Social Entrepreneurship vs. the Triple Bottom Line : A Comparative Study

Abstract: My degree project compares social enterprises and triple bottom line (TBL) businesses,exploring their ability to effectively address the challenges associated with sustainability andsocial impact. The hypothesis of this degree project posits that social enterprises, with theirexplicit focus on creating positive social and environmental outcomes, are better equipped toaddress these challenges compared to TBL businesses, which prioritize profit alongside socialand environmental performance.The study begins with an in-depth analysis of the key concepts of social enterprises andTBL businesses, including their definitions, historical development, and theoretical foundations.The literature review reveals that while both social enterprises and TBL businesses share similargoals of creating positive social and environmental impacts, they differ in their organizationalstructure, governance, and primary purpose.The research then examines the challenges faced by TBL businesses and socialenterprises in achieving their sustainability and social impact goals. These challenges includebalancing financial sustainability with social and environmental objectives, measuring andreporting social impact, and navigating complex stakeholder relationships.The empirical analysis draws on the knowledge and experience of experts in the fields offor-profit, non-profit, and social enterprise companies. These experts are presented withstatements that aim to investigate whether they see a major role for social enterprises inaddressing the social and environmental issues we face as a society and their views on thefuture of social enterprises as a whole.I argue that social enterprises are better positioned to address the challenges faced byTBL businesses. Studies show that social enterprises, with their mission-driven approach, arefound to be more effective in integrating social and environmental considerations into theirbusiness models, measuring and reporting social impact, and engaging stakeholders. Moreover,social enterprises demonstrate greater resilience in pursuing their sustainability goals, despitefinancial constraints. However, there are many challenges to overcome which need to beaddressed to ensure entrepreneurs opt into the social movement.This thesis contributes to the growing body of literature on social enterprises and TBLbusinesses by highlighting the unique strengths of social enterprises in addressing sustainabilityand social impact challenges. The findings provide practical implications for policymakers,practitioners, and stakeholders interested in fostering socially and environmentally responsiblebusiness practices. The study also suggests avenues for future research.