Title: The role of social business in poverty alleviation: from the social exchange perspective

Authors: M.F.M. Amir Khashru; Chieh-Yu Lin; Yi-Hui Ho

Addresses: Department of International Business, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan ' Department of International Business, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan ' Department of International Business, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan

Abstract: The objectives of the study are to analyse the role of social business in poverty alleviation by considering the new entrepreneurs (NEs) program adoption as a mediator. This study used the social exchange theory (SET) to examine the perception of the new entrepreneurs and local people on how social business reduces poverty through the NEs program. The study engages a four-year-long ethnographic approach and conducts in-depth interviews with 31 NEs' businesses in Bangladesh. These findings illustrate that social businesses are recognised for poverty alleviation through NEs program, considering two goals, i.e., business training with financial support and, at the same time, NEs grow into self-sustaining businesses, and creating many jobs to lift local poor people out of poverty. The result is genuinely to gain a deeper understanding of the holistic social business in poverty alleviation. This study offers novel theoretical and empirical insights and implications for practitioners.

Keywords: social business; poverty alleviation; new entrepreneur; NE program; Bangladesh.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2025.144223

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2025 Vol.54 No.3, pp.289 - 308

Received: 12 Jul 2022
Received in revised form: 22 Dec 2022
Accepted: 22 Dec 2022
Published online: 03 Feb 2025 *

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