Warner Richard, Mandiberg James
Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, 4200 East 9th Avenue, Denver, CO 80262, USA.
Psychiatr Serv. 2006 Oct;57(10):1488-92. doi: 10.1176/ps.2006.57.10.1488.
Social firms, or "affirmative businesses" as they are known in North America, are businesses created to employ people with disabilities and to provide a needed product or service. This Open Forum offers an overview of the development and status of social firms. The model was developed in Italy in the 1970s for people with psychiatric disabilities and has gained prominence in Europe. Principles include that over a third of employees are people with a disability or labor market disadvantage, every worker is paid a fair-market wage, and the business operates without subsidy. Independent of European influence, affirmative businesses also have developed in Canada, the United States, Japan, and elsewhere. The success of individual social firms is enhanced by locating the right market niche, selecting labor-intensive products, having a public orientation for the business, and having links with treatment services. The growth of the social firm movement is aided by legislation that supports the businesses, policies that favor employment of people with disabilities, and support entities that facilitate technology transfer. Social firms can empower individual employees, foster a sense of community in the workplace, and enhance worker commitment through the organization's social mission.
社会企业，在北美被称为“公益企业”，是为雇佣残疾人并提供所需产品或服务而设立的企业。本次开放论坛概述了社会企业的发展情况和现状。该模式于20世纪70年代在意大利为精神疾病患者创立，并在欧洲得到了广泛关注。其原则包括：超过三分之一的员工为残疾人或在劳动力市场处于劣势的人，每位员工都能获得公平的市场工资，企业运营无需补贴。在不受欧洲影响的情况下，加拿大、美国、日本及其他地区也发展起了公益企业。找到合适的市场定位、选择劳动密集型产品、树立企业的公共导向以及与治疗服务建立联系，有助于提升个别社会企业的成功率。支持企业的立法、有利于残疾人就业的政策以及促进技术转让的支持实体，推动了社会企业运动的发展。社会企业可以赋予员工个人权力，在工作场所营造社区感，并通过组织的社会使命增强员工的使命感。
