In the absence of a widely accepted and common definition of social enterprise (SE), a large research project, the "International Comparative Social Enterprise Models" (ICSEM) Project, was carried out over a five-year period; it involved more than 200 researchers from 55 countries and relied on bottom-up approaches to capture the SE phenomenon. This strategy made it possible to take into account and give legitimacy to locally embedded approaches, thus resulting in an analysis encompassing a wide diversity of social enterprises, while simultaneously allowing for the identification of major SE models to delineate the field on common grounds at the international level. These SE models reveal or confirm an overall trend towards new ways of sharing the responsibility for the common good in today’s economies and societies. We tend to consider as good news the fact that social enterprises actually stem from all parts of the economy. Indeed, societies are facing many complex challenges at all levels, from the local to the global level. The diversity and internal variety of SE models are a sign of a broadly shared willingness to develop appropriate although sometimes embryonic—responses to these challenges, on the basis of innovative economic/business models driven by a social mission. In spite of their weaknesses, social enterprises may be seen as advocates for and vehicles of the general interest across the whole economy. Of course, the debate about privatisation, deregulation and globalised market competition—all factors that may hinder efforts in the search for the common good–has to be addressed as well. The second of a series of four ICSEM books, Social Enterprise in Latin America will serve as a key reference and resource for teachers, researchers, students, experts, policy makers, journalists and other categories of people who want to acquire a broad understanding of the phenomena of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship as they emerge and develop across the world.

The purpose of this publication is to distill the concepts, trends, and best practices in social enterprise development developed through case studies into models and guidelines for building new partnerships that will revolutionize the field in the decade to come. It explores the dynamics of an entirely new institutional entity, the social enterprise, and the role it is playing in the development of Latin America. It explores how institutions have combined a mix of social values and goals with commercial business practices and how they have come up with ownership models, income and capitalization strategies, and unique management and service systems designed to maximize social value. The logical framework and case studies within the monograph provide an opportunity to develop an illustrative typology with models.

NESsT is an organization that develops sustainable social enterprises to solve critical social problems in emerging market economies. NESsT believes that social enterprise is a powerful tool that provides marginalized communities the skills, accessibility and technology needed to overcome social barriers and break the cycle of poverty. Drawing on NESsT's unique methodology for identifying and building the capacity of early-stage social enterprises, as well as on surveys of relevant stakeholders, Social Enterprise in Emerging Market Countries provides a clear picture of where social enterprises are and where they need to go, and identifies key players in the social enterprise field and how they can take the bold steps needed to facilitate the growth and impact of these models. Etchart and Camolli focus on NESsT's research in Latin America and Central Europe, the two regions where it has operated for over 15 years, particularly in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, with some cases from other countries in Latin America. For the purpose of illustrating important models and innovative programs and policies, this book also highlights cases and experiences from Central Europe.

The Latin American continent contains an incredibly rich diversity from which humans derive a range of ecosystem services (e.g. material goods, cultural benefits, climate regulation, etc.) that contribute to livelihoods and well-being. It has become critical to reconcile social and environmental issues in the region to ensure that development is sustainable and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. To ensure the sustainable use and management of social and natural capital in the region, business, government, social enterprises and NGOs are engaging in different forms of social innovation that account for social, ecological and environmental values. This requires the integration of social and natural capital into decision-making at all levels. Latin America presents a useful scenario to explore social innovation in relation to social and environmental values and the management of local human and natural resources. This book presents social innovation initiatives that incorporate social and natural capital into decision-making processes in Latin America. This book aims to provide the reader with an insight into the relevance of social innovation for maintaining and restoring social and natural capital in Latin America. Using case studies from Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Mexico, this book provides an insight into the interactions between social innovation and social and natural capital in Latin America and will be of interest to researchers, academics and students in the fields of social innovation, management studies, environmental economics and sustainability.

This book looks at both the potential and limits of policies to promote entrepreneurship as an important vehicle for social mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean. Who are the region's entrepreneurs? They tend to be middle-aged males with secondary and, often, tertiary education who represent only a small segment of the economically active population in the six countries considered in this book. They come from families in which a parent is, or was, an entrepreneur. In fact, a parent's occupation is more important in the decision to become an entrepreneur than a parent's wealth, income or education. Middle class entrepreneurship tends to dominate the sample in part since this is the majority class in society. However, as a percentage of each social class, entrepreneurship tends to be higher in the upper class, followed by the middle and lower class. Entrepreneurs concentrate in micro enterprises with fewer than five employees. They enjoy greater social mobility than employees and the self-employed, but this mobility is not always in the upward direction. Entrepreneurs face multiple obstacles including stifling bureaucracy, burdensome tax procedures, and lack of financing, human capital, technological skills, and supportive networks. The support of family and friends and a modicum of social capital help cope with these obstacles to entrepreneurship.

An American supermarket and a Mexican food bank, an Argentine newspaper and a solidarity network, a Chilean pharmacy chain and an elder care home: the authors analyze why and how such social partnering occurs and provide a compelling framework for identifying key levers that maximize value creation for participants and society.

Social entrepreneurs often experience difficulties when attempting to scale. The reason for this is that scaling isn’t just about an entrepreneur’s willingness to grow, but also—and, perhaps, even more importantly—his or her capacity to develop a scaling strategy that reflects an understanding of the various components that must be adjusted to accomplish scaling goals. Once entrepreneurs decided to scale the impact of their enterprise, they must develop new capabilities in order to access new resources and skills. This book will help social entrepreneurs create effective scaling strategies by providing a detailed, three-phased market approach to scaling. Cases based on social entrepreneurs who have successfully worked in low-income markets in Latin America then illustrate three main strategies for scaling impact: co-creating in low income contexts, collective impact, and replicating business models. The market approach to scaling described in this book is based on the theory of negotiating impact for resources, as introduced in this book, and a corresponding study of more than 100 entrepreneurs in the Latin American region. By offering a conceptual three phased approach as a guide for reflecting on practical case studies, this book appeals to business academics, leaders of incubators and those working with social entrepreneurs as well as current and aspiring social entrepreneurs themselves seeking to improve their management practices in order to scale their impact.

Driven by expanding domestic markets and exports of natural resource commodities, Latin America has recently come into focus as an economic force in the international arena. Business in Emerging Latin America provides students with a comprehensive overview of the business environment of this emerging, dynamic region. The book begins at the macro level, focusing on the region’s geo-political, technological, social, competitive, and economic environments. It then moves to the micro level, devling into the mosaic of countries with distinct cultures and political economies that comprise Latin America. Capturing the dynamism of this region, Business in Emerging Latin America: Provides a thorough and nuanced understanding of the business environment Identifies major drivers of emerging market expansion within the region Analyzes the strategies of companies both within and outside of the region The book includes examples and cases from across the region, as well as chapters on entrepreneurship, leadership, HRM, sustainability, income inequality, social responsibility and transparency. An ideal resource for anyone considering a business venture in the region, the book will especially appeal to students of international business who have a particular interest in Latin America. For additional instructor resources, visit www.latinamericabusinessknowledge.com