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Call for Papers – ISBJ Special Issue on Pluralizing the 'Social' in Social Entrepreneurship (Deadline: Nov 1, 2025)

  • 1.  Call for Papers – ISBJ Special Issue on Pluralizing the 'Social' in Social Entrepreneurship (Deadline: Nov 1, 2025)

    Posted 27 days ago

    Call for Papers – International Small Business Journal (ISBJ)
    🗓 Submission Deadline: November 1, 2025
    📚 Special Issue: Pluralizing the 'Social' in Social Entrepreneurship: Towards Contextual and Reflexive Approaches

    Dear Colleagues,

    We are pleased to invite submissions for a forthcoming Special Issue of the International Small Business Journal (ISBJ) dedicated to rethinking the role of the 'social' in social entrepreneurship.

    Despite growing interest in social entrepreneurship (SE), dominant conceptions of 'social' often reflect Western-centric assumptions, sidelining diverse cultural, contextual, and ideological meanings. This special issue aims to shift that conversation by promoting reflexive, pluralistic, and contextually grounded approaches to understanding and researching social value effectively.

    Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
    ✔️ Contextual differences in the meaning of 'social'
    ✔️ Theoretical perspectives shaping the analysis of SE
    ✔️ Misalignments between entrepreneurs', beneficiaries', and evaluators' understanding of social
    ✔️ Participatory and embedded methods for SE research
    ✔️ Normative assumptions in academic approaches to 'social'
    ✔️ Tools for reflexive scholarship in SE

    We welcome conceptual and empirical contributions from all regions and disciplines that engage deeply with the theme.

    Guest Editors:

    • Sönke Mestwerdt (The University of Manchester, UK)

    • Jill Kickul (EGADE Business School, México)

    • Diana Hechavarria (Babson College, USA)

    • Benson Honig (McMaster University, Canada)

    • Maija Renko (Aalto University, Finland)

    • Alisa Sydow (ESCP Business School, UK)

    • Felipe Symmes (EGADE Business School, México)

    A big thank you also to Sophie Bacq, who was an essential supporter of developing this special issue/CfPs!

    Key Dates:
    📌 Submission Deadline: November 1, 2025
    📌 Submission Portal Opens: Two weeks prior

    Please find the full call for papers here!

    For informal queries, please contact:
    📧 Sönke Mestwerdt – sonke.mestwerdt@manchester.ac.uk

    Let's collectively reframe the foundations of social entrepreneurship by actively engaging with the 'social'.

    Best regards,
    The Guest Editorial Team



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    Sönke Mestwerdt
    Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester
    Manchester
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