Factors stimulating social innovation in entrepreneurship: an empirical evidence of inter-organizational alliances in Italy

This article will focus on the meaning of social innovation, which could represent the tipping point of the modern entrepreneurship phenomenon, allowing it to reach a larger scale and increase its social benefits. After having described the definition of social entrepreneurship and how it may be influenced by inter-organizational social arrangements, we will analyze the Italian scenario, which is particularly significant for investigating inter-organizational alliances and their social outcomes. Specifically, the focus will be on inter-organizational alliances in the Region of Tuscany, underlining how the Third Sector is capable of creating both direct and indirect effects on social innovation, thus becoming a possible turning point for modern societal evolution. Consequently, the article will conclude with theoretical propositions concerning the direct and indirect effects that inter-organizational alliances have on social entrepreneurship, thus emphasizing the positive outcomes that such interactions have both on the financial equilibrium of the organizations and on their organizational structure.