Social Microfranchise Serving the Community: The JIBU Model is a “Solution”
Socijalna mikrofranšiza u službi zajednice: „Rešenje” je JIBU model
Abstract
Social entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly important for the franchise business model. Social franchising is a useful strategy for growth and sustainability of social enterprises based on practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The paper starts from the basic assumption that global social goals can be achieved by using social microfranchise as a modern form of franchise business. Social microfranchises combine benefits and social goals of a social franchise and a microfranchise, while providing the necessary products and services to the poor and creating business opportunities for the poorest in the community. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of social franchising and microfranchising as new forms of franchising that contribute to the wider community, focusing on the business example of Jibu social microfranchise operating in Africa and its global social impact. There are two key challenges facing developing countries in Africa: access to safe drinking water and high unem-ployment. Our research has shown that Jibu helps address both challenges by training local entrepreneurs to create a network of franchise units that provide permanent access to drinking water, which can have positive implications for solving other social problems of local communities in many underdeveloped and developing countries.
Apstrakt
Socijalno preduzetništvo postaje sve značajnije i za model fran-šiznog poslovanja. Socijalni franšizing je efektivna strategija za rast i održivost socijalnih preduzeća u čijoj se osnovi nalaze prakse korporativne društvene odgovornosti (KDO). U radu se polazi od bazične pretpostavke da se korišćenjem socijalne mikrofranšize, kao savremene forme franšizinog poslovanja, mogu osnažiti marginalizovane grupe ljudi, unaprediti zdravstvena situacija u siromašnim zemljama, te kreirati poslovne mogućnosti za najsiromašnije. Socijalne mikrofranšize kombinuju prednosti i društvene ciljeve socijalne franšize i mikrofranšize, pri čemu istovremeno pružaju potrebne proizvode i usluge siromašnima i stvaraju poslovne prilike za najsiromašnije u zajednici. Cilj rada je da se ukaže na značaj socijalnog franšizinga i mikrofranšizinga kao novih formi franšiznog poslovanja koje doprinose široj društvenoj zajednici, sa fokusom na poslovni primer socijalne mikrofranšize Jibu koja posluje u Africi i njen globalni socijalni uticaj. Dva su ključna izazova sa kojima se suočavaju zemlje u razvoju u Africi: pristup bezbednoj vodi za piće i visoka stopa nezaposlenosti. Naše istraživanje je pokazalo kako Jibu pomaže u rešavanju oba izazova osposobljavanjem lokalnih preduzetnika da stvore mrežu franšiznih jedinica koje obezbeđuju trajni pristup vodi za piće, što može imati pozitivne implikacije i za rešavanje drugih socijalnih problema lokalnih zajednica u mnogim nerazvijenim i zemljama u razvoju.
socijalno preduzetništvo, socijalni franšizing, socijalni mikrofranšizing, Jibu, pijaća voda
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