Development and testing of an assessment model for social enterprises

Purpose – The trend toward the indiscriminate use of natural resources and social decay has widened the gap between social classes, rich and poor, leaving the poorest unprotected. This situation, with the current financial crisis has also led to the creation of social organizations by the people in the highest levels of marginalization, through which they sell products manufactured by themselves and support enhance the economy and enhance a better quality of life for themselves. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A major development for growth of these organizations is the existence of responsible consumerism. Thanks to the technological advancements and the mass distribution of information, and the supply chain, the world population is beginning to get aware and becoming concerned by the effects of the hyper-consumption culture currently prevailing. Findings – The existing models of national indices based on consumer opinion and satisfaction merely include the characteristics of the products and services offered, but do not include variables that aid in determining their impact on a social enterprise. This research aims to fill that gap. Originality/value – The paper shares the results of a qualitative and quantitative survey performed during the first half of 2014 using a model of structural equations developed to test new hypotheses that include a variable which has been called “social responsibility.”