Home – Home – Jornals – Region: Economics and Sociology 2019 number 3

The article examines the essence of social entrepreneurship as a subject of social service. Based on the empirical research, we study the features of its development illustrated by practices in the Republic of Karelia and the city of Petrozavodsk. This paper puts forward a hypothesis that, during its development, social entrepreneurship inside the social service system faces certain barriers, both of administrative nature and presented as attitudes and beliefs among the population. In the research, we use general scientific methods of analysis, comparison, and generalization, as well as sociological methods: interviewing and expert surveys. Empirically, following the case study of Petrozavodsk, we identify the main factors hindering the development of social entrepreneurship: administrative and bureaucratic barriers; citizens’ low readiness to introduce innovations in the social sphere; absent basic competencies of the innovative economy. The main conclusions are as follows. Social entrepreneurs work in isolation and are focused on mitigating acute social problems locally and eliminating the deficiency of certain social services. It is too early to talk about establishing competition in the social services market and fighting for their higher quality, much less about reducing the burden on state social institutions. We propose practical recommendations to the regional authorities in the Republic of Karelia to support existing and emerging social entrepreneurs, including legal framework development; institutional, information, methodological, and organizational support for social entrepreneurs; integrated and interdepartmental approach to the development of social entrepreneurship.