The influence of cultural dimensions on social enterpriser models
a comparative study between Italy and Romania
Abstract
In the current context of increasing social inequalities and global economic fragility, the social economy represents a new economic model with people at its center. It promotes poverty reduction, a transition towards sustainable cities and communities, and responsible consumption and production. In recent years, various social economy initiatives have been developed in the European Union, inspired by the community's legislative and regulatory framework. European social economy development follows different rhythms due to the socio-economic, cultural, and political diversity of various Member States. However, this diversity is often overlooked in academic literature, which tends to focus on individual country-level examinations. To address this gap, a comparative study was conducted between Italy and Romania, two culturally different countries with varying levels of economic development. This study aims to investigate the relationships between Hofstede's cultural factors and dominant social enterprise models for each country. A descriptive analysis of the two contexts was conducted to determine if cultural factors influence one social enterprise model over another. The study sheds light on how social economy manifests uniquely across diverse cultural settings. The findings may be useful for political leaders when selecting appropriate policies and development strategies for the social economy, to achieve a unified and shared vision and definition.
Keywords: Social enterprise, culture, comparative study, European Union, social economy.
References
Barna, C.–Zbuchea, A.–Stanescu, S. (2023): Social economy enterprises contributing to the circular economy and the green transition in Romania. CIRIEC-España, Revista de Economía Pública, Social y Cooperativa, 47. https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-E.107.21738
Borzaga, C.–Galera, G.–Franchini, B.–Chiomento, S.–Nogales, R.–Carini, C. (2020): Social enterprises and their ecosystems in Europe. Comparative Synthesis Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Retrieved April, 30, 2020. Available at https://europa.eu/!Qq64ny
Borzaga, C.–Salvatori, G. (2024): Sul Concetto E La Rilevanza Dell’Economia Sociale. Euricse Working Paper Series, pp. 133–24. Available at https://ssrn.com/abstract=4766341
Cibor, K. (2012): Social economy sector in Poland and the role of non-governmental organizations in its creation and development. Civil Szemle, 9., (4.), pp. 53–69. Available at http://www.cpf.sk/files/files/CivSzle_2012_4_web%20Export.pdf#page=8
Cornforth, C. (2014): Understanding and combating mission drift in social enterprises. Social Enterprise Journal, 10., (1.), pp. 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-09-2013-0036
Dagnino, E. (2022): Labour and social econ omy in Italy: A comp osite legal framework. Revue de Droit Comparé Du Travail et de La Sécurité Sociale, 4., pp. 80–93. https://doi.org/10.4000/rdctss.4686
Dees, J. G. (2012): A tale of two cultures: Charity, problem solving, and the future of social entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics, 111., pp. 321–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1412-5
Defourny, J.–Nyssens, M. (2008): Social enterprise in Europe: Contemporary trends and developments. Social Enterprise Journal, 4., (3.), pp. 202–228. https://doi.org/10.1108/17508610810922703
Defourny, J.–Nyssens, M. (2013): Social inn ovation, social econ omy and social enter prise: What can the European debate tell us? In: F. Moulaert–D. MacCallum–A. Mehmood–A. Hamdouch: The International Handbook on Social Innovation. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 40–52. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781849809993.00013
Defourny, J.–Nyssens, M. (2017): Fundamentals for an International Typology of Social Enterprise Models. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 28., (6.), pp. 2469–2497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-017-9884-7
Esposito, P.–Doronzo, E.–Dicorato, S. L. (2023): The financial and green effects of cultural values on mission drifts in European social enterprises. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32., (1.), pp. 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3115
Eti-Tofinga, B.–Douglas, H.–Singh, G. (2017): Influence of ev olving culture on l eadership: A study of Fijian cooperatives. European Business Review, 29., (5.), pp. 534–550. ttps://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-10-2015-0122
Gidron, B. (2017): The Dual Hybridity of Social Enterprises for Marginalized Populations. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 8., (1.), pp. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2016.1207700
Gonçalves, C. P.–Carrara, K.–Schmittel, R. M. (2016): The phenomenon of social enterprises: Are we keeping watch on this cultural practice? VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 27., pp. 1585–1610. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-015-9624-9
Harms, R.–Groen, A. (2017): Loosen up? Cultural tightness and national entrepreneurial activity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 121., pp. 196–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.04.013
Hyanek, V. (2012): Czech social economy and social enterprises: current development and challenges. Civil Szemle, 9., (4.), pp. 7–28. Available at http://www.cpf.sk/files/files/CivSzle_2012_4_web%20Export.pdf#page=8
Hofstede, G. (1980): Culture and Organizations. International Studies of Management–Organization, 10., (4.), pp. 15–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/00208825.1980.11656300
Hofstede, G. (1984): Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values, 5., SAGE Publications.
Hofstede, G. (1991): Empirical models of cultural differences. In: N. Bleichrodt–P. J. D. Drenth: Contemporary issues in cross-cultural psychology, Swets–Zeitlinger Publishers. pp. 4–20.
Jaén, I.–Fernández-Serrano, J.–Santos, F. J.–Liñán, F. (2017): Cultural Values and Social Entrepreneurship: A Cross-Country Efficiency Analysis. In: M. Peris-Ortiz–F. Teulon,–D. Bonet-Fernandez:
Social Entrepreneurship in Non-Profit and Profit Sectors, 36., Springer International Publishing, pp. 31–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50850-4_3
Kedmenec, I.–Strašek, S. (2017): Are some cultur es more favourable for social entr epreneurship than others? Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 30., (1.), pp. 1461–1476. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2017.1355251
Kerlin, J. A. (2006): Social enterprise in the United States and Europe: Understanding and learning from the differences. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 17., pp. 246–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-006-9016-2
Kerlin, J. A. (2009): Social enter prise: A global comparison. UPNE.
Kerlin, J. A. (2010): A comparative analysis of the global emergence of social enterprise. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 21., pp. 162–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-010-9126-8
Lambru, M.–Petrescu, C. (2017): Romania: Fostering social enterprise in a post-transitional context: Caught between social enterprise country models. In: Shaping social enterprise: Understanding institutional context and influence. Emerald Publishing Limited. pp. 109–138. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78714-250-320171005
Lambru, M.–Petrescu, C. (2019): Social enterprises and their ecosystems in Europe. Country Report ROMANIA. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2767/481622
Law no. 219/2015 regarding the social economy. Official Gazette of Romania, Part I, 561.
Legislative Decree no. 112/2017 regarding the Review of the regulations on social enterprise,pursuant to article 2, paragraph 2, letter c) of law 6 June 2016, n. 106. Gazzetta Ufficiale.General Series 167., 19-07-2017.
Meyer, J. W. (2010): World Society, Institutional Theories, and the Actor. Annual Review of Sociology,36., (1.), pp. 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.012809.102506
Monzón, J. L.–Chaves, R. (2017): Recent evolutions of the Social Economy in the European Union. Brussels: European Economic and Social Committee , CIRIEC. https ://doi.org/10.2864/699
Nicholls, A.–Cho, A. H. (2006): Social entrepreneurship: The structuration of a field. In: A. Nicholls: Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of S ustainable Social Chang e, Oxford, pp. 99–118.
OECD (2022): Designing Legal Frameworks for Social Enterprises: Practical Guidance for Policy Makers. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. https://www.oecdilibrary.
org/urban-rural-and-regional-development/designing-legal-frameworks-for-socialenterprises_172b60b2-en
Osborne, S. P. (2010): Introduction The (N ew) Public Governance: A suitable case f or treatment? In: The new public governance? Routledge, pp. 17–32.
Poledrini, S.–Borzaga, C. (2021): Social Enterprise in Italy. In: J. Defourny–M. Nyssens: Social Enterprise in Western Europe: Theory, Models and P ractice, Routledge, pp. 131–148.
Pounder, P. A. (2021): Social entrepreneurship and cultural contextualization: A review. International Journal of Development Issues, 20., (3.), pp. 344–357. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJDI-02- 2021-0029
Salamon, L. M.–Hems, L. C.–Chinnock, K. (2000): The nonprofit sector: For what and for whom? 37., Johns Hopkins University.
Senge, K. (2013): The ‘new institutionalism’in organization theory: Bringing society and culture back. The American Sociologist, 44., pp. 76–95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-012-9170-5
Shaw, E.–De Bruin, A. (201 3): Reconsidering capitalism: The pr omise of social inn ovation and social entrepreneurship? International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship,
, (7.), pp. 737–746. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242613497494
Suddaby, R.–Elsbach, K. D.–Greenwood, R.–Meyer, J. W.–Zilber, T. B. (2010): Organizations and Their Institutional Environments – Bringing Meaning, Values, and Culture Back In: Introduction to the Special Research Forum. Academy of Management Journal, 53., (6.), pp. 1234–1240. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.57317486
Vickers, I.–Lyon, F.–Sepulveda, L.–McMullin, C. (2017): Public service innovation and multiple institutional logics: The case of hybrid social enterprise providers of health and wellbeing. Research Policy, 46., (10.), pp. 1755–1768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.08.003
Yaari, M.–Blit-Cohen, E.–Savaya, R. (2020): Management in social enterprises – Management style, challenges, and strategies. Journal of General Management, 46., (1.), pp. 36–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306307020919529
Yaari, M.–Blit-Cohen, E.–Savaya, R. (2021): Hybrid Organizational Culture: The Case of Social Enterprises. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 12., (2.), pp. 291–313. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420676.2019.1702581
