IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cbu/jrnlec/y2025v4p380-387.html

The Impact Of Social Innovation On Local Economic Development: Evidence From The South-West Oltenia Region Of Romania

Author

Listed:
  • BALAN ROBERT

Abstract

This paper explores the role of social innovation as a catalyst for local economic development, with a particular focus on the South-West Oltenia region of Romania. Faced with structural economic challenges such as depopulation, low employment rates, and underutilized human capital, the region presents both urgent needs and untapped potential for bottom-up, socially driven solutions. Social innovation – defined as the development and implementation of new ideas to meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations – is increasingly recognized as a strategic tool for inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Through a review of relevant literature and a case-based analysis of community-led initiatives and social enterprises in the region, this study highlights the concrete ways in which social innovation contributes to local resilience: by fostering employment among vulnerable groups, revitalizing local services, and promoting civic engagement. Examples from Dolj and Gorj counties demonstrate how grassroots initiatives, often supported by EU funding or local partnerships, can generate both social value and economic returns. The findings suggest that social innovation is not only a tool for mitigating socio-economic disparities but also a driver for long-term regional competitiveness. The paper concludes with policy recommendations aimed at strengthening the ecosystem for social innovation in South-West Oltenia and emphasizes the need for coordinated action among public authorities, civil society, and the private sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Balan Robert, 2025. "The Impact Of Social Innovation On Local Economic Development: Evidence From The South-West Oltenia Region Of Romania," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 4, pages 380-387, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:cbu:jrnlec:y:2025:v:4:p:380-387
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.utgjiu.ro/revista/ec/pdf/2025-04/41_Balan.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James Austin & Howard Stevenson & Jane Wei–Skillern, 2006. "Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(1), pages 1-22, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Helen M. Haugh & Alka Talwar, 2016. "Linking Social Entrepreneurship and Social Change: The Mediating Role of Empowerment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(4), pages 643-658, February.
    2. Junyon Im & Sunny Sun, 2015. "Profits and outreach to the poor: The institutional logics of microfinance institutions," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 95-117, March.
    3. Steffen Farny & Ewald Kibler & Solange Hai & Paolo Landoni, 2019. "Volunteer Retention in Prosocial Venturing: The Role of Emotional Connectivity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(6), pages 1094-1123, November.
    4. O. Vikhanskiy S. & A. Mirakyan G. & О. Виханский С. & А. Миракян Г., 2018. "Лидерство-служение как фактор социального предпринимательства // Servant Leadership as a Factor of Social Entrepreneurship," Управленческие науки // Management Science, ФГОБУВО Финансовый университет при Правительстве Российской Федерации // Financial University under The Government of Russian Federation, vol. 8(1), pages 100-109.
    5. Julie Hermans & Hendrik Slabbinck & Johanna Vanderstraeten & Jacqueline Brassey & Marcus Dejardin & Dendi Ramdani & Arjen Van Witteloostuijn, 2017. "The Power Paradox: Implicit and Explicit Power Motives, and the Importance Attached to Prosocial Organizational Goals in SMEs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-26, November.
    6. Sanchita Bansal & Isha Garg & Gagan Deep Sharma, 2019. "Social Entrepreneurship as a Path for Social Change and Driver of Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-28, February.
    7. Muhammad Farooq Islam & Ozge Can, 2024. "Integrating digital and sustainable entrepreneurship through business models: a bibliometric analysis," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Hsieh, Hui-Ching & Hsieh, Ying-Che & Vu, Thi Huyen Chi, 2019. "How social movements influence crowdfunding success," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 308-320.
    9. Orkhan ISMAYILOV, 2016. "Flypaper Nonprofits: Crowding In And Crowding Out Effects Of Grants On Nonprofit Finance," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(3), pages 77-87, December.
    10. Canestrino, Rossella & Ćwiklicki, Marek & Magliocca, Pierpaolo & Pawełek, Barbara, 2020. "Understanding social entrepreneurship: A cultural perspective in business research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 132-143.
    11. Jamal El-Den & Pratap Adikhari & Pratap Adikhari, 2017. "Social media in the service of social entrepreneurship: Identifying factors for better services," Journal of Advances in Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Yi-Hsing Hsieh, vol. 3(2), pages 105-114.
    12. Matt Grimes, 2010. "Strategic Sensemaking within Funding Relationships: The Effects of Performance Measurement on Organizational Identity in the Social Sector," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(4), pages 763-783, July.
    13. Ruben Burga & Davar Rezania, 2016. "Stakeholder theory in social entrepreneurship: a descriptive case study," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 6(1), pages 1-15, December.
    14. Satyajit Majumdar & Gordhan K. Saini, 2016. "CSR in India: Critical Review and Exploring Entrepreneurial Opportunities," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 2(1), pages 56-79, January.
    15. Mark Griffiths & Jill Kickul & Sophie Bacq & Siri Terjesen, 2012. "A Dialogue with William J. Baumol: Insights on Entrepreneurship Theory and Education," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(4), pages 611-625, July.
    16. Busch, Christian & Barkema, Harry, 2022. "Align or perish: social enterprise network orchestration in Sub-Saharan Africa," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115350, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. Reeti Kulshrestha & Arunaditya Sahay & Subhanjan Sengupta, 2022. "Constituents and Drivers of Mission Engagement for Social Enterprise Sustainability: A Systematic Review," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 31(1), pages 90-120, March.
    18. Päivi Jokela & Maria Elo, 2015. "Developing Innovative Business Models in Social Ventures," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 11(1), pages 103-118.
    19. Ankita Tandon & Unnikrishnan K. Nair, 2015. "Enactment of knowledge brokering: Agents, roles, processes and the impact of immersion," Working papers 183, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
    20. Maria Margarida Avillez & Andrew Greenman & Susan Marlow, 2020. "Ethical Judgments About Social Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Influence of Spatio-Cultural Meanings," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 161(4), pages 877-892, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cbu:jrnlec:y:2025:v:4:p:380-387. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ecobici Nicolae (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/fetgjro.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.