Resumen de The work integration social enterprises in Greece

Ifigeneia Douvitsa

• The present paper focuses on the available legal forms with work integration as their explicit purpose in the Greek legislature and outlines their main traits on the basis of the EMES (European Research Network) nine criteria of social enterprises. Their thus far implementation is also discussed, including the challenges and shortcomings that WISEs have faced in the Greek context.The main findings of the study indicate a dominance of the cooperative form for the WISEs under the Greek context. More specifically, the legislator imposes a percentage of members coming from the target group, perceiving in that way mutuality and solidarity as rather intertwined, since the WISEs’ explicit aim of work integration of the disadvantaged people is mainly achieved by joining the cooperative. Despite the supportive measures for the WISEs, the implementation of the thus far public policies has not been effective in further promoting such a model of enterprise.