The Irish social economy has been subjected to increased levels of academic and policy attention since the early 1990s, with a particular focus on the concept of social enterprise. Use of the term social enterprise in Irish academic discourse tends to reflect either US work on the non-profit sector (e. g. Salamon and Anheier 1997; Powell and Guerin 1997; Donoghue 1998; Acheson et al. 2003; Donoghue, Anheier, and Salamon 1999; Prizeman and Crossan 2011) or be influenced by the European tradition, particularly that of the EMES network (O’Hara 2001; O’Shaughnessy 2008; Curtis, O’Shaughnessy, and Ward 2011). Both the US and European traditions have also shaped attempts to define and/or map the Irish social economy. In policy discourse the social economy, and more specifically social enterprise, has been viewed more pragmatically as away of responding to social and economic exclusion and is associated with the provision of services and employment opportunities in disadvantaged communities (NESF 1995; PLANET 1997a; PLANET 2005; WRC, 2003; Forfás 2013). These different academic and policy perspectives have contributed to a general ambiguity about what constitutes the social economy and to a variety of approaches to identifying and mapping the sector.
The purpose of this paper is to present some tentative insights from the most recent attempt to map and profile of community-led social enterprises.
Methodology
The research approach adopted in this mapping exercise can be broadly described as quantitative, which will permit the formulation of general statements based on findings derived from a sample of the research population. It is assumed that community-led social enterprises are typically embedded in the wider community and voluntary sector. A sampling frame of community-led social enterprises will be prepared; derived from existing databases/directories of the community and voluntary sector in each research location.
This approach can be broadly described as bottom-up, as the sampling frame will be developed using databases/directories built by county and regional networks and other sources. A list of all known/possible community-led social enterprises will be prepared from each of these databases/directories. The social enterprises included in this list will share the following common features: a legal structure, a stated social mission, a voluntary board of directors, be community owned/led and have a traded income. An on-line survey, comprising of a series of closed questions, will be administered to each social enterprise where a valid email contact address is available. A timeframe of six weeks will be available to complete the survey. All social enterprises will be prompted on one occasion, at the three-week interval, to complete the survey. Where a valid email address is unknown/unavailable the social enterprise will be contacted via telephone and/or face-to-face (distance/time/resources permitting).
The results of this study should generate the following general information about community-led social enterprises: location, legal structure, sector of activity, sources of income, market, staffing and volunteering levels, business practices and challenges for the sector. The study will be (initially) undertaken in three counties with a view to extending this to national coverage.
1. Concepts and models of social enterprise worldwide
