Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation: Human Economy, Governance and Volunteerism Revisited

In social entrepreneurship, social innovation and human economy coexist with
democratic governance and volunteerism in the development of new initiatives
and responses to wicked welfare problems. Volunteerism in social entrepreneurship takes up a prominent position, leading to the birth of new organisational hybrid formats: social enterprises. Drawing upon a single case study of ‘the Bridge’, a typical Danish work integration social enterprise (WISE), it is shown how social enterprises act as ‘strong learning arenas’, opting for a number of high-profile and ‘popular’ objectives: to train and empower marginal citizens, to create sustainable enterprises in a new economy, to strengthen the local community, to renew welfare services and labour strategies, and to develop social enterprise and business models. Adding to these objectives we can include democracy and participation, and positioning the voluntary sector and the volunteers as vital agents in this development. The case analysis illustrates that these many objectives are quite demanding, yet also within reach; however, sufficient financial, organisational and managerial mechanisms are paramount.