Community Enterprises

The Support Paradox in Community Enterprise Experiments in The Netherlands * In many European countries, community entrepreneurship is increasingly considered as a means to initiate small-scale urban regeneration. However, residents in deprived communities are often viewed to lack key entrepreneurial attributes and skills. This paper reports a unique experiment in the Netherlands with nascent community enterprises which received start-up support from a private foundation. This paper investigates how active citizens perceive the benefits and drawbacks of this support. In depth analysis of transcriptions of repeated semi-structured interviews (panel design with the same respondents) with representatives of established community enterprises and resident groups were analysed. While we find positive feedback on provided support, our research provides strong evidence for a 'support paradox': the support that was intended to overcome a number of entry barriers and difficulties on the road to community entrepreneurship has in fact significantly hampered progress among several of the studied CEs.

Purpose– The aim of this paper is to assess the current potential of community entrepreneurship in neighbourhood revitalisation in the US and the UK. The global economic crisis has had a major impact on government spending for urban regeneration. In the context of these austerity regimes, in many European countries, community entrepreneurship and active citizenship are increasingly considered as a means to continue small-scale urban revitalisation. This paper investigates recent literature on both British community enterprises (CEs) and American community development corporations (CDCs).Design/methodology/approach– Starting from a seminal article, this paper reviews literature focusing on the role of CEs and CDCs in neighbourhood revitalisation. Differences and similarities are analysed, taking into account national context differences.Findings– While CDCs have a relatively successful record in affordable housing production in distressed areas, CDCs are fundamentally limited in term...

Many European countries are implementing austerity measures alongside trends of welfare state retrenchment. Entrepreneurial forms of active citizenship are considered as a new form of public management to fill gaps left by spending cuts and to continue neighbourhood regeneration. Inspired by British practices, Dutch citizens are trying to set up community enterprises (CEs) to provide services or other benefits for residents in deprived neighbourhoods. Based on a qualitative panel study, this article reveals supportive responses but also resistance from local governments and housing associations. Within a positive policy discourse on co-production, institutional responses often encompass forms of 'counter-production' that hold CEs in full uncertainty about crucial conditions for their business.

Purpose– The aim of this paper is to assess the current potential of community entrepreneurship in neighbourhood revitalisation in the US and the UK. The global economic crisis has had a major impact on government spending for urban regeneration. In the context of these austerity regimes, in many European countries, community entrepreneurship and active citizenship are increasingly considered as a means to continue small-scale urban revitalisation. This paper investigates recent literature on both British community enterprises (CEs) and American community development corporations (CDCs).Design/methodology/approach– Starting from a seminal article, this paper reviews literature focusing on the role of CEs and CDCs in neighbourhood revitalisation. Differences and similarities are analysed, taking into account national context differences.Findings– While CDCs have a relatively successful record in affordable housing production in distressed areas, CDCs are fundamentally limited in term...

The objective of the research titled ' Innovation and Technology of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Coconut Sugar Business in Thailand 4.0' is to study the level of innovation and technology of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the coconut sugar business in Samut Songkhram Province. This research is the Mixed Methods Research and the populations of this research consisted of entrepreneurs and executives as well as those who engage in the development of innovation and technology of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the coconut sugar business in Samut Songkhram Province.The results showed that SMEs' innovation and technology consisted of

Community enterprise demonstrates the influence of information technologies on the digital economy. Such technologies can transform the processes of economic activities at the community level, leading to sustainable growth. Digital marketing must be coordinated with the goals of community leaders and make use of current information technology in order to achieve sustainable economic goals. The main objectives of this research were to analyze the process of utilizing information technology in developing digital marketing and in the integration of knowledge for effective digital marketing platforms, both of which ultimately lead to the generation of a sustainable economy for community enterprise schemes. The study utilizes qualitative methods, providing knowledge and selecting data through the use of in-depth interviews with key-informants, and secondary research of the existing literature. The results express that "community enterprise" is different from the less organized "community action" which can die out due to lack of effective management. Local resource management by the community is powered by social and cultural elements, rather than by the government, corresponding to the goal of sustainable development. Community enterprise projects utilize local wisdom and the citizen community to bring about fundamental development, generating benefits for the community. One barrier identified by the community was that regulation is not suitable and must change to be appropriate for the current condition of the Thai economy. However, it depends on the community leaders who are carrying out the project. Another suggestion was to improve awareness and conscious understanding of the value of the local environment and local resources through and within community enterprise projects, with a key recommendation that community enterprise is also carried out with a spiritual commitment and in accordance with accepted social and 1,* Asst. Prof. Dr. Suppanunta Romprasert obtains a Ph.D. in Economics from The National Institution Development and Administration (NIDA), Thailand. Currently she is working as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Economics, Srinakharinwirot University.

Il paper sviluppa alcune riflessioni su casi di innovazione sociale, sostenendo che si tratta di pratiche di produzione del pubblico, che interrogano le politiche urbane su diversi piani: i) quello metodologico del policy design e della " corrispondenza " tra diversi tipi di conoscenza; ii) quello teorico, che interpreta l'innovazione sociale come nuova forma di espressione delle pratiche di partecipazione; iii) quello degli attori, perché le " comunità in corso " (Fareri, 2009) sono un nuovo attore delle politiche urbane. Il paper argomenta che si potrebbe costruire una nuova agenda urbana in Italia incrociando in modo fertile questi diversi piani.

Il tema dell’innovazione sociale sta diventando centrale nel dibattito nazionale ed europeo rispetto ai nuovi approcci nelle politiche di sviluppo locale e rigenerazione urbana nelle grandi città1. Sullo sfondo, si collocano: i) i fenomeni di contrazione delle prestazioni del welfare pubblico, le difficoltà di rispondere alle domande articolate di una società di minoranze; ii) la grave congiuntura economica di molti paesi della EU e la crisi fiscale dei governi locali; iii) l’emergere dei comportamenti riflessivi e di protagonismo da parte delle comunità locali, o delle comunità di pratiche dei makers urbani. I processi di trasformazione delle città ne sono direttamente influenzati: iniziative di riuso e valorizzazione delle aree urbane dismesse o residuali sono direttamente promosse e agite da gruppi, associazioni di quartiere, cooperative o da quelle che, in Italia, si cominciano a chiamare “imprese di comunità”.
Il presente paper intende rintracciare i tratti di questi soggetti emergenti, non tentandone una definizione ma provando a identificarne il profilo attraverso il ricorso ad un caso di studio e a definirne le possibili implicazioni operative per le politiche di sviluppo urbano nel nostro Paese.