(en) Instead of seeking a consensus on a conception or definition of social enterprise, which has not been possible for more than 20 years, this article aims to reflect the diversity of possible models of social enterprise. In this perspective, an analytical framework is proposed combining two main dimensions: "principles of interest" (mutual or general capitalist interests) and the combinations of resources mobilized. This analytical framework highlights 4 main models of social enterprise, each model results from a particular institutional trajectory: the associative entrepreneurial model, the social cooperative, the "social business" and the parapublic social enterprise.
Defourny, J., & Nyssens, M. (2019). La diversité des modèles d’entreprise sociale : nouvelles dynamiques au cœur et aux confins de l’économie sociale. Marché et organisation, 36, 17-38. https://doi.org/10.3917/maorg.036.0017 (Original work published 2019)