Innovative Entrepreneurship for Sustainability: A Multiple Case Study of Social Innovation Drivers in Social Enterprises for Sustainable Development

ABSTRACT This paper employs a multiple case study to explore the drivers of social innovation in social enterprise operations, and the tripartite relationship between social innovation, social enterprises and sustainable development. It seeks to answer the following question: how can a social enterprise become a capable facilitator of social innovation contributing to sustainable development? In so doing, three certified social enterprises in Thailand which focus on community development, namely Staycation Co. Ltd., Roasted Beans Co. Ltd., and the Urban Designer Co. Ltd., were selected as the case studies for review. The findings illustrate that social innovation and the operations of social enterprises are closely intertwined as innovation feeds social enterprises the unique value and proposition that enable them to seek an effective means to make an impact in the areas that they endeavour to contribute to. They also reveal that pro‐social motivations, managerial competencies, entrepreneurial ecosystem, stakeholder management, and multi‐stakeholder governance constitute a set of key drivers of social innovation in social enterprises. In addition, this paper proposes the analytical framework of social innovation drivers, social enterprises and sustainable development with a view to highlighting that social innovation serves as the guiding strategy, positioning social enterprises as the primary mechanism for facilitating sustainable development.