Do Finnish work integration enterprises benefit the community?

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Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Volume 11, Issue 2

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Do Finnish work integration enterprises benefit the community?

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Author(s): Helinä Melkas , Virpi Koskela , Tuija Oikarinen , Suvi Konsti-Laakso

Publication date (Print): Winter 2017

Journal: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

This study explores Finnish work integration social enterprises through social enterprise criteria identified in previous research, notably the aim to benefit the community. Previous research has identified positive motivations in social enterprises, but whether these are played out in practice is less examined. This study makes a contribution by exploring the situation in Finland, where social enterprises are still a relatively new phenomenon as compared with many other countries. In this study, in light of the interviews, a strong commitment among social enterprise managers to serving the community and specific people is revealed. This may be achieved by providing viable employment opportunities and avenues for participation, for instance. However, the findings also indicate many challenges, obstacles and even threats faced by the studied social enterprises. These affect opportunities to realise these enterprises' whole potential.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): workorgalaboglob

Title: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 1745641X

ISSN (Electronic): 17456428

Publication date (Print): Winter 2017

Volume: 11

Issue: 2

Pages: 59-70

Article

Publisher ID: workorgalaboglob.11.2.0059

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.11.2.0059

SO-VID: 14e427fd-4418-4991-83b4-3a5d8ada94be

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

ScienceOpen disciplines: Sociology,Labor law,Political science,Labor & Demographic economics,Political economics

References

Andriessen, D. (2004) Making Sense of Intellectual Capital: Designing a Method for the Valuation of Intangibles . Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Apostolakis, C. (2013) ‘Strategy for social enterprises or never say never’, International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development , 5 (1):112–28.
Campi, S., J. Defourny & O. Grégoire (2006) ‘Work integration social enterprises: Are they multiple-goal and multi-stakeholder organizations?’ in M. Nyssens (ed) Social Enterprise: At the Crossroads of Market, Public Policies and Civil Society , Abingdon: Routledge: 29–49.
Chell, E. (2007) ‘Social enterprise and entrepreneurship: Towards a convergent theory of the entrepreneurial process’, International Small Business Journal , 25 (1):5–26.
Dacin, P.A., M.T. Dacin & M. Matear (2010) ‘Social entrepreneurship: why we don't need a new theory and how we move forward from here’, Academy of Management Perspectives , 24 (3):37–57.
Dart, R. (2004) ‘The legitimacy of social enterprise’, Nonprofit Management and Leadership , 14 (4):411–24.
Defourny, J. (2001) ‘From third sector to social enterprise’ in C. Borzaga & J. Defourny (eds) The Emergence of Social Enterprise , London: Routledge: 1–18.
Defourny, J. & M. Nyssens (2006) ‘Defining social enterprise’ in M. Nyssens (ed.) Social Enterprise: At the Crossroads of Market, Public Policies and Civil Society , Abingdon: Routledge: 3–26.
Defourny, J. & M. Nyssens (2012) ‘Conceptions of social enterprise in Europe: a comparative perspective with the United States’ in B. Gidron & Y. Hasenfeld (eds) Social Enterprises: An Organizational Perspective , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan: 71–90.
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989) ‘Building theories from case study research’, The Academy of Management Review , 14 (4):532–50.
European Union (2012) ‘Work programme 2013: cooperation, theme 8, socio-economic sciences and humanities’, European Commission C (2012) 4536 of 09 July 2012. Accessed July, 27, 2012 from http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/fp7/132141/h-wp-201301_en.pdf.
Farmer, J., T. De Cotta, K. McKinnon, J. Barraket, S.-A. Munoz, H. Douglas & M.J. Roy (2016) ‘Social enterprise and wellbeing in community life’, Social Enterprise Journal , 12(2):235–54. doi:10.1108/SEJ-05-2016-0017
Galera, G. & C. Borzaga (2009) ‘Social enterprise: an international overview of its conceptual evolution and legal implementation’, Social Enterprise Journal , 5 (3):210–28.
Germak, A.J. & J.A. Robinson (2014) ‘Exploring the motivation of nascent social entrepreneurs’, Journal of Social Entrepreneurship , 5 (1):5–21.
Kerlin, J. A. (2010) ‘A comparative analysis of the global emergence of social enterprise’, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , 21 (2):162–79.
Khan, R., S. Pekkarinen, S. Konsti-Laakso & H. Melkas (2015) ‘How the social enterprises support social sustainability’, International Journal of Information Systems and Social Change , 6 (4):3–51.
Konsti-Laakso, S., V. Koskela, S.-J. Martikainen, H. Melkas & L. Mellanen (2016) ‘Participatory design of a social enterprise for rehabilitees’, Work: A Journal of Prevention Assessment and Rehabilitation , 55 (1):145–53.
Kotiranta A and J. Widgrén (2015) Esiselvitys yhteiskunnallisesta yrittämisestä – Katsaus yhteiskunnallisiin yrityksiin ja vaikuttavuusinvestoimiseen Suomessa [in Finnish], ETLA Raportit No 46, Helsinki: ETLA. Accessed November, 3, 2017 from http://pub.etla.fi/ETLA-Raportit-Reports-46.pdf.
Lev, B. (2004) ‘Sharpening the intangibles edge’, Harvard Business Review , 82 (6):109–16.
Ministry of Employment and the Economy (2011) ‘Yhteiskunnallisen yrityksen toimintamallin kehittäminen’, Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriön julkaisuja 4/2011, Helsinki: Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy. (In Finnish)
Nicolás, C. & A. Rubio (2016) ‘Social enterprise: Gender gap and economic development’, European Journal of Management and Business Economics , 25 (2): 56–62. doi:10.1016/j.redeen.2015.11.001.
Rinkinen, S., T. Oikarinen & H. Melkas (2016) ‘Social enterprises in regional innovation systems: a review of Finnish regional strategies’, European Planning Studies , 24 (4):723–41.
Spear, R. (2006) ‘Social entrepreneurship: a different model?’, International Journal of Social Economics , 33 (5/6):399–410.
Spear, R. & E. Bidet (2003) ‘The role of social enterprise in European labour markets’, Working Papers Series, no. 03/10, Liège: EMES European Research Network.
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Urbano, D., E. Ferri & M. Noguera (2014) ‘Female social entrepreneurship and socio-cultural context: An international analysis’, Revista de Estudios Empresariales , 2: 26–40.
Wilton, R. & J. Evans (2016) ‘Social enterprises as spaces of encounter for mental health consumers’, Area , 48: 236–43. doi:10.1111/area.12259.
Young, D. (2008) ‘Alternative perspectives on social enterprise’, in J.J. Cordes & E.C. Steuerle (eds) Nonprofits Business , Washington: The Urban Institute Press: 21–46.

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Andriessen, D. (2004) Making Sense of Intellectual Capital: Designing a Method for the Valuation of Intangibles . Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.

[2] Apostolakis, C. (2013) ‘Strategy for social enterprises or never say never’, International Journal of Innovation and Regional Development , 5 (1):112–28.

[3] Campi, S., J. Defourny & O. Grégoire (2006) ‘Work integration social enterprises: Are they multiple-goal and multi-stakeholder organizations?’ in M. Nyssens (ed) Social Enterprise: At the Crossroads of Market, Public Policies and Civil Society , Abingdon: Routledge: 29–49.

[4] Chell, E. (2007) ‘Social enterprise and entrepreneurship: Towards a convergent theory of the entrepreneurial process’, International Small Business Journal , 25 (1):5–26.

[5] Dacin, P.A., M.T. Dacin & M. Matear (2010) ‘Social entrepreneurship: why we don't need a new theory and how we move forward from here’, Academy of Management Perspectives , 24 (3):37–57.

[6] Dart, R. (2004) ‘The legitimacy of social enterprise’, Nonprofit Management and Leadership , 14 (4):411–24.

[7] Defourny, J. (2001) ‘From third sector to social enterprise’ in C. Borzaga & J. Defourny (eds) The Emergence of Social Enterprise , London: Routledge: 1–18.

[8] Defourny, J. & M. Nyssens (2006) ‘Defining social enterprise’ in M. Nyssens (ed.) Social Enterprise: At the Crossroads of Market, Public Policies and Civil Society , Abingdon: Routledge: 3–26.

[9] Defourny, J. & M. Nyssens (2012) ‘Conceptions of social enterprise in Europe: a comparative perspective with the United States’ in B. Gidron & Y. Hasenfeld (eds) Social Enterprises: An Organizational Perspective , Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan: 71–90.

[10] Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989) ‘Building theories from case study research’, The Academy of Management Review , 14 (4):532–50.

[11] European Union (2012) ‘Work programme 2013: cooperation, theme 8, socio-economic sciences and humanities’, European Commission C (2012) 4536 of 09 July 2012. Accessed July, 27, 2012 from http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/fp7/132141/h-wp-201301_en.pdf.

[12] Farmer, J., T. De Cotta, K. McKinnon, J. Barraket, S.-A. Munoz, H. Douglas & M.J. Roy (2016) ‘Social enterprise and wellbeing in community life’, Social Enterprise Journal , 12(2):235–54. doi:10.1108/SEJ-05-2016-0017

[13] Galera, G. & C. Borzaga (2009) ‘Social enterprise: an international overview of its conceptual evolution and legal implementation’, Social Enterprise Journal , 5 (3):210–28.

[14] Germak, A.J. & J.A. Robinson (2014) ‘Exploring the motivation of nascent social entrepreneurs’, Journal of Social Entrepreneurship , 5 (1):5–21.

[15] Kerlin, J. A. (2010) ‘A comparative analysis of the global emergence of social enterprise’, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , 21 (2):162–79.

[16] Khan, R., S. Pekkarinen, S. Konsti-Laakso & H. Melkas (2015) ‘How the social enterprises support social sustainability’, International Journal of Information Systems and Social Change , 6 (4):3–51.

[17] Konsti-Laakso, S., V. Koskela, S.-J. Martikainen, H. Melkas & L. Mellanen (2016) ‘Participatory design of a social enterprise for rehabilitees’, Work: A Journal of Prevention Assessment and Rehabilitation , 55 (1):145–53.

[18] Kotiranta A and J. Widgrén (2015) Esiselvitys yhteiskunnallisesta yrittämisestä – Katsaus yhteiskunnallisiin yrityksiin ja vaikuttavuusinvestoimiseen Suomessa [in Finnish], ETLA Raportit No 46, Helsinki: ETLA. Accessed November, 3, 2017 from http://pub.etla.fi/ETLA-Raportit-Reports-46.pdf.

[19] Lev, B. (2004) ‘Sharpening the intangibles edge’, Harvard Business Review , 82 (6):109–16.

[20] Ministry of Employment and the Economy (2011) ‘Yhteiskunnallisen yrityksen toimintamallin kehittäminen’, Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriön julkaisuja 4/2011, Helsinki: Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy. (In Finnish)

[21] Nicolás, C. & A. Rubio (2016) ‘Social enterprise: Gender gap and economic development’, European Journal of Management and Business Economics , 25 (2): 56–62. doi:10.1016/j.redeen.2015.11.001.

[22] Rinkinen, S., T. Oikarinen & H. Melkas (2016) ‘Social enterprises in regional innovation systems: a review of Finnish regional strategies’, European Planning Studies , 24 (4):723–41.

[23] Spear, R. (2006) ‘Social entrepreneurship: a different model?’, International Journal of Social Economics , 33 (5/6):399–410.

[24] Spear, R. & E. Bidet (2003) ‘The role of social enterprise in European labour markets’, Working Papers Series, no. 03/10, Liège: EMES European Research Network.

[25] Spear, R. & E. Bidet (2005) ‘Social enterprise for work integration in 12 European countries: a descriptive analysis’, Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics , 76 (2):195–231.

[26] Urbano, D., E. Ferri & M. Noguera (2014) ‘Female social entrepreneurship and socio-cultural context: An international analysis’, Revista de Estudios Empresariales , 2: 26–40.

[27] Wilton, R. & J. Evans (2016) ‘Social enterprises as spaces of encounter for mental health consumers’, Area , 48: 236–43. doi:10.1111/area.12259.

[28] Young, D. (2008) ‘Alternative perspectives on social enterprise’, in J.J. Cordes & E.C. Steuerle (eds) Nonprofits Business , Washington: The Urban Institute Press: 21–46.