Social entrepreneurship is on the rise and social enterprises are solving some of the most critical and enduring social problems by using innovative, pragmatic and sustainable business models. Access to knowledge thanks to the Internet and rapid expansion of the knowledge economy are opening new opportunities for social ventures. With knowledge-based social entrepreneurship where knowledge is the primary resource, more pressing social problems can be addressed by using advanced technologies. This book investigates this emerging concept, possibilities that it holds, its place in today’s economy, and links bridges between knowledge, innovation, and social entrepreneurship. Academics, entrepreneurs, students, and NGOs will find the theoretical and practical information presented in this book extremely valuable.
This book argues that embeddedness and community participation bring unique propositions for social entrepreneurship to foster social inclusion. It uncovers the role of local knowledge and grassroots level innovations to create necessary environment for the positive social change to roll. Social enterprises have proven to reduce drudgery of poor and excluded by offering creative and innovative solutions for long standing social problems. The grassroots level creative problem solving mechanisms they initiate travel through a variety of local dynamics and cultural contexts. However, social innovations quite often do not achieve their intended results, especially when they fail to understand the local contexts and embed themselves in such dynamism. In this background, the book attempts to understand and analyse the 'connect' between the social innovations and local dynamism. It argues that the community-driven innovation management which is based on local knowledge inspires the social entrepreneurial process and builds capacities and infrastructure to foster social inclusion. Each chapter in this book offers development scholars rich narration about how social problems have been approached, addressed, and altered through rich insights from communities and the social entrepreneurial teams.
In development circles, there is now widespread consensus that social entrepreneurs represent a far better mechanism to respond to needs than we have ever had before--a decentralized and emergent force that remains our best hope for solutions that can keep pace with our problems and create a more peaceful world.David Bornstein's previous book on social entrepreneurship, How to Change the World, was hailed by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times as "a bible in the field" and published in more than twenty countries. Now, Bornstein shifts the focus from the profiles of successful social innovators in that book--and teams with Susan Davis, a founding board member of the Grameen Foundation--to offer the first general overview of social entrepreneurship. In a Q & A format allowing readers to go directly to the information they need, the authors map out social entrepreneurship in its broadest terms as well as in its particulars.Bornstein and Davis explain what social entrepreneurs are, how their organizations function, and what challenges they face. The book will give readers an understanding of what differentiates social entrepreneurship from standard business ventures and how it differs from traditional grant-based non-profit work. Unlike the typical top-down, model-based approach to solving problems employed by the World Bank and other large institutions, social entrepreneurs work through a process of iterative learning--learning by doing--working with communities to find unique, local solutions to unique, local problems. Most importantly, the book shows readers exactly how they can get involved.Anyone inspired by Barack Obama's call to service and who wants to learn more about the essential features and enormous promise of this new method of social change, Social Entrepreneurship is the ideal first place to look.
Wharton professor Ian C. MacMillan and Dr. James Thompson, director of the Wharton Social Entrepreneurship Program, provide a tough-love approach that significantly increases the likelihood of a successful social enterprise launch in the face of the high-uncertainty conditions typically encountered by social entrepreneurs.
This volume explores the links between the rapidly growing phenomenon of social entrepreneurship (SE) and the international tourism and hospitality industry. This unique industry is particularly ripe for transformation by SE and the book’s authors delve deeply into the reasons for this. The book has three parts. The first creates a conceptual and theoretical framework for understanding the uniqueness of SE in the tourism context. The second examines different communities of practice where SE is being applied in tourism. The third is a rich collection of case studies from eight countries where tourism SE is already having an impact. The book’s authors address the topic from many different angles, disciplinary backgrounds and geographic areas. Many case study authors are practicing social entrepreneurs who share their successes, challenges and experience with tourism-related projects. The book also proposes a research agenda and educational programmatic changes needed to support tourism SE. As these are developed, tourism SE will bring innovation to destinations, transformation of their economic and social structures, and contribution to a better world. The book has many insights and resources for scholars and practitioners alike to usher in this transformation.
Written for students and practitioners of social entrepreneurship, this text is about the opportunity and challenge of applying leadership skills and entrepreneurial talents creatively and appropriately to create social value.
Social entrepreneurship differs from traditional forms of entrepreneurship in that the primary goal of the social venture is to address social problems and needs that are as yet unmet. The driving force of such ventures is social value creation. This new textbook aims to provide a comprehensive, cutting edge resource for students, introducing them to the unique concerns and challenges that face social ventures through a comparison with the principles of traditional entrepreneurship. The book consists of fourteen chapters covering all aspects of venture creation and management—from writing a business plan, to financing, people management, marketing, and social impact measurement. Social Entrepreneurship uses real-life examples and sources to expose students to contemporary developments in the field, encouraging them to think critically about the issues faced by social ventures across the globe, and experiential exercises and assignments are included to provide students with hands-on experience in creating and managing their own social ventures. Also containing review and application questions, illustrative cases, definitions of key terms, and a comprehensive companion website, Social Entrepreneurship is the essential guide to this rapidly emerging field. Visit the companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/beugre to find: For Instructors PowerPoint slides Multiple-choice questions For Students Extra illustrative cases Web links Links to video
This accessible textbook provides a comprehensive guide to the building blocks of sustainable social enterprise, exploring how core elements contribute to either the success or failure of the social venture. It analyzes the key skills needed to synthesize effective business practices with effective social innovation and points out both what works and what does not. Taking a practical approach, it demonstrates how big ideas can be transformed into entities that produce lasting change.
Businesses are looking for methods to incorporate social entrepreneurship in order to generate a positive return to society. Social enterprises have the ability to improve societies through altruistic work to create sustainable work environments for future entrepreneurs and their communities. Social Entrepreneurship: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications is a useful scholarly resource that examines the broad topic of social entrepreneurship by looking at relevant theoretical frameworks and fundamental terms. It also addresses the challenges and solutions social entrepreneurs face as they address their corporate social responsibility in an effort to redefine the goals of today’s enterprises and enhance the potential for growth and change in every community. Highlighting a range of topics such as the social economy, corporate social responsibility, and competitive advantage, this multi-volume book is ideally designed for business professionals, entrepreneurs, start-up companies, academics, and graduate-level students in the fields of economics, business administration, sociology, education, politics, and international relations.
A hands-on resource that shows nonprofits how to adopt entrepreneurial behaviors and techniques The rising spirit of social entrepreneurship has created all kinds of new opportunities for nonprofit organizations. But at the same time, many are discovering more than their share of challenges as well. This essential book will help anyone in the field gain the necessary skills to meet these challenges. Written by the leading thinkers and practitioners in the field, Enterprising Nonprofits offers concise and engaging explanations of the most successful business tools being used by nonprofits today. The authors clearly describe all the concepts so you'll be able to embrace the methods of social enterprise for your organization. With this book, you'll learn how to use practical business techniques to dramatically improve the performance of your nonprofit. Praise for Enterprising Nonprofits "I can't imagine a better team to bring powerful insights and practical guidance to social entrepreneurs. Readers will be inspired by the examples, and then they will roll up their sleeves to apply the many useful management tools in this engaging book."-Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School, Author of Evolve!: Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow "In one book, Enterprising Nonprofits does for social entrepreneurs what countless volumes have done for entrepreneurs in the business sector. A wonderful mixture of analysis, practical advice, and inspiration."-Paul Brest, President, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation All of the royalties from this book will be used by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to support continuing work on social entrepreneurship.
