Special issue of Social Entreprise Journal "an international institutional framework for understanding social enterprise country models", call for papers until 14th Junary 2014

Increasingly, research on social enterprise shows that individual countries and regions identify different definitions and concepts with the social enterprise phenomenon in their areas. Though some few regional proposals have attempted to align understandings of the concept, little has been done to create an operating framework that allows countries to retain their unique understanding and practice of social enterprise while at the same time provide a bridge to a broader international discussion on the topic.

To address this problem, Kerlin (2013) in a study, draws on the theory of historical institutionalism to examine how institutional context influences the development of social enterprise across different countries. Using socioeconomic datasets on societal institutions and descriptive accounts of country contexts for social enterprise, she constructs a conceptual framework for large institutional processes shaping social enterprise that points to a preliminary typology of social enterprise models. Thus, rather than a restrictive definition of social enterprise, the study leads to an initial conceptual framework that spans regional differences in the term and allows for a wide range of social enterprise activity to be understood. While broad connections between levels of civil society, government, market and international aid have been associated with variance in social enterprise, this research identifies specific institutional pathways to unique social enterprise models in different geographic areas.

More research on individual country experiences with social enterprise is needed to refine, broaden, and validate the framework for it to contribute on a practical level to the facilitation of cross-regional dialogue and research, the transfer and replication of social enterprise ideas, and the identification of structures and resources for their support. This special issue invites papers that critique and expand the proposed institutional framework and the social enterprise models that flow from it (as found in Kerlin, 2013) through studies that apply the framework on an individual country basis. Specifically, authors can choose from one of two types of papers:

I. A critique of the existing framework and social enterprise models

Test the institutional framework by using it to examine a country that is already associated with one of the models outlined in Kerlin (2013). Do the relevant institutional and social enterprise features of that country align with the existing institutional framework and proposed social enterprise model? How and how not? Given the dynamic processes at play, is a country now transitioning from one social enterprise model to another? Case studies in this category are invited from countries in the following areas: Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, East-Central Europe, Continental West Europe, USA, Australia.

II. An expansion of the framework to identify new social enterprise models 

Apply the institutional framework to a new country context to identify possible gaps in the framework and new social enterprise models. Are there aspects of the country's institutions that are relevant to its social enterprise features that are not captured by the framework? If so, what are they and how do they influence a possible new social enterprise model on the ground? What is the new social enterprise model? Case studies in this category are invited from the following countries: Middle East, East Asia, Central America, India, China, Russia, UK, and Canada.

Enquiries should be directed to the Editors including the Editor of the Social Enterprise Journal, Dr Bob Doherty at dohertb@hope.ac.uk and Guest Editor, Dr Janelle Kerlin, Georgia State University, at jkerlin@gsu.edu

The deadline for initial paper submissions is 15 January 2014. Submitted papers should follow SEJ submission guidelines to be fully considered.