Toward green social enterprises: identifying key areas of greening and future research directions

Abstract

Purpose: The main aim of the article is to identify key areas of greening social enterprises. An additional aim is to identify future research directions related to green social enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the stated research aims, a review of the scientific literature collected in the Scopus database was conducted. 433 scientific articles from the period 2000-2022 were analyzed. The methods adopted were a structured literature review (with the original author's Q1 query) and a classic literature review (based on previously defined green areas). Findings: The ongoing transformation of the current economy (the brown economy) to a green economy presents both opportunities and challenges for social enterprises. Social entrepreneurs must realize that to survive in the changing economic reality, social enterprises must embark on a green growth path. This, in turn, raises the organizational and financial dilemma of how to simultaneously pursue the assumed social goals and make the necessary green changes in an uninterrupted manner. The analysis carried out has shown that the implementation of the idea of sustainable development based on green changes at various levels of the functioning of social enterprises can contribute to their gradual greening. Research limitations/implications: The considerations presented here were limited to the results obtained based on the analysis of the Scopus database. The results of the scientific analyses undertaken may provide guidance to researchers for further in-depth research on the issue of the greening of social enterprises. Practical implications: The greening of social enterprises can be based on the greening of various areas related to the operation of such entities. This process, however, in social enterprises should not take place at the expense of the social services provided. Originality/value: The article is a critical review of the literature. It identifies key areas of greening social enterprises. Future research directions in the field of green social enterprises are also outlined. The article is addressed to all those interested in the issues of social enterprises. The information contained in it can serve researchers in taking up the direction of research around the issue of green social enterprises. Keywords: green economy, green labor market, green social enterprise, green transformation, sustainable development. Category of the paper: Literature review.

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