Social enterprise at the crossroads of market, public policy and civil society

Social enterprise is widely discussed on both sides of the Atlantic. However, as explained in more detail in the Introduction to this book, this concept can cover different meanings and still appears unclear in public debate. In the US, the concept of social enterprise mainly refers to a dynamic of commercialization at work within the non-profit sector – a phenomenon of NPOs which increasingly rely on the market to finance their activity. This concept can also be associated with the dynamics of ‘social entrepreneurship’ developed by businesses which seek to stress the social impact of their productive activities.