Social entrepreneurship through digital communication in farming

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the interest in non-profit and sustainable ways of connecting farms to society, less is known about how to conduct this through digital technology and communication. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to discuss how to connect farms to society through digital technology and communication.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth interviews of 15 Australian farmers were conducted in order to understand their perceptions of how to engage in digital forms of social entrepreneurship and thematic analysis techniques were utilized to understand the content from the interview transcripts.

Findings

The findings suggest that digital social farm entrepreneurship can be categorized into social bricoleurs, social constructionists and social engineers.

Research limitations/implications

This typology helps to understand the contextual role farm entrepreneurs play in rural economies and their place in global societies.

Practical implications

Many Australian farms are in remote locations far from urban centers, which makes digital forms of social entrepreneurship an important way that farmers can promote social entrepreneurial ventures.

Originality/value

This paper highlights how there has been a growing interest in developing social entrepreneurship in Australian farms due to their connection with rural communities and environments.

Citation

Ratten, V. (2018), "Social entrepreneurship through digital communication in farming", World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-07-2017-0045