Problems of Social Entrepreneurship: Motivation and Competitiveness

The article examined the specifics of economical self-determination of social entrepreneurs. We identified main socio-psychological characteristics of social entrepreneurs based on international and domestic studies of this phenomenon. The sample included 104 small business entrepreneurs in Irkutsk and the Irkutsk region. 52 of them were social entrepreneurs and 52 were commercial. We used different methods including qualitative methods: interviews and an associative experiment. The goal of the study was to identify the key motives of entrepreneurial activity, polymotivation trends, attitudes towards competition, competitiveness, and relationships between them. The study found that social entrepreneurs in their activities are mainly focused on the motives of personal self-realization, the desire to implement their ideas, overcome difficulties and achieve results, they have more pronounced altruistic and social motives. Social entrepreneurs have a positive attitude towards competition and, at the same time, seek to cooperate with partners.