This website explores findings of two Australian Research Council funded studies: ‘Mapping the impact of social enterprise on disadvantaged individuals and communities in Australia’s regional cities;’ and ‘Improving Health Equity of Young People? The role of social enterprise’. Both studies centred on Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE) and aimed to understand WISEs’ social impacts on the individuals and communities they serve.The aim here is to share new knowledge with social enterprises those that support the social enterprise ecosystem. Information is to support designing wellbeing into social enterprise work and workplaces.

Mapping the impact of social enterprise on disadvantaged individuals and communities in Australia’s regional cities

This Project (ARC DP170100388) studied social enterprises in regional cities to explore if, where, how and why they realised wellbeing for their employees and communities. The study findings:

  • Identify how social enterprises in regional cities enable disadvantaged individuals to realise wellbeing
  • Assess how social enterprises in regional cities contribute to community capacity-building
  • Apply mapping to enable visual analysis showing how intangible resources like wellbeing and social capital, develop and grow
  • Provide tools for communities, policy and practice to examine how social enterprises contribute to outcomes for individuals and communities.

Improving Health Equity of Young People? The role of social enterprise

This project (ARC LP160101793), which partnered with Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), Social Traders, and Foundation for Young Australians (FYA), studied WISE in Australia to explore how they affect the social determinants of health (SDOH) equity for young people experiencing disadvantage. The study findings:

  • Identify how WISE positively influence the SDOH equity of young people through organizational features.
  • Assess how WISE influence the conditions that support young people’s health and wellbeing and how public policies and industry norms affect this.
  • Consider the organizational features of WISE needed to create positive health and wellbeing experiences.
  • Provide tools for policy and public health planning and design of successful youth-focused WISE.