Social Entrepreneurship: Why is it Important Post Arab Spring? [White Paper Report]

This report, conducted by Bayt.com in partnership with the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at Stanford University 's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law as well as research and consulting organisation YouGov, reveals that the Arab Spring had a positive effect in driving higher interest in both economic and social development.

Key findings include:

• • A significant proportion of respondents expressed interest in entrepreneurship as a profession.
• • In every country surveyed a large proportion of respondents indicated that if given the choice they would prefer to be self-employed or own a business. While many cited the greater independence it would offer, other business owners started their initiatives out of economic necessity not opportunity.
• • Roughly half of respondents across the region are at least somewhat familiar with the term entrepreneurship — in both its business and social senses —indicating growing awareness of this emergent sector.
• • There is a strong interest in volunteerism —more than one in four respondents region wide is currently active in some form of volunteering — indicating a greater involvement in social causes, a pathway towards social entrepreneurship.
• • Respondents indicated very high rates of failure of new businesses and NGOs. Lack of finance remains the largest challenge to starting a business, while bureaucratic hurdles such as legal registration and interference from authorities were cited by those operating in the NGO sector.
• • Across the region, the majority of respondents believe that young people are more interested in improving their communities and contributing to the long-term development of their societies after the revolutions.