Social entrepreneurship as a factor of quality of life:AN empirical analysisin a global context

The paper reflects on the relationship and interdependence of social entrepreneurship, the general enabling environment for social entrepreneurship and quality of life in the world (across countries contexts) for 2009 and 2015 using k-means cluster analysis.It was found that differentiation of the countries analyzed by the level of social entrepreneurial activity (SEA) and its significant correlation with enabling environment for social entrepreneurship development and quality of life in general.Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Consortium has calculated the SEA rate for each participating country for 2009 and 2015. Comparative analysis of SEA rate at the international level revealed new trends and to draw general conclusions of the importance and direction of social entrepreneurship development in each country that it forms the relevance of the paper. The main objective of the paper is to comprehensive evaluate the developments of SEA rate at the global level and to identify the interdependencies their links to creating environments conducive to social entrepreneurship development and growth in the quality of life. We have applied k-means cluster analysis in order to analyze the situation in SEA level development in the world for 2009 and 2015, and clustering of countries according to these indicators in 2015: 1) favourable environment for the activities of social enterprises (according to the international agency Thomson Reuters) 2) quality of life (social progress index, developed by the non-profit organization Social Progress Imperative). The statistical values were standardized for each clustering to account for different value units. This approach method enabled a conclusion that in the complex of countries for each clustering are clearly distinguished four clusters, but components of the clusters are differ in variety of researched characteristics. The global distribution of the countries into four clusters by the k-means cluster analysis, based on the SEA rate for 2009 and 2015, allowed to indicate that the SEA indicator has grown 2,52 times in 2015 in comparison with 2009 is a testimony to social entrepreneurship ever increasing popularity. According to the model of Hofstede's five cultural dimensions were properly analysed the characteristics of mentality and behavior norms of social entrepreneurs that were specific to the countries all over the world.We assert, drawing upon the cluster analysis undertaken as part of the paper, that growth of social entrepreneurship would be a significant advancement to improving the quality of life of the population and, consequently, socially oriented states has a special interest in assisting and the high level supporting for social entrepreneurship. We demonstrated that favourable conditions for the extensive SEA development really correspond to level of social entrepreneurship development in the countries, cultural factor shaping the behavior of social entrepreneurs largely.