SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS SUCCESS OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE FIRMS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between social entrepreneurship and business success of food and beverage firms in Rivers State. The study adopted a descriptive research design and the population of this study comprised all the twenty-five (25) registered food and beverage firms in Rivers State. 125 respondents were drawn from the population through a census approach in which 5 managers were selected from each of the food and beverage firms in Rivers State however only 110 respondents provided data for the study through questionnaire that was designed in the modified 5-point Likert scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to test the hypothesis. From the results of the analysis it was revealed that social entrepreneurship positively and significantly relate with business success of food and beverage firms in Rivers State. Based on these findings, it was concluded that firms which adopt social entrepreneurship strategies likely achieve higher levels of consumer trust, brand loyalty, and overall market competitiveness. These firms benefit from differentiated products and services that resonate with a growing consumer base increasingly attentive to corporate social responsibility. Therefore, the study recommended that, food and beverage firms in Rivers and similar contexts continue to explore and expand their social entrepreneurship initiatives.