Contribution of Associations Registered for Social Entrepreneurship Activity to Social Entrepreneurship Development in Croatia

The paper aims to examine how many Croatian associations that list social entrepreneurship (SE) as part of their activities, really devote their resources to SE, and to test the model of social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) on associations. A survey was conducted on these associations to test the regression model of SEI. The findings indicate that approximately 12% of associations that list SE as one of their activities act as or own a social enterprise whilst 45.3% encourage SE development through promotion, education, funding or other methods. Around 50% of the surveyed associations did not contribute to SE development, despite this being part of their mission when they registered their activities. These organisations typically lack SEIs, but find SE appealing. Policymakers should consider these empirical findings and provide support for investments to increase the appeal of SE, as well as knowledge on financing opportunities, entrepreneurial and managerial skills, and encourage associations to undertake SE initiatives through collaborative efforts. Despite a notable response rate, the sample may contain a bias towards associations with greater SE knowledge.