Innovation and Impact: Tracing the Footprints of Social Entrepreneurship Research

Social entrepreneurship is a growing sentiment in today’s world as it creates an opportunity for the creation of positive change in response to acute social issues. This study understands the importance of social entrepreneurship and hence uses bibliometric analysis to map the literature on the topic between 1989 and 2024. This research looks at 3,000 articles over 1,047 sources utilizing quantitative methods like Lotka's Law to ascertain patterns of authorship in an attempt to underline the historical evolution of the subject. By recognizing pioneering countries, essential sources, and influential authors, and emphasizing collaborative networks, this study highlights the factors that influence social entrepreneurship scholarship. The analysis created by this bibliometric study, can be beneficial to scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. Besides adding value to scholarly conversation, the findings also find immediate application in pointing out the future direction of further research and strategic intervention drawing on social entrepreneurship for addressing the essential societal issues.