SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP ENVIRONMENT IN LITHUANIA

Abstract

Social enterprises are created and are developing using market possibilities in Lithuania. The paper seeks to disclose the situation in Lithuania from the legal, economic, technological, environmental and the sociocultural positions, and hence provide the perspectives for potential social entrepreneurs to create or start such kind of business. Despite the enforcement from the government and EU policy focusing recent years on social enterprises, numerous problems in Lithuania such legal ambiguity, lack of knowledge and appropriate skills of human resources, lack of financial and cooperation support for social enterprises exist. The product and added value created by social enterprises remain difficult to understand and measure for people starting their own business. Management of social enterprises’ activity stays complicated of lack of appropriate competences and skills. The paper seeks to disclose Lithuanian circumstances with respect to the legal, economic, technological, natural, and sociocultural positions, which provide the attitude of potential social entrepreneurs to create new ideas/ and start such kind of businesses and disclose main barriers for the development of social enterprises in Lithuania in terms of existing situation. Research methods include the scientific literature in depth analysis, statistical data analysis, situational analysis. The results of the paper present the situational factors of creating and developing social enterprises in Lithuania, especially emphasising the rural areas and their environment. The period of research was conducted from 2018 focusing mainly on three years period forward. Research methods include scientific literature in depth analysis, statistical data analysis, situational analysis.