Social enterprise (SE) has become an important component of discussions on socio-economic development issues in China over the last several years.
The purpose of this paper is to address China’s emerging practice of social enterprise by identifying the driving forces which fuel the growth of SE; exploring the legislative framework and public policies that regulate the development of SE; examining the institutional context from which SE obtains financial, intellectual and human resources; and portraying key characteristics of SE with regard to organisational form, operational pattern and social mission. The paper also discusses the challenges confronting SE in China as it pursues further development.
The analysis is based on data drawn from secondary sources (law and regulation, forum transcripts and news reports) and primary evidence (comparative study of 13 SE cases).