The third pillar of my research dives into the macro-environmental shifts brought about by digital technologies and their profound implications for entrepreneurship (von Briel et al., 2018). It is not just about identifying how and when a potential entrepreneurial venture can emerge in this digital age, but also understanding the intricate nuances of how these technologies sculpt the very nature of these ventures (Chalmers et al., 2019; Davidsson & Sufyan, 2023). For instance, digital platforms can reduce barriers to market entry, allow for rapid scaling, or even redefine traditional business models altogether. Furthermore, these digital shifts have implications beyond the inception phase of entrepreneurship (Davidsson et al., 2020). They permeate various stages of the entrepreneurial process, from business model formation to venture scaling and adaptation (von Briel et al., 2018). For example, cloud computing resources can potentially accelerate the scaling of operations. Additionally, while the positive impacts of these technologies are evident, it is equally crucial to consider their complexities. Digital technologies are commonly difficult to grasp for agents and, therefore, can be difficult to implement in new ventures (Davidsson et al., 2020). To encapsulate, my research aims to provide a holistic understanding of how digital technologies, as macro-environmental changes, play a pivotal role in triggering, shaping, and enhancing entrepreneurial pursuits.

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Why studying external enablement of social entrepreneurship:

Just like commercial entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship is often triggered, motivated, and/or facilitated by environmental changes. For example, it has been observed how external changes such as societal crises (Bacq & Lumpkin, 2021; Barki et al., 2020; Crupi et al., 2021), natural disasters (Dutta, 2017; Shepherd & Williams, 2014), social movements (Akemu et al., 2016), and new technologies (García-Morales et al., 2020) influence social entrepreneurial activities. Still, these studies lack a common theoretical language to analyze and accumulate knowledge about the external ‘raw material’ used in social entrepreneurial activities (Davidsson, 2015). Therefore, we suggest applying the terminology of the External Enabler (EE) framework to analyze the environmental facilitation of social entrepreneurship (Meurer & Davidsson, 2023).