Social Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Rural Development: The Mediating Role of Women Empowerment – An Empirical Study of Balasore District, Odisha

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has become a new and very promising way to overcome enduring socio-economic problems in rural areas by combining value creation with entrepreneurship and innovation. Social entrepreneurial approaches to sustainable livelihoods and inclusive development have become a growing methodology adopted by Self-Help Groups (SHGs), women entrepreneurs and community-based organizations in India. Even though social entrepreneurship is becoming more and more significant in rural development, the empirical evidence on how it can contribute to rural development is still limited, especially when considering the district level in Balasore, Odisha. This study proposes and empirically examines a structural model in which Social Entrepreneurship, conceptualized through Community-Oriented Enterprises (CO), Business Innovation with Social Purpose (BI), and Sustainable Livelihood (SL), influences Rural Development, measured through Income Generation (IG), Community Development (CD), and Socio-Economic Empowerment (SE). Furthermore, the study investigates the mediating role of Women Empowerment in strengthening this relationship.
The proposed conceptual framework is validated using a quantitative research design with the application of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings indicate that social entrepreneurship significantly enhances women's economic participation, leadership, entrepreneurial capabilities, and decision-making power, which subsequently contribute to improved rural development outcomes. Community-driven enterprises and sustainable livelihood programmes have a strong impact on women's empowerment and community development. The study makes a contribution to the literature by bringing together the concepts of social entrepreneurship, women empowerment and rural development in one empirical framework and it is a district level evidence from Odisha. The findings have significant policy implications for those who are interested in incl