Digitalisation in the development of social entrepreneurship

Abstract

The article considers the process of digital transformation in the sphere of social entrepreneurship, which solves socially significant problems of public life, simultaneously providing a positive economic, social and environmental impact thereon. The use of the Internet and digitalisation of the economy transforms radically the cooperation processes between all involved actors. Social entrepreneurship is no exception. In this context, this paper explores the role of digitalisation in the development of social entrepreneurship. In order to achieve the set goal and analyse the available data, the authors used such general scientific methods of knowledge as abstraction, deduction, deconstruction, synthesis, analogy and axiomatics. The use of this methodological apparatus made it possible to conclude that the process of digitalisation and introduction of information technologies in the sphere of social entrepreneurship provides new tools supporting the activities in this sphere as well as changing the very context of social entrepreneurs’ work. This made it possible to highlight the factors influencing the development of digitalisation in social entrepreneurship, as well as to identify new and promising areas of digital transformation in the sphere of social entrepreneurship. These primarily include the use of the blockchain and smart contracts which offer new opportunities for financing, storing data and achieving social entrepreneurship goals.