Examining the sustainability of social enterprise in contemporary Korea

[摘要] This research examines the sustainability of contemporary Korean social enterprise. The sustainability problem in Korea has been a critical issue to practitioners, scholars and government officials since the enactment of Social Enterprise Promotion Act in 2006. Stakeholders in Korea do not believe that social enterprise is sustainable enough, despite a large amount of public financial support. To explore this issue, first of all, this research develops a theoretical framework, a comprehensive approach on sustainability, drawing mainly on Giddens’ structuration theory. This approach presents two categories that influence sustainability: structural factors (the social economy, market type and public policy) and agency factors (social entrepreneur, staff, organization and finance). Second, based on the literature and the theoretical framework, thesis questions that aim to examine the term sustainability, the factors affecting sustainability and their effects, and public policy, are constructed. Third, to obtain research findings, both descriptive secondary analysis of data and case studies are used, and analysis of the case studies is presented with a narrative form. Finally, this research explains that, in Korea, sustainability is understood in three dimensions: profit, social mission, and continuity of business without public money. The thesis shows that stakeholders understand structural and agency factors influence organizational sustainability, while focus points are different according to people. Regarding policy, they believe that a public-led system has to be replaced by a private-led initiative, concentrating on cultivation of a better environment for social enterprise.

[发布机构] University:University of Birmingham;Department:Department of Social Policy,Sociology and Criminology

[关键词] H Social Sciences;HD Industries. Land use. Labor