The Plight and Breakthrough of Work Integration Social Enterprises: An Inquiry into the Support Model of a Bakery for Mentally Disabled Individuals Based on Social Capital Theory and Microeconomic Perspective

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-604-3_7How to use a DOI?

Keywords

WISEs; Mentally disabled individuals; Microeconomics; Social capital; Long-term demand

Abstract

Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) play a crucial role in promoting equal employment and social integration for individuals with mental disabilities. They aid in sustaining the inclusivity and sustainability of economic growth by fostering social equity. However, as industrial scale expands and market competition intensifies, such enterprises are increasingly confronted with various developmental challenges. Employing a case study approach, this research selects a bakery that hires individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as a representative case. Through multiple investigative methods, including surveys and interviews, the study analyzes the key factors contributing to the enterprise’s difficulties from a microeconomic perspective and proposes targeted solutions grounded in social capital theory. The findings indicate that WISEs may encounter challenges such as low revenue resulting from high prices under elastic demand conditions, a shortage of production factors and social resources, geographical constraints, and consumer cognitive biases, among others. Based on these factors, this study puts forward practical recommendations from the perspectives of different social groups: enterprise managers can enhance economic returns by identifying and utilizing social resources and diversifying funding channels. Social workers can assist enterprises in accessing resources and facilitating shifts in public perception through advocacy and popularization, thereby improving the social environment. Community volunteers should support social workers in outreach efforts, serve as bridges connecting individual communities and broader society, and promote trust-building practical activities. Finally, consumers should strengthen their sense of moral obligation and social responsibility, as well as leverage their social networks to trigger broader dissemination for widespread support.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Fengtu Ye
AU  - Xin Luo
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/26
TI  - The Plight and Breakthrough of Work Integration Social Enterprises: An Inquiry into the Support Model of a Bakery for Mentally Disabled Individuals Based on Social Capital Theory and Microeconomic Perspective
BT  - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Economic Development and Business Culture (ICEDBC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 55
EP  - 72
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-604-3_7
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-604-3_7
ID  - Ye2026
ER  -