase in the number of publications on social entrepreneurship over the past two decades, indicating growing scholarly interest in the field. Key themes explored in the literature include the role of social entrepreneurship in poverty alleviation, sustainable business models, impact measurement and policy implications. Moreover, there is a notable shift towards interdisciplinary research, with scholars integrating insights from economics, sociology and environmental studies into their work. Several influential authors have contributed significantly to the discourse on social entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Notable scholars such as Muhammad Yunus, Ashoka Founder Bill Drayton and Sally Osberg have shaped the field with their pioneering research and practical initiatives. Furthermore, prestigious journals like the Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprise Journal and Stanford Social Innovation Review serve as platforms for disseminating cutting-edge research and best practices in the field [2,3].

Scholars examine the impact of microfinance institutions and other financial inclusion initiatives in empowering marginalized communities and reducing poverty levels. Social Innovation and Enterprise Models: This cluster explores innovative business models and strategies employed by social entrepreneurs to address societal challenges while ensuring financial sustainability. Researchers analyze the role of government policies, regulatory frameworks and institutional support in fostering an enabling environment for social entrepreneurship and sustainable development. This cluster focuses on methodologies and tools for assessing the social, environmental and economic impact of social enterprises and their interventions [4].

Discussion

The findings of this bibliometric analysis have several implications for practitioners, policymakers and researchers. Firstly, it underscores the importance of fostering an ecosystem that supports social entrepreneurship through access to funding, capacity-building programs and supportive policy frameworks. Secondly, it highlights the need for rigorous impact assessment methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of social entrepreneurship interventions in addressing poverty and achieving sustainable development goals. Finally, it emphasizes the role of collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders to drive meaningful change and create lasting social impact [5,6].

Conclusion

Social entrepreneurship holds immense potential as a driver of poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Through a bibliometric analysis of the scholarly literature, this article provides valuable insights into key trends, influential authors, prominent journals and thematic clusters within the field. By understanding and leveraging these insights, stakeholders can better harness the power of social entrepreneurship to create positive social, environmental and economic outcomes for communities around the world.

Acknowledgement

None.

Conflict of Interest

There are no conflicts of interest by author.

References

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