Social Enterprise: Finding Identity Between Social and Economic Goals

In recent years social enterprises have become the subject of public debate as organizations which can solve many social problems at the local level. Hiring people excluded from the labor market, supporting and activating local economic operators and finally the provision of social services are only some of the most basic expectations directed at social enterprises which are constantly growing thanks to public support. On the other hand, they are also expected to achieve business objectives: to compete on the market, generate surpluses and even maximize profits. This discordant duality of expectations social enterprises are forced to face can be conducive to a feeling of unreality of goals and misapprehension ( perhaps even loss) of their own identity. The aim of this paper is to show how social enterprises balance the realization of their social and economic goals. What is the consequence of a strong focus on social objectives? Is it the social satisfaction of stakeholders and the enterprise's dependence on public resources for financial support? Or maybe focusing on the business side results in the enterprises generating more power for themselves which enables them to better meet social expectations?