Comparison of Lithuanian, Italian and British social business models

Daily life in the world is accompanied by a variety of global social problems such as discrimination, ignorance, suicides, poverty, hun- ger, environmental pollution and several others frequently caused by human beings. These have been particularly exacerbated by the recent and arguably ongoing economic crisis. Traditional global mar- ket makers and participants are gradually getting involved in the creation of social welfare while acting in a socially responsible manner, however, such actions are often led by a certain “fashion” or public pressure. Social entrepre neurship is cited as one of those alternatives. This business model is driven by the desire to have so- cial impact, it is one of the main tools being used as a response to fight against growing social exclusion and unemployment, dealing with sensitive regional problems. According to European Commis- sion, one of four start-ups each year is a social business company. It is being championed as a new opportunity to reduce inequality and exclusion so as to encourage econ omic growth. However, although social entrepreneurship has won the attention of scientists, its in- consistent theoretical basis and very limited perception are widely argued. It is claimed that poor pe rception of the social business mo- del is a major barrier to the development of such entrepreneurship in Europe. Lithuania is mentioned as one of seven countries where social entrepreneurship development lags behind and, therefore, is not involved in most of comparative reports of European countries. Accordingly, a lack of concrete data about this business model deve- lopment and perception in Lithuania and its comparability with other countries is noted. The main object – Lithuanian, Italian and British social business models. .The aim of article – compared Lithuanian, Italian and British social business models. The main results of study. [...