A Systematic Review on Sustainability-Oriented Innovation in the Social Enterprises

Budi Harsanto (), Asep Mulyana, Yudi Ahmad Faisal, Venny Mellandhia Shandy and Muntasir Alam
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Budi Harsanto: Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Asep Mulyana: Magister in Integrated Microfinance Management Program, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Yudi Ahmad Faisal: Center for Management and Business Studies, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 40115, Indonesia
Venny Mellandhia Shandy: Magister in Management Science Program, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung 40115, Indonesia
Muntasir Alam: Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YX, UK

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-18

Abstract: Sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) is a subset of innovation that focuses on not just maximizing profits but also on minimizing negative consequences for the environment and society. Despite the fact that the study of SOI has grown rapidly in recent years, little is known about how SOI takes place in social enterprises (SEs). The aim of this study is to understand SOI in SEs with two research questions focusing on the current state of the research and the identification of emergent themes and subthemes regarding SOI practices in SEs. The method used was a systematic review of the scholarly literature guided by the PRISMA protocol. The systematic search and filtering process resulted in 27 studies, which were filtered out of a total of 100 studies. The study’s findings show that process/organizational innovation, such as business model transformation and stakeholder management to increase SEs’ societal impact, is widely practiced in SEs. Unlike SOI in commercial organizations, which is dominant in the subcategory of SOI of environmental innovation, SOI in SEs is more prevalent in social innovation. Several challenges faced by SEs in developing SOIs were also revealed, including a lack of long-term funding, low entry barriers for potential competitors, and inefficiencies. A number of potential future directions were also discussed.

Keywords: sustainability-oriented innovation; sustainability innovation; social enterprises; systematic review; PRISMA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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