Year: 2026
Published in: Social Enterprise Journal
Cited as: Leyen B, Dentchev NA, Roncancio J, Diaz Gonzalez A (2026), “Relational governance processes in social entrepreneurship ecosystems: the role of social capital”. Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 22 No. 3 pp. 565–589, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-10-2024-0161

Social entrepreneurship ecosystems (SEEs) are communities of varied yet interdependent actors collaborating to impact the environment for social entrepreneurs. To date, there is limited understanding of the processes that drive their functioning. The purpose of this paper is to address this limitation by explaining how SEE relational governance processes strengthen relationships among actors.

This paper advances the theoretical understanding of SEE by linking ecosystem governance with social enterprises and social capital theory. The process offers insights into the role of networks, norms and trust in shaping relational ecosystem governance.