Being a Social Enterprise: Value-added or Fuel to the Misconceptions? The Case of Social Enterprises in Kosovo

The main focus of this research study is to understand the current state of social enterprise development in Kosovo and public perception about them, as well as to look at the methods that social enterprises use to reach their customers. Since social enterprises have emerged as innovative models in the recent decades, their importance has been growing continuously. The social enterprise’s approach to address social and environmental issues through a market-driven approach has contributed to its financial stability and long-term sustainability. However, the public has not been able and has not been educated to grasp the concept of social enterprises. Most commonly, social enterprises have been linked to non-governmental organizations, charities amongst others. Such misconceptions have hindered the further development of social enterprises. Kosovo has enjoyed a growth of social enterprises, but little research has been done in this area. With this in mind, this study, which includes both primary and secondary data, analyzes what exactly social enterprises are doing to reach their customers, and, most importantly, how the public perceives social enterprises. Interviews with social enterprise experts and social enterprise representative have been conducted, along with a survey with 225 respondents, and research in regards to social enterprises in other countries have been conducted to provide a list of recommendations for social enterprises in Kosovo.