Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish Perspective
The aim of the article is to demonstrate that economic, technological and social changes, also thanks to the principle of sustainable development, lead to the transformation of existing and the emergence of new hybrid forms of conducting business activity. On one hand, there is a noticeable expansi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Review of European and Comparative Law |
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| Online Access: | https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/recl/article/view/14600 |
| _version_ | 1797255027630276608 |
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| author | Justyna Dąbrowska |
| author_facet | Justyna Dąbrowska |
| author_sort | Justyna Dąbrowska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The aim of the article is to demonstrate that economic, technological and social changes, also thanks to the principle of sustainable development, lead to the transformation of existing and the emergence of new hybrid forms of conducting business activity. On one hand, there is a noticeable expansion of social economy mechanisms that reflect an ‘economic’ approach to providing broadly defined goods and services in the public interest, and there is also resurgence of democratic member-based organizations (DMOs), such as cooperatives with their dual nature and social and economic dimensions. On the other hand, traditional forms of for-profit business are transforming into entities that integrate social and environmental goals into business, known as Sustainability-Driven Hybrid Business Models (SHBMs), and of which benefit corporations (like U.S. Benefit Corporation or Social Purpose Corporation, Italian Societ. Benefit or French Soci.t. . mission) are an example. The transformation and emergence of these qualitatively new organizations is an illustration of the process of creative destruction described by Joseph Schumpeter. The article presents advantages and disadvantages associated with the benefit corporations. The analysis is concluded with the open question of whether legislative intervention is needed in this area, in particular whether it would be expedient to introduce ‘mission companies’ in Poland.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:59:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bc132c7eaee547a38c3e7a683a2639f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2545-384X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:59:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Review of European and Comparative Law |
| spelling | doaj.art-bc132c7eaee547a38c3e7a683a2639f62024-03-20T13:40:35ZengThe John Paul II Catholic University of LublinReview of European and Comparative Law2545-384X2022-12-0151410.31743/recl.14600Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish PerspectiveJustyna Dąbrowska0Faculty of Law and Administration, Department of Business Law and Digital Economy, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw The aim of the article is to demonstrate that economic, technological and social changes, also thanks to the principle of sustainable development, lead to the transformation of existing and the emergence of new hybrid forms of conducting business activity. On one hand, there is a noticeable expansion of social economy mechanisms that reflect an ‘economic’ approach to providing broadly defined goods and services in the public interest, and there is also resurgence of democratic member-based organizations (DMOs), such as cooperatives with their dual nature and social and economic dimensions. On the other hand, traditional forms of for-profit business are transforming into entities that integrate social and environmental goals into business, known as Sustainability-Driven Hybrid Business Models (SHBMs), and of which benefit corporations (like U.S. Benefit Corporation or Social Purpose Corporation, Italian Societ. Benefit or French Soci.t. . mission) are an example. The transformation and emergence of these qualitatively new organizations is an illustration of the process of creative destruction described by Joseph Schumpeter. The article presents advantages and disadvantages associated with the benefit corporations. The analysis is concluded with the open question of whether legislative intervention is needed in this area, in particular whether it would be expedient to introduce ‘mission companies’ in Poland. https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/recl/article/view/14600Sustainability-Driven Hybrid Business Modelsustainable business modelbenefit corporationsocial enterprisecooperative |
| spellingShingle | Justyna Dąbrowska Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish Perspective Review of European and Comparative Law Sustainability-Driven Hybrid Business Model sustainable business model benefit corporation social enterprise cooperative |
| title | Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish Perspective |
| title_full | Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish Perspective |
| title_short | Social Enterprises, Cooperatives or Benefit Corporations? On Reconciling Profit and the Common Good in Doing Business from a Polish Perspective |
| title_sort | social enterprises cooperatives or benefit corporations on reconciling profit and the common good in doing business from a polish perspective |
| topic | Sustainability-Driven Hybrid Business Model sustainable business model benefit corporation social enterprise cooperative |
| url | https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/recl/article/view/14600 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT justynadabrowska socialenterprisescooperativesorbenefitcorporationsonreconcilingprofitandthecommongoodindoingbusinessfromapolishperspective |