Fostering innovation through government initiatives for social entrepreneurship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how government initiatives can enhance social entrepreneurship (SE) and identify the key factors that contribute to their success, particularly in the context of emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on Tunisia, a North African emerging economy, providing a clear geographical setting for the research. A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a survey method distributed via Qualtrics. The survey targeted 202 Tunisian social entrepreneurs, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the relationships between government initiatives and SE development. Findings The results reveal that government initiatives, including the creation of supportive ecosystems, training and skills development programs, tax incentives, public-private partnerships, and support for community-driven initiatives, significantly enhance SE. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on Tunisia, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other contexts. Future research should expand geographically and consider longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of government initiatives on SE. Practical implications The findings provide actionable recommendations for policymakers to design effective strategies that support SE, such as developing ecosystems, offering financial incentives, and fostering public-private partnerships. Social implications By promoting SE, government initiatives can contribute to sustainable development, reduce social disparities, and address pressing socio-economic challenges. Originality/value This study contributes to the open innovation paradigm by applying it to the social entrepreneurship context, highlighting how government interventions act as external enablers for SE. It offers new insights into the role of government in fostering social innovation in emerging economies, an area that has been underexplored in existing literature.