INTERNATIONAL MODELS IN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has emerged as one of the most significant hybrid organizational phenomena of the twenty-first century because it combines economic sustainability with the creation of social value. The increasing relevance of poverty reduction, employment generation, regional development, social inclusion, and sustainable development has made the study of social entrepreneurship models particularly important for academic research and public policy.

The main objective of this paper is to examine international models of social entrepreneurship through a comparative theoretical framework and to identify their development perspectives for countries seeking to build effective social ecosystems.

The article applies literature review, comparative analysis, induction, deduction, synthesis, and statistical generalization as research methods. The study focuses on four institutionalized models widely discussed in international literature: the Work Integration Social Enterprise model, the Italian social cooperative model, the Muhammad Yunus social business model, and the impact-oriented startup model.

The findings indicate that social entrepreneurship cannot be explained through a single universal model. European approaches are mainly embedded in social economy traditions and welfare systems, whereas market-oriented models emphasize innovation, private investment, scalability, and measurable impact. The Yunus model introduces a normative framework based on reinvestment, poverty reduction, and ethical business activity.