From resource scarcity to digital leverage: A framework for sustainable technology and circular-economy-oriented social entrepreneurship

This conceptual paper introduces the theory of Digital Resource Leverage (DRL) to explain how social entrepreneurs transform resource scarcity into digital opportunity within the context of sustainable economic systems. Building on and extending the Resource-Based View and bricolage theory, the paper argues that digital transformation reshapes the logic of resource strategy from ownership to orchestration in circular and inclusive economic models. Social ventures increasingly mobilize accessible, modular, and non-owned digital tools - ranging from no-code platforms and open data infrastructures to collaborative online networks - to achieve frugal yet scalable innovation and contribute to sustainable development and the circular economy. The DRL framework conceptualizes this process as a distinct resource logic that enhances entrepreneurial efficiency, innovation, legitimacy, and systemic economic inclusion in under-resourced contexts. The paper contributes to entrepreneurship and sustainable technology literature by integrating digital bricolage into a strategic model of resource configuration and by reframing digital resourcefulness as a dynamic capability supporting inclusive economic growth. Practical guidance is provided for entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers seeking to align social innovation initiatives with the Sustainable Development Goals and circular economy principles. This study thus offers a digitally grounded roadmap for sustainable, inclusive, and economically transformative entrepreneurship in the twenty-first century.