A Comparative Analysis of Social Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship: An Examination of International Co-Authorship Networks

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the boundaries between social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship research through conducting a comparative analysis of international co-authorship networks. Analyzing 29,510 papers published in the Web of Science database from 1999 to 2021, this study utilized bibliometric analysis to examine international co-authorship networks, the strength of international co-authorship, and the top collaborative and collaborating countries. The results found that based on quantitative analysis, social entrepreneurship research focuses more on local challenges and less on international collaboration as compared to entrepreneurship research. Moreover, the findings reveal the involvement of developed countries in the international co-authorship for social entrepreneurship research field. This study sheds light on the characteristics of social entrepreneurship research, which focuses on local and regional challenges. Contrastingly, entrepreneurship research focuses on the globalized field while sharing information and technology. These insights could benefit researchers, practitioners, and educators in prioritizing globalization in entrepreneurship and localization in social entrepreneurship.