THE ROLE OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT OF THE UKRAINIAN REGIONS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem development in the regions of Ukraine and the role of key stakeholders in this process. It was found that the concept of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem is inextricably linked with collective synergy, which contributes to increasing the efficiency of social enterprises and supporting their dual goals. The author's definition of the concept of "social entrepreneurship ecosystem" is proposed. The main methodological tool for researching the role of key stakeholders in the creation and development of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem was a semi-structured interview, which included 3 main blocks of questions. It has been proven that the Ukrainian social entrepreneurship ecosystem includes the following key stakeholders: state institutions (ministries, local authorities, state organizations, etc.), social enterprises, classical business, social investors and donors, educational institutions (universities, schools), the community, as well as mass media. They play a decisive role in solving economic, social, cultural and environmental problems. It has been established that state institutions on a "top-down" initiative, through incentive mechanisms, determine the institutional framework and strategy for the development of social entrepreneurship in the regions; business as an investor and mentor; the community as a "customer" of services, in which social enterprises are created with the aim of achieving social changes on the initiative of "from below" and promoting the welfare of society; educational institutions as a tool for the formation of entrepreneurial competences and access to the knowledge base. The challenges faced by social entrepreneurs of Ukraine in the process of interaction with key stakeholders have been analyzed. It was found that social entrepreneurs have insufficient experience in establishing cooperation with international organizations, in particular with umbrella organizations in the field of social entrepreneurship. The development vectors of the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ukraine have been identified.