Navigating Crossroads: A Comprehensive Literature Review on Collective Social Entrepreneurship

Wawan Novianto; Rahmi Fahmy; Hafiz Rahma; Donard Games

doi:10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.5547

Wawan Novianto Department of Management, Faculty of Economy and Business, Andalas University, Indonesia
Rahmi Fahmy Department of Management, Faculty of Economy and Business, Andalas University, Indonesia
Hafiz Rahma Department of Management, Faculty of Economy and Business, Andalas University, Indonesia
Donard Games Department of Management, Faculty of Economy and Business, Andalas University, Indonesia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v5i03.5547

Keywords: Keywords: Collective Social Entrepreneurship, Social Network Theory, Institutional Theory, Resource-Based View, Social Impact Measurement.

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive literature review on the concept of collective social entrepreneurship, which emerged in response to the dominant “lone hero” narrative in social entrepreneurship studies. Through a systematic scoping study approach analyzing 32 relevant articles from Scopus and Google Scholar databases using the PRISMA protocol, the study aims to address three critical challenges facing the field: (1) inconsistent definitions and typologies, (2) the diversity of theoretical frameworks used, and (3) the complexity of measuring social impact. The review reveals that collective social entrepreneurship is defined as collaboration among diverse actors applying business principles to solve social problems, with key activities including framing, convening, and multivocality. The analysis demonstrates that the integration of three key theoretical frameworks Social Network Theory, Institutional Theory, and Resource-Based View (RBV) complements each other in explaining this phenomenon, with institutional theory providing the context of the rules of the game, social network theory explaining the mechanisms of collaborative mobilization, and RBV analyzing sustainable resource utilization. The study also identifies various impact measurement frameworks (SROI, IRIS+, GRI, SASB, and B Corp) that can be adapted to suit organizational contexts. In conclusion, despite facing conceptual and methodological challenges, the field of collective social entrepreneurship offers rich research opportunities, particularly in comparative empirical studies, technology integration, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, which promise a deeper understanding of how collective action can create sustainable social change.

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