SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has emerged as a significant approach for addressing complex social, economic, and environmental challenges while promoting sustainable development. By integrating entrepreneurial principles with a social mission, social enterprises create innovative solutions that generate social value alongside economic sustainability. The purpose of this study is to review the existing literature on social entrepreneurship and examine its contribution to sustainable development. A comprehensive review of scholarly articles, books, and reports published in recent years was conducted to identify major themes, theoretical perspectives, and research trends in the field. The findings indicate that social entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable development through poverty alleviation, employment generation, community empowerment, environmental conservation, and social innovation. The review further highlights the alignment of social entrepreneurial activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to poverty reduction, quality education, gender equality, decent work, and climate action. Despite its growing importance, several challenges remain, including financial constraints, impact measurement difficulties, regulatory barriers, and scalability issues. The study identifies key research gaps and proposes future directions for scholars and practitioners. Overall, the review demonstrates that social entrepreneurship serves as a powerful catalyst for sustainable development by fostering inclusive growth and creating long-term social and environmental value.