Davorka Vidovic - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Books by Davorka Vidovic
We are convinced that social economy can and must play significant role in sustainable developmen... more We are convinced that social economy can and must play significant role in sustainable development of South East Europe, as well as its economies. Social economy initiatives pursue goals beyond financial profit using that profit to produce goods and services for their members and/or for the wellbeing of a community. They are rooted in the South East Europe, traditionally appearing as solidarity associations, cooperatives, mutuals, etc. However, societies and states of SEE, for decades now faced with existential challenges, have not been able to unlock
its potential, which would make them more active subject in overcoming poverty, social exclusion. With more supportive environment, social economy can in fact increase employment and raise quality of community based services, generate social innovation in different sectors, and enhance social capital.
The Strategic Study on Social Economy Development in the Context of the South East Europe 2020 Strategy is the first document of its kind in the Region. It offers a general overview of the sector, its environment, while at the same time identifying opportunities for its development. The Study is designed in a way to give its readers overall regional outlook on this topic, as well as specific national insights with all local particularities.
The list of presented examples of good practice is not exhaustive, but still illustrative. They should serve both as inspiration and lessons to be learned for all future social economy initiatives. All further stakeholders, such as representatives of institutions, financial sector, and citizens can make use of these stories to recognise their own role and interest in supporting and/or activating in social economy, thus jointly contributing to development of their own communities.,
As the Study underlines, values such as solidarity, cooperation and trust have always been the fundamental principles of social economy. Revitalizing those values in our societies will give great impulse to social economy and what is more important - with the development of social economy, social capital can only increase.
Papers by Davorka Vidovic
Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Apr 25, 2023
Great turbulences, unpredictability and pressures due to a new social reality often follow the tr... more Great turbulences, unpredictability and pressures due to a new social reality often follow the transfer from an old political and socioeconomic system into a new one. In the beginning of the 1990s, countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) transferred from socialist regimes into liberal democratic systems. On one hand, in terms of politics, this was a transition from an authoritarian to a democratic society, and on the other hand, in terms of economy, this was a transition from centrally planned economy into a free market economy. These two crucial transformations were a precondition for a whole range of other social changes in these countries. One of them was a transformation of welfare state, a system that had a significant influence on cohesion of a society as a whole, and therefore, could greatly determine the course of democratization. The paper intends to give an overview of the key changes in the field of welfare in the context of internal economic and political transformations of the post-socialists Central and Eastern Europe countries, as well as in the context of external globalization pressures they have been exposed to at the same time.
This chapter deals with emerging phenomena - social media and social entrepreneurship, intending ... more This chapter deals with emerging phenomena - social media and social entrepreneurship, intending to explore their relations. It is perceived that there is a significant potential in social media to advance development of social entrepreneurship, in particularly referring to networking character of both phenomena. The chapter is focused on the Croatian context and it seeks to interpret the application of the social entrepreneurship theme to a Facebook community page Social Entrepreneurship in Croatia. The page was established in 2009 and has grown to over 1300 members or followers, showing interest in a subject. The pilot survey was organized around this group, soughing to identify their main characteristics. Particular interest was directed to exploring knowledge and behavior in order to see how those aspects correlate with social media around which they are interconnected. Using the online questionnaire, constructed of both open and structured questions, and distributed through the page's communication channels, authors conducted the survey in the Autumn 2012. Due to limitations study faced, such as representativeness of sampling, sample size, reach of online surveys etc., generalization were made very cautiously, and authors warned that those should be held in a process of further review. Results of study showed that social entrepreneurship still remains a confusing phenomenon for a great part of respondents. It is still often mistaken with socially responsible business or is not visible and recognizable in the local communities. Among those who expressed greater interest in social entrepreneurship or even planning to get more involved, very small percentage is regularly using social media tools, in particularly the Facebook page they follow. There is, however, significant potential via social media to raise further knowledge, interest and encourage engagement in the field that remained unused. The study provide insights that may contribute to future development of social media directed towards advancing social entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the research connecting social media and social entrepreneurship in an emerging area, such as Croatia, can help to better illustrate the underlying networks which, thus far, has been a silent partner in development.
Routledge eBooks, Feb 25, 2021
The first part of the paper deals with various notions and historical, contextual and conceptual ... more The first part of the paper deals with various notions and historical, contextual and conceptual issues that may contribute to the overall understanding of the social enterprise field in Croatia. A short overview of the concepts and terms that have a longer tradition and recognition will be presented ; in so doing, we will also capture historical contexts and changes, some of them still present in contemporary society. In the second part, we will propose a typology of social enterprise in Croatia that is based on the EMES approach. This attempt will take into account internal factors—such as the entrepreneur’s motivation for establishing and running a social enterprise and the enterprise’s social mission, field of activity and type of governance—but also external forces, such as public policies, financial incentives, etc. The proposed typology will enable comparative analysis across regions within the ICSEM project and will help to gain a better understanding of the field. In addition, it will serve as a basis for empirical verification in the quantitative part of the study. In the final part of the paper, we will try to map and describe the main trajectories of the SE field’s institutional framework development: legal forms used by social enterprises, institutions and bodies involved, public policies and programmes, and main financial incentives. We will also provide an insight of how the existing institutional environment relates to the different social enterprise models. The main goal is to apprehend the extent to which existing institutional frameworks relate to and communicate with identified types of social enterprises.
Social Enterprise Journal
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the meaning of being a social entrepr... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the meaning of being a social entrepreneur in a society marked with multiple transitions. It aims to understand how theoretical concepts of social entrepreneurs, including common dichotomies between economic and social, collective and individual, reflect in social entrepreneurs’ rationale, values and identities. Design/methodology/approach The study used an exploratory and qualitative approach. Empirical data were gathered during 14 semi-structured interviews with Croatian social entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis was used as an analytical framework. Findings The findings suggest complexity of social entrepreneurs’ rationale and identities as they face challenges in balancing different goals. Democratic and participative governance appeared to be the weakest link of social enterprises. Identity of social entrepreneurs in the society of multiple transitions is fluid and changes through the continuum from pure social to pure co...
Economy of eastern Croatia – yesterday, today, tommorow, 2015
This paper aims to contribute to better understanding of the role of social entrepreneurship in e... more This paper aims to contribute to better understanding of the role of social entrepreneurship in empowering women in rural areas. Women, and women in rural areas in particular, are one of the most vulnerable social groups exposed to a high risk of poverty and social exclusion. At the same time, findings have shown that women do not lag far behind men regarding generation of business ideas and perceiving and exploiting business opportunities. Although a relatively new concept and phenomenon, social entrepreneurship in Croatia has already shown its potential in addressing the needs of marginalized social groups and has therefore emerged as a model that might contribute to women’s empowerment. The important characteristic of social entrepreneurship is its collective nature. Solidarity, mutual support and sharing of risks and responsibilities, which are provided through social entrepreneurship, might encourage women in rural areas to enter and sustain in entrepreneurial activities. To as...
Izvješće sa skupa | Conference Report Izvješće sa skupa/Conference Report Četvrta EMES-ova međuna... more Izvješće sa skupa | Conference Report Izvješće sa skupa/Conference Report Četvrta EMES-ova međunarodna istraživačka konferencija o socijalnim poduzećima: ako ne za pro t, za što? i kako?
Socijalna ekologija, 2020
Istraživanje je temeljeno na eksplorativnom pristupu i kvalitativnoj metodologiji, a i koristili ... more Istraživanje je temeljeno na eksplorativnom pristupu i kvalitativnoj metodologiji, a i koristili su se intervjui i fokus grupe na prigodnom uzorku od deset učeničkih zadruga. U radu je, kao glavni konceptualni okvir, korišten pristup Međunarodnog saveza zadruga (ICA) koji u određenju "zadružnog identiteta" navodi definiciju, sedam temeljnih načela i deset vrijednosti. Svrha je rada bila utvrditi na koji način se temeljna zadružna načela primjenjuju u djelovanju učeničkih zadruga te na koji ih način možemo promatrati kao rasadnike zadrugarstva. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su kako se neka načela, poput edukacije o zadrugarstvu i demokratsko upravljanje, nedovoljno reflektiraju u radu učeničkih zadruga. To u konačnici može slabiti razvoj zadružnog identiteta kod učenika te smanjiti njihov interes za pokretanjem ili sudjelovanjem u zadruzi u odrasloj dobi.
We are convinced that social economy can and must play significant role in sustainable developmen... more We are convinced that social economy can and must play significant role in sustainable development of South East Europe, as well as its economies. Social economy initiatives pursue goals beyond financial profit using that profit to produce goods and services for their members and/or for the wellbeing of a community. They are rooted in the South East Europe, traditionally appearing as solidarity associations, cooperatives, mutuals, etc. However, societies and states of SEE, for decades now faced with existential challenges, have not been able to unlock
its potential, which would make them more active subject in overcoming poverty, social exclusion. With more supportive environment, social economy can in fact increase employment and raise quality of community based services, generate social innovation in different sectors, and enhance social capital.
The Strategic Study on Social Economy Development in the Context of the South East Europe 2020 Strategy is the first document of its kind in the Region. It offers a general overview of the sector, its environment, while at the same time identifying opportunities for its development. The Study is designed in a way to give its readers overall regional outlook on this topic, as well as specific national insights with all local particularities.
The list of presented examples of good practice is not exhaustive, but still illustrative. They should serve both as inspiration and lessons to be learned for all future social economy initiatives. All further stakeholders, such as representatives of institutions, financial sector, and citizens can make use of these stories to recognise their own role and interest in supporting and/or activating in social economy, thus jointly contributing to development of their own communities.,
As the Study underlines, values such as solidarity, cooperation and trust have always been the fundamental principles of social economy. Revitalizing those values in our societies will give great impulse to social economy and what is more important - with the development of social economy, social capital can only increase.
Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Apr 25, 2023
Great turbulences, unpredictability and pressures due to a new social reality often follow the tr... more Great turbulences, unpredictability and pressures due to a new social reality often follow the transfer from an old political and socioeconomic system into a new one. In the beginning of the 1990s, countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) transferred from socialist regimes into liberal democratic systems. On one hand, in terms of politics, this was a transition from an authoritarian to a democratic society, and on the other hand, in terms of economy, this was a transition from centrally planned economy into a free market economy. These two crucial transformations were a precondition for a whole range of other social changes in these countries. One of them was a transformation of welfare state, a system that had a significant influence on cohesion of a society as a whole, and therefore, could greatly determine the course of democratization. The paper intends to give an overview of the key changes in the field of welfare in the context of internal economic and political transformations of the post-socialists Central and Eastern Europe countries, as well as in the context of external globalization pressures they have been exposed to at the same time.
This chapter deals with emerging phenomena - social media and social entrepreneurship, intending ... more This chapter deals with emerging phenomena - social media and social entrepreneurship, intending to explore their relations. It is perceived that there is a significant potential in social media to advance development of social entrepreneurship, in particularly referring to networking character of both phenomena. The chapter is focused on the Croatian context and it seeks to interpret the application of the social entrepreneurship theme to a Facebook community page Social Entrepreneurship in Croatia. The page was established in 2009 and has grown to over 1300 members or followers, showing interest in a subject. The pilot survey was organized around this group, soughing to identify their main characteristics. Particular interest was directed to exploring knowledge and behavior in order to see how those aspects correlate with social media around which they are interconnected. Using the online questionnaire, constructed of both open and structured questions, and distributed through the page's communication channels, authors conducted the survey in the Autumn 2012. Due to limitations study faced, such as representativeness of sampling, sample size, reach of online surveys etc., generalization were made very cautiously, and authors warned that those should be held in a process of further review. Results of study showed that social entrepreneurship still remains a confusing phenomenon for a great part of respondents. It is still often mistaken with socially responsible business or is not visible and recognizable in the local communities. Among those who expressed greater interest in social entrepreneurship or even planning to get more involved, very small percentage is regularly using social media tools, in particularly the Facebook page they follow. There is, however, significant potential via social media to raise further knowledge, interest and encourage engagement in the field that remained unused. The study provide insights that may contribute to future development of social media directed towards advancing social entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the research connecting social media and social entrepreneurship in an emerging area, such as Croatia, can help to better illustrate the underlying networks which, thus far, has been a silent partner in development.
Routledge eBooks, Feb 25, 2021
The first part of the paper deals with various notions and historical, contextual and conceptual ... more The first part of the paper deals with various notions and historical, contextual and conceptual issues that may contribute to the overall understanding of the social enterprise field in Croatia. A short overview of the concepts and terms that have a longer tradition and recognition will be presented ; in so doing, we will also capture historical contexts and changes, some of them still present in contemporary society. In the second part, we will propose a typology of social enterprise in Croatia that is based on the EMES approach. This attempt will take into account internal factors—such as the entrepreneur’s motivation for establishing and running a social enterprise and the enterprise’s social mission, field of activity and type of governance—but also external forces, such as public policies, financial incentives, etc. The proposed typology will enable comparative analysis across regions within the ICSEM project and will help to gain a better understanding of the field. In addition, it will serve as a basis for empirical verification in the quantitative part of the study. In the final part of the paper, we will try to map and describe the main trajectories of the SE field’s institutional framework development: legal forms used by social enterprises, institutions and bodies involved, public policies and programmes, and main financial incentives. We will also provide an insight of how the existing institutional environment relates to the different social enterprise models. The main goal is to apprehend the extent to which existing institutional frameworks relate to and communicate with identified types of social enterprises.
Social Enterprise Journal
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the meaning of being a social entrepr... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the meaning of being a social entrepreneur in a society marked with multiple transitions. It aims to understand how theoretical concepts of social entrepreneurs, including common dichotomies between economic and social, collective and individual, reflect in social entrepreneurs’ rationale, values and identities. Design/methodology/approach The study used an exploratory and qualitative approach. Empirical data were gathered during 14 semi-structured interviews with Croatian social entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis was used as an analytical framework. Findings The findings suggest complexity of social entrepreneurs’ rationale and identities as they face challenges in balancing different goals. Democratic and participative governance appeared to be the weakest link of social enterprises. Identity of social entrepreneurs in the society of multiple transitions is fluid and changes through the continuum from pure social to pure co...
Economy of eastern Croatia – yesterday, today, tommorow, 2015
This paper aims to contribute to better understanding of the role of social entrepreneurship in e... more This paper aims to contribute to better understanding of the role of social entrepreneurship in empowering women in rural areas. Women, and women in rural areas in particular, are one of the most vulnerable social groups exposed to a high risk of poverty and social exclusion. At the same time, findings have shown that women do not lag far behind men regarding generation of business ideas and perceiving and exploiting business opportunities. Although a relatively new concept and phenomenon, social entrepreneurship in Croatia has already shown its potential in addressing the needs of marginalized social groups and has therefore emerged as a model that might contribute to women’s empowerment. The important characteristic of social entrepreneurship is its collective nature. Solidarity, mutual support and sharing of risks and responsibilities, which are provided through social entrepreneurship, might encourage women in rural areas to enter and sustain in entrepreneurial activities. To as...
Izvješće sa skupa | Conference Report Izvješće sa skupa/Conference Report Četvrta EMES-ova međuna... more Izvješće sa skupa | Conference Report Izvješće sa skupa/Conference Report Četvrta EMES-ova međunarodna istraživačka konferencija o socijalnim poduzećima: ako ne za pro t, za što? i kako?
Socijalna ekologija, 2020
Istraživanje je temeljeno na eksplorativnom pristupu i kvalitativnoj metodologiji, a i koristili ... more Istraživanje je temeljeno na eksplorativnom pristupu i kvalitativnoj metodologiji, a i koristili su se intervjui i fokus grupe na prigodnom uzorku od deset učeničkih zadruga. U radu je, kao glavni konceptualni okvir, korišten pristup Međunarodnog saveza zadruga (ICA) koji u određenju "zadružnog identiteta" navodi definiciju, sedam temeljnih načela i deset vrijednosti. Svrha je rada bila utvrditi na koji način se temeljna zadružna načela primjenjuju u djelovanju učeničkih zadruga te na koji ih način možemo promatrati kao rasadnike zadrugarstva. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su kako se neka načela, poput edukacije o zadrugarstvu i demokratsko upravljanje, nedovoljno reflektiraju u radu učeničkih zadruga. To u konačnici može slabiti razvoj zadružnog identiteta kod učenika te smanjiti njihov interes za pokretanjem ili sudjelovanjem u zadruzi u odrasloj dobi.
~koga govornog podru~ja, uz posebnu pohvalu prevoditelju na znala~kom prijevodu Sociologije relig... more ~koga govornog podru~ja, uz posebnu pohvalu prevoditelju na znala~kom prijevodu Sociologije religije na hrvatski jezik, pohvaliti treba i izdava~a. Ponajvi{e zbog njegova is-tan~anog osje}aja za uo~avanje specifi~nih odnosa mo}i u religijskom podru~ju i sloenih previranja u njema~kom dru{tvu, koje su predo~ene i hrvatskoj javnosti. Sociologiju religije vrijedi predstaviti, ne samo u znanstvenim i stru~nim krugovima, nego i {irem dru{tvenom krugu~italaca, koje zanima dru-{tvena funkcija religije i njezina dinamika na europskom podru~ju. Vrijednost knjige je i u autorovu fleksibilnom pristupu osjetljivim temama, kao i otvorenoj mogu}nosti da se na primjeru iskustva njema~kog dru{tva razmatranjem problema do|e do rje{enja. Spomenimo i ovo: prezime autora u prijevodu zna~i 'bijeli luk'. U narodnoj je medicini bijeli luk veliki za{titnik zdravlja, koji se koristi zbog prevencije i njegova utjecaja na pove}anje imunolo{kih potencijala organizma. Uglavnom, njegova ljekovitost nije kompatibilna s mirisom. Kao {to razmatranje sociologije religije nema veze sa svje`im mirisom boja i lakova same knjige.