We’re proud to celebrate a significant milestone achieved by the EMES Affinity Group on Social Impact!

We’re excited to announce the latest Special Issue of the Social Enterprise Journal: “Challenges and Limitations of Social Impact Measurement in the Social and Solidarity Economy.” A huge thank you to the coordinators of this affinity group, EMES members Marek Ćwiklicki and Audrone Urmanavičienė, for their incredible work in bringing this publication to life! To give you a deeper look into the process, we asked Marek Ćwiklicki to share insights on how this Special Issue came to be.

1. Can you share a bit about the process—what were the key steps and challenges?

“The idea for the Special Issue emerged nearly two years ago during our monthly EMES Affinity Group meetings focused on social impact. A key milestone was the creation of a dedicated thematic line on social impact, which was formally introduced at the 9th EMES International Research Conference in Frankfurt. The overwhelming interest and vibrant discussions during the conference confirmed the relevance of this topic for scholars in the SE field.

The process unfolded in several key stages: launching a call for papers,overseeing a rigorous double-blind peer review process for 20 submissions and curating a final selection of nine high-quality papers.

One of the biggest challenges was ensuring thematic coherence while embracing methodological, disciplinary, and geographical diversity. Our goal was to capture the complexities of social impact measurement across different levels—from micro to macro—and I believe we successfully achieved that with this collection.”

2. How did being part of the EMES network support or influence this publication?

“Being part of EMES was instrumental in bringing this Special Issue to life. The thematic line on ‘Social Impact and Sustainable Development Effects’ was first presented at the 9th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise in Frankfurt in 2023. The strong engagement and in-depth discussions at the conference confirmed that this was a topic worth exploring further.

Additionally, the EMES network played a crucial role in disseminating the call for papers. By leveraging its international reach, EMES ensured that a diverse range of perspectives was represented in the Special Issue. This diversity significantly enriched the quality and depth of the research contributions.”

Be Part of the Next Big Initiative!

This Special Issue is a great example of how EMES conferences spark collaborations that lead to impactful research publications. Join us for the next EMES Conference in Rotterdam & Utrecht this November, where new ideas will take shape, and future publications will emerge! The abstract submission deadline has been extended until April 21st.

Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of SE research together!