Artificial Intelligence in Social Entrepreneurship: Transforming Impact in the Digital Era

Dear Colleagues,

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the way organizations create, measure, and scale social impact. As social enterprises navigate a world of increasing complexity and digital acceleration, AI is emerging as both a powerful tool and a disruptive force in mission-driven innovation. This Special Issue explores the interplay between AI and social entrepreneurship, focusing on how algorithmic technologies, data analytics, and machine learning are reshaping organizational models, stakeholder engagement, ethical considerations, and value delivery in the social sector.

(1) Focus, Scope, and Purpose:
a. Focus:
This Special Issue focuses on the integration of AI technologies into social entrepreneurship and their transformative potential on impact strategies, resource optimization, and community engagement.
b. Scope:
It encompasses interdisciplinary work at the intersection of computer science, organizational theory, innovation studies, ethics, and public policy, targeting both theoretical and practice-based contributions. Topics may range from AI-driven decision-making and digital platforms to algorithmic bias, transparency, and inclusive innovation.
c. Purpose:
The aim is to stimulate critical discourse and provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI can be ethically and effectively embedded in social ventures to enhance their mission while navigating emerging challenges.

(2) Relation to Existing Literature:
While the literature on AI adoption in business and public administration is growing rapidly, the integration of AI within social entrepreneurship remains underexplored. Most studies focus on digital transformation in traditional business sectors, leaving a gap in understanding how AI supports or disrupts the values, goals, and processes unique to social enterprises. This Special Issue addresses this gap by examining AI through the lens of social purpose, ethics, and systemic change.

(3) Submission Process:
We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 300–500 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the guest editors ([Insert your email]) or to the Administrative Sciences editorial office (admsci@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the special issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

(4) References:

• Gordon, JS., Gunkel, D.J. Artificial Intelligence and the future of work. AI & Society 40, 1897–1903 (2025).
• Ford, M. (2021).Rule of the Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Everything. Basic Books, NY
• Chalmers, D., MacKenzie, N. G., & Carter, S. (2020). Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship: Implications for Venture Creation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(5), 1028–1053.
• Zahra, S. A., Gedajlovic, E., Neubaum, D. O., & Shulman, J. M. (2009). A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges. Journal of Business Venturing, 24(5), 519-532.
• Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2017). The business of artificial intelligence. Harvard Business Review.
• van der Have, R. P., & Rubalcaba, L. (2016). Social innovation research: An emerging area of innovation
• studies? Research Policy, 45(9), 1923–1935.
• West, D. M. (2018). The Future of Work: Robots, AI, and Automation. Brookings Institution Press.

Dr. Mamoun Benmamoun
Dr. Christine Ascencio
Dr. Zoubida Benmamoun
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Administrative Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• artificial intelligence
• social entrepreneurship
• digital transformation
• social innovation
• data ethics
• impact measurement
• mission-driven organizations
• inclusive innovation
• technological disruption