“What Stands Behind”: Motivations of Italian Benefit Corporation ( BC ) Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT The paper analyses the motivations behind the choice to become a Benefit Corporation (BC) entrepreneur and highlights the potential interconnections and differences with those of B Corp certification. The recent and significant growth in the number of enterprises adopting the BC legal form, despite the absence of explicit incentives, underscores the need for a deeper analysis of the underlying reasons behind this choice. A questionnaire using the CAWI method was sent to 584 Italian Benefit Corporations (BCs), chosen from the ORBIS database. The respondents were 146 (25%). The questionnaire consisted of three sections: company information, entrepreneurial motivations, and regulatory compliance. A set of 16 items, developed from prior literature and rated on a Likert scale, was analyzed through descriptive statistics, ANOVA and t‐tests, using RStudio software. The results reveal multiple motivations behind the choice to acquire BC qualification, most of all related to the formalization of sustainability efforts and the value creation for stakeholders and evidenced by internal decisions. This is an original contribution, given the lack of specific studies on the motivations and opportunity recognition of BC entrepreneurs. The research fills a gap in the literature by providing the first systematic analysis of what drives firms to adopt the Benefit model and how entrepreneurial motivations vary across firm characteristics. A deeper understanding of these elements can help promote the development of this entrepreneurial form and enhance its effectiveness. The study offers academics a theoretical and methodological framework to develop and replicate interpretative models, offers policy makers practical tools to design targeted policies, and gives practitioners critical awareness and inspiration for pursuing similar business paths.