Wither social enterprise? A typology of social enterprises in South Yorkshire

Increasingly the United Kingdom government is looking upon social enterprises as a key policy intervention to tackle deprivation and poverty. However, grant and philanthropic support structures which have traditionally supported social enterprises are in serious decline. This development is now threatening the survival of social enterprises across the country. In addition to challenges brought about by globalisation, it is inevitable that social enterprises will interact more with stakeholders outside the social economy to secure vital resources and expertise required for them to survive. These developments imply the need for drastic change of mindset across the sector and development of robust business models to maximise extraction and deliverance of value. The main focus of this research is on the current discourses on the development of social enterprises in the United Kingdom and particularly in South Yorkshire region. Specifically, the focus is on the legal structures of these organisations and how they impact on their performance and outcomes. This paper presents and discusses key results emerging from a doctoral investigation on the development of social enterprises in South Yorkshire. The investigation was carried out in the context of the United Kingdom's policy framework on the sector and the pressing need for social enterprises to be financially sustainable and therefore reduce dependency on state support.