Cristina Parente

Perspectives of Social Entrepreneurship in Portugal: Comparison and Contrast with International Theoretical Approaches

Abstract: The aim of this article is to present and discuss the perspectives of social entrepreneurship conveyed by third sector organizations in Portugal in the context of the main international theoretical approaches. As part of a research project on social entrepreneurship in Portugal, the article analyses the content of 20 semi-structured interviews with key actors within the Portuguese third sector. It is assumed that the roles these actors play are a clear indicator of the importance their views can hold in defining the social entrepreneurship field in Portugal. This analysis enables us to conclude that heterogeneous views and blurred defined boundaries frame the debate on social entrepreneurship’s processes and definitions, with some actors even rejecting it in favour of other concepts such as “social economy” or “solidarity economy”. Nevertheless, the central issues that arose are associated with the individual qualities of the entrepreneur, as well as the sustainability of the initiatives.

Representations of team work among organizations with a social entrepreneurship profile: A multiple case-study

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to show how work-teams are represented and work in non-profit organizations. From a theoretical point of view, the concepts of macro-team and micro-team, as well as their dynamics rooted in the entrepreneurial world have been discussed. Design/methodology/approach – Seven socially enterprising organizations have been studied through semi-structured individual and collective interviews with managers, technicians with and without supervisory functions and workers. Data discussed here underwent an inductive analysis based on the procedures of grounded theory. Findings – Data analysis supported the outlining of the interviewees’ representations of their belonging to the macro-team and of the working of micro-teams. There seem to be no significant differences between the way teams work in these organizations and in profit-making organizations. However, in the organizations we have analyzed, autonomous planning of activities as a mechanism of work organization and assert...

Social entrepreneurship in Portugal

Purpose – This paper provides a reflection about the usefulness of the concept of social entrepreneurship to Portuguese third sector organizations (TSOs) with the purpose of understanding the paths undertaken by the latter. Departing from a theoretical synthesis inspired by different approaches to social entrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to offer an operative view of the concept in light of the problematics of social innovation and organizational innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical analysis focuses on the intervention models and management models of these organizations. It uses a sequential methodological approach that combines extensive and intensive analyses. Findings – The author has concluded that Portuguese TSOs show a fragile form of social entrepreneurship. This includes, among others, state dependency both in terms of models of financial management and the definition and regulation of activities, recipients and social intervention. This leads the author to claim, e...

Social Entrepreneurship Profiles: Lessons from Organizational and Management Dynamics

Abstract This paper discusses how the concept of social entrepreneurship has been applied in Portuguese Third Sector organizations. It draws on the empirical findings of a survey carried out on a sample of 89 organizations, in which data on key features of organizational dynamics were collected. Strongly rooted in mainstream European theories of social entrepreneurship, the authors propose a typology of three profiles of social entrepreneurship based on different configurations of key features of organizations, namely, models of work organization; coordination/leadership; human resources management; and funding and action planning.

Os licenciados em Portugal: uma tipificação de perfis de inserção profissional

A adequacao entre o nivel e tipo de formacao academica e a situacao profissional e um tema presente sempre que se aborda a tematica da insercao profissional dos licenciados. Pretende-se, com este artigo, analisar as situacoes profissionais de diplomados portugueses do ensino superior cinco anos apos a conclusao da licenciatura, a luz da problematica da insercao e transicao profissional. Enquadra-se a relacao entre sistema de ensino e mercado de trabalho comparando-se indicadores internacionais que contextualizam o caso portugues, de modo a discutir os resultados empiricos que caracterizam a situacao profissional vivida em 2010 por uma amostra de 1.004 diplomados de duas universidades portuguesas. Definem-se cinco tipos de situacoes profissionais a partir de tecnicas de analise multivariadas e reflete-se sobre os perfis encontrados. Conclui-se que a maioria dos licenciados exerce uma atividade profissional adequada ao seu nivel de graduacao, com rendimentos salariais, vinculos laborais e horarios adequados ao grupo dos especialistas das actividades intelectuais e cientificas. Porem, a analise mais fina revela-nos uma configuracao hierarquica das situacoes profissionais num continuum que se organiza desde a insercao fragil a insercao qualificante associada as areas de formacao frequentadas. Os diplomados nas areas de educacao, artes e humanidades ocupam as situacoes profissionais mais precarizantes, contrastando com a sobrerrepresentacao nos empregos mais favoraveis dos licenciados das areas de saude, economia, gestao e direito.

Management innovation and social innovation: convergences and divergences

The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent developments in the fields of management innovation and social innovation, in order to discover any possible convergences and divergences between them.,By examining the state of the art of the literature in both fields of study, this paper proposes a framework of theoretical approaches, conceptual dimensions, goals and objectives, processes, agents, outcomes, methods, and literature gaps.,There are substantial differences between management and social innovation in terms of theoretical and conceptual foundations. Although both share similarities given the relevance of technology and their focus on social relations, their generation and diffusion processes, among their other characteristics, are distinct.,As this is a theoretical paper concerning innovations that involve social elements at their core, the challenge is to incorporate technological innovation into the theoretical framework. This would help empirically oriented research on more types of innovation.,The agenda of practitioners, scholars, government, and civil society should take different types of innovation into account, particularly those that go beyond technology.,This paper contributes to a better understanding of innovations that go beyond technology, by analysing innovations (i.e. management and social innovation) that involve social aspects at their core. Few researchers have analysed these types of innovations jointly.,O objetivo deste artigo consiste em discutir os avancos mais recentes nos campos da inovacao gerencial e da inovacao social, na busca de possiveis aspectos convergentes e divergentes entre essas tematicas.,Ao examinar o estado da arte da literatura em ambas as tematicas, propoe-se um framework de abordagens teoricas, dimensoes conceituais, metas e objetivos, processos, agentes, resultados, metodos e lacunas da literatura.,Ha diferencas substanciais entre inovacao gerencial e social em termos de fundamentos teoricos e conceituais. Embora ambas compartilhem semelhancas, dado o seu foco nas relacoes sociais e a relevância da tecnologia, seus processos de geracao e difusao, entre outras caracteristicas, sao distintos.,Como se trata de um artigo teorico sobre inovacoes que envolvem elementos sociais em sua essencia, o desafio e incorporar a inovacao tecnologica no framework teorico. Isso ajudaria pesquisas empiricamente orientadas sobre mais tipos de inovacao.,A agenda de profissionais, academicos, governo e sociedade civil deve levar em conta diferentes tipos de inovacao, particularmente aquelas que vao alem da tecnologia.,Este artigo contribui para uma melhor compreensao das inovacoes que vao alem da tecnologia, ao analisar inovacoes (no caso, as gerenciais e sociais) que possuem aspectos sociais como elementos centrais. Poucos pesquisadores analisaram conjuntamente esses tipos de inovacoes.

Terceiro setor, economia social e economia solidária: laboratório por excelência de inovação social

Propoe-se uma discussao conceitual das abordagens sobre o “terceiro setor”, “economia social” e “economia solidaria” e da contribuicao das suas organizacoes, projetos e atividades para o desenvolvimento de inovacoes sociais. Demonstra-se que, apesar das diferenciacoes, os tres conceitos remetem para dominios que sao caracterizados na atualidade pelo desenvolvimento de inovacoes sociais por serem espacos de articulacoes onde se busca a implementacao de projetos e praticas orientados para a resolucao de problemas sociais e coletivos complexos, que nao encontram resposta pelo mercado e pelo Estado.

The effects of education on patterns of youth integration into the labour market in Portugal

Throughout the development of capitalist societies, there has been a steady increase in the importance attributed to education/training in the process of employability: it has asserted itself as a key variable in the functioning of the labour markets. In the light of an analysis of the data in the 2007 Personnel Charts, the aim of this article is to understand to what extent educational levels still represent a variable that explains the different types of employment relationships among young people between 15 and 24 years of age. The relevant and innovative aspects of this study are, firstly, a multiple correspondence analysis of the unpublished secondary information and, secondly, the findings that new patterns of integration into the labour market have emerged, with distinctive characteristics, though they do not call into question the positive association between educational certificates and the employment relationship.

Entrepreneurship at school and the paradigm of competences: the case of Junior Achievement — Portugal

The starting point for the analysis of entrepreneurial programs that are being introduced in schools is the “approach by competences” as an alternative paradigm in the orientation of teaching and learning. The article analyzes the program “A Empresa ”, developed by Aprender a Empreender — Junior Achievement — Portugal, from its implementation in two high schools in Lisbon Metropolitan Area. It describes the process of implementation and operation of the program that operates in parallel to formal disciplinary curriculum, and wonder about the expectations, challenges and motivations created in teachers and students.

Representações sobre a liderança da macroequipa e das microequipas em contextos de empreendedorismo social

In this article, we show how team leadership is represented in nonprofit organizations. We draw upon the concepts of macro-team and micro-team in the social entrepreneurial world. We have studied seven socially enterprising organizations through semi-structured individual and collective interviews with managers, technicians with and without supervisory functions, and workers. The data discussed here underwent an inductive analysis based on the procedures of grounded-theory. Data analysis indicates the importance of accountable workers both in the macro and micro-team settings. In addition, top managers should be close to the workers in the operational terrain, thus avoiding disruptions in its relations with subordinates. The interviewees’discourse also translate the need for the leader of micro-teams to act as a facilitator.