Wither social enterprise? A typology of social enterprises in South Yorkshire

Increasingly the United Kingdom government is looking upon social enterprises as a key policy
intervention to tackle deprivation and poverty. However, grant and philanthropic support
structures which have traditionally supported social enterprises are in serious decline. This
development is now threatening the survival of social enterprises across the country. In addition
to challenges brought about by globalisation, it is inevitable that social enterprises will interact
more with stakeholders outside the social economy to secure vital resources and expertise
required for them to survive. These developments imply the need for drastic change of mindset
across the sector and development of robust business models to maximise extraction and
deliverance of value. The main focus of this research is on the current discourses on the
development of social enterprises in the United Kingdom and particularly in South Yorkshire
region. Specifically, the focus is on the legal structures of these organisations and how they
impact on their performance and outcomes. This paper presents and discusses key results
emerging from a doctoral investigation on the development of social enterprises in South
Yorkshire. The investigation was carried out in the context of the United Kingdom's policy
framework on the sector and the pressing need for social enterprises to be financially sustainable
and therefore reduce dependency on state support.