Social Enterprises: Evolution of the Organizational Model and Application to the Italian Case

This article aims at delivering new theoretical interpretation and quantitative evidence concerning the emergence and development of social enterprises (SEs) in Italy. Where the former is concerned the article seeks to provide the core features necessary to identify when an organization can be defined as a SE. In particular, the analysis retraces the steps back to the intersection between “classical” studies on entrepreneurial non-profit organizations and the more recent literature on entrepreneurial action and social responsibility for the business enterprise. The institutional and quantitative analysis then focuses on the development of SEs in Italy, discussing the institutional evolution of the new legal forms, and the principal area of activity of SEs in Italy. This country represents a key player in the evolution of SEs as it pioneered legislation and practice in Europe and the emerging new frontier for modeling different types of SEs.