The age of marriage matters: social entrepreneurs’ mature age and business sustainability

Abstract

Purpose – Nowadays consciously or not in the Baltic states and in the European Union as a whole it has become a tendency to engage young people into social innovation and social enterprises' establishment stressing the importance of these processes as tools aimed at youth employability and sustainable career solutions. Though, by this unofficially setting the age limit and consequently underestimating and leaving those people who are over 30 behind and who are also motivated to establish social enterprises and what is more they have already got the necessary knowledge and work experience. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the fact that there should be a broader focus than it is now on who might become a financially sustainable social entrepreneur, to encourage policy makers and public institutions to consider also “mature” people with life experience as social entrepreneurs and provide them incentives to the benefits of the society.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors used qualitative research methods, including judgement sample analyses of Ashoka and Schwab foundations social entrepreneurs’ profiles and social entrepreneurship support initiatives.

Findings – In this article the authors have provided the proof to the assumption that people over 30 should be also included into the target group by policy makers for being engaged into social entrepreneurship.

Contribution of the research – The authors have identified one of the possible impact factors influencing Latvian social enterprises’ business sustainability, thereto mentioning one of the presumable impediments, which is the lack of business experience and knowledge since meeting at once social and economic goals require not only a youngster thrill. Thus, active attraction of people possessing the above stated, who are over 30 into social innovation and social enterprises’ establishment could contribute considerably to the successful development of both. This research extends scholarly understanding of social entrepreneurship in terms of business sustainability and age limits.