Research Article
A Case Study on the Business Practices of a Social Enterprise for Employing People with Developmental Disabilites: Social Venture “Donggubat”
Sungshin Women's University
Published: January 2021 · Vol. 25, No. 3 · pp. 101-128
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17287/kbr.2021.25.3.101
Full Text
Abstract
Employment of people with developmental disabilities is an important task to be solved for their independence and social integration. Although the law for people with developmental disabilities was enacted and services for employment and vocational education and training are provided at the national level, most people with developmental disabilities are unable to obtain employment opportunities or maintain employment. To solve these problems, social enterprises are approaching in various ways. In order to find out how social enterprises solve the problems, this study selected and analyzed the case of social venture, “Donggubat.” The results of the study are as follows. First, this study shows that the business method of social venture can be an alternative to solving the employment problem and social integration for people with developmental disabilities. The characteristics of Donggubat's business method include sales-based employment model, business model innovation, product competitiveness, fast business execution, human resource management based on the characteristics of people with developmental disabilities, horizontal and cooperative organizational culture, and external support and investment attraction. These characteristics could serve as a source of competitiveness in the business employing people with developmental disabilities. Second, this study shows what is a good job for people with developmental disabilities. This study provides policy implications for the need to expand social ventures that engage in business for people with developmental disabilities and develop indicators and models suitable for managing the quality of their employment. In addition, the garden activities in Donggubat provide policy implications in terms of social integration. Finally, this study provides academic significance in that it shows that the problem-solving approach of social ventures can be a good alternative to solve the employment problem of the developmentally disabled people.
