Entrepreneurs and start-ups have always been considered key players in achieving social and environmental goals and accelerating transitions to sustainability. Those who decide to start a new business may act as catalyst for long-term socio-economic changes. In recent years, new ventures are increasingly emerging defining themselves as sustainable by reason of their commitment to positively impact people or the planet. The concept of sustainable entrepreneurship is beginning to take hold, together with numerous academic research analysing the motives and difficulties of this new generation of entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, sustainable start-ups often struggle to measure their impact throughout their entrepreneurial processes since they operate in a constantly evolving environment and especially during early stages. Sustainability impact assessment for startups is still an evolving research field, as there are no common measures and standards that these ventures must follow. This study investigates the use of Social Return on Investment (SROI) as a tool for impact evaluation and management in sustainable startups. SROI, a well-recognized framework for monetizing social value, provides a structured approach to quantify both direct and indirect benefits generated by ventures, with a major goal of creating social value alongside financial returns. By generating insights into social value, defined as the positive change in well-being and social welfare obtained through entrepreneurial activity, SROI provides a mechanism to measure and communicate businesses' broader benefits to society. This thesis explores the drivers and defining features of sustainable entrepreneurship, focusing on the motivations behind sustainability-focused business models and the challenges of balancing social, environmental, and economic goals. Through a combination of literature review, case studies, and expert interviews, this thesis investigates how sustainable entrepreneurs can leverage SROI to communicate their social value, attract impact-oriented investors, and increase transparency among stakeholders. Finally, the study intends to close the gap in impact assessment standards for startups, adding to the larger discussion on sustainable entrepreneurship and the need of comprehensive impact measurement in achieving social value creation.
Gli imprenditori e le startup sono da sempre considerati attori chiave nel raggiungimento degli obiettivi sociali e ambientali, oltre che nell’accelerare la transizione verso la sostenibilità. Chi decide di avviare una nuova impresa può agire come catalizzatore di cambiamenti socio-economici di lungo periodo. Negli ultimi anni, sono sempre più numerose le nuove iniziative imprenditoriali che si definiscono sostenibili per via del loro impegno nel generare un impatto positivo sulle persone o sul pianeta. Il concetto di imprenditoria sostenibile sta iniziando ad affermarsi, accompagnato da un crescente interesse accademico nell’analizzare le motivazioni e le difficoltà di questa nuova generazione di imprenditori. Tuttavia, le startup sostenibili spesso incontrano difficoltà nel misurare il proprio impatto lungo il percorso imprenditoriale, poiché operano in un contesto in continua evoluzione, soprattutto nelle fasi iniziali. La valutazione dell’impatto della sostenibilità per le startup è ancora un campo di ricerca in sviluppo, in quanto non esistono metriche e standard comuni a cui queste imprese devono attenersi. Questo studio analizza l’uso del Social Return on Investment (SROI) come strumento per la valutazione e la gestione dell’impatto nelle startup sostenibili. L’SROI, un framework ampiamente riconosciuto per la monetizzazione del valore sociale, offre un approccio strutturato per quantificare i benefici diretti e indiretti generati dalle imprese, con l’obiettivo principale di creare valore sociale accanto al rendimento finanziario. Fornendo informazioni sul valore sociale, inteso come il miglioramento del benessere e del welfare ottenuto attraverso l’attività imprenditoriale, l’SROI rappresenta un meccanismo utile per misurare e comunicare i benefici più ampi che le imprese apportano alla società. Questa tesi esplora i fattori chiave e le caratteristiche distintive dell’imprenditoria sostenibile, concentrandosi sulle motivazioni che guidano i modelli di business orientati alla sostenibilità e sulle sfide nel bilanciare obiettivi sociali, ambientali ed economici. Attraverso una combinazione di analisi della letteratura, studi di caso e interviste con esperti, il lavoro indaga su come gli imprenditori sostenibili possano sfruttare l’SROI per comunicare il proprio valore sociale, attrarre investitori orientati all’impatto e aumentare la trasparenza nei confronti degli stakeholder. Infine, lo studio si propone di colmare il divario negli standard di valutazione dell’impatto per le startup, contribuendo al dibattito più ampio sull’imprenditoria sostenibile e sulla necessità di strumenti di misurazione completi per la creazione di valore sociale.
Misurare l'Impatto nell'Imprenditoria: Il Ruolo dello SROI nella Creazione di Valore Sociale nelle Startup Sostenibili
PALAZZO, ALESSANDRO
2023/2024
Abstract
Entrepreneurs and start-ups have always been considered key players in achieving social and environmental goals and accelerating transitions to sustainability. Those who decide to start a new business may act as catalyst for long-term socio-economic changes. In recent years, new ventures are increasingly emerging defining themselves as sustainable by reason of their commitment to positively impact people or the planet. The concept of sustainable entrepreneurship is beginning to take hold, together with numerous academic research analysing the motives and difficulties of this new generation of entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, sustainable start-ups often struggle to measure their impact throughout their entrepreneurial processes since they operate in a constantly evolving environment and especially during early stages. Sustainability impact assessment for startups is still an evolving research field, as there are no common measures and standards that these ventures must follow. This study investigates the use of Social Return on Investment (SROI) as a tool for impact evaluation and management in sustainable startups. SROI, a well-recognized framework for monetizing social value, provides a structured approach to quantify both direct and indirect benefits generated by ventures, with a major goal of creating social value alongside financial returns. By generating insights into social value, defined as the positive change in well-being and social welfare obtained through entrepreneurial activity, SROI provides a mechanism to measure and communicate businesses' broader benefits to society. This thesis explores the drivers and defining features of sustainable entrepreneurship, focusing on the motivations behind sustainability-focused business models and the challenges of balancing social, environmental, and economic goals. Through a combination of literature review, case studies, and expert interviews, this thesis investigates how sustainable entrepreneurs can leverage SROI to communicate their social value, attract impact-oriented investors, and increase transparency among stakeholders. Finally, the study intends to close the gap in impact assessment standards for startups, adding to the larger discussion on sustainable entrepreneurship and the need of comprehensive impact measurement in achieving social value creation.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/27846