Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Entrepreneurship: Innovation and Social Change Across Theory and Practice

  • Chapter
Social Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Companies and nonprofits, regardless of the sector they belong to, their dimension or their geographical location, are increasingly asked to provide innovative solutions to manage complex social problems: from community development to social exclusion and poverty reduction (Margolis and Walsh, 2003). Social entrepreneurship (SE), an unusual contact point among entrepreneurship, innovation and social change, has been increasingly catalyzing the interest of academics, companies, and the business debate for about a decade. Attention is expanding exponentially with a multiplicity of publications, MBA core and elective courses and academic research centers explicitly focused on deep analysis of the SE phenomenon. There are also numerous innovative and supportive actors such as specialized consulting groups, social venture capitalists, social angels and so on.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Alvord, S. H., Brown, L. D. and Letts, C. W. 2002. Social entrepreneurship and social transformation: An exploratory study. Working Paper 15, November 2002. The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations and The Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bank of England 2003. The financing of social enterprise. London: Bank of England.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barendsen, L. and Gardner, H. 2004. Is the social entrepreneur a new type of leader? Leader to Leader, Fall: 34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bornstein, D. 2004. How to change the world. Social entrepreneurs and the power of new ideas. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borzaga, C. and Defourny, J. (eds) 2004. The emergence of social enterprise. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borzaga, C. and Solari, L. 2004. Management challenges for social enterprises. In C. Borzaga, and J. Defourny (eds). The emergence of social enterprise: 333–49. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boschee, J. 1998. What does it take to be a social entrepreneur? National Centre for Social Entrepreneurs. Available: http://www.socialentrepreneurs.org/what-does.html. Accessed: 14 June 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boschee, J. and McClurg, J. 2003. Toward a better understanding of social entrepreneurship: Some important distinctions. Available: http://www.se-alliance.org/better_understanding.pdf. Accessed: 14 June 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinckerhoff, P. C. 2000. Social entrepreneurship. The art of mission-based venture development. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruyat, C. and Julien, P. A. 2000. Defining the field of research in entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 16: 165–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, S. 1998. Social entrepreneurship: How to develop new social-purpose business ventures. Health Care Strategic Management, 16(5): 17–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannon, C. M. 2000. Charity for profit: How the new social entrepreneurs are creating good by sharing wealth. National Journal, 16 June: 1898–904.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casson, M. 1982. The entrepreneur — An economic theory. Totowa, NJ: Barnes and Noble.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, B., Dodds, C. and Mitchell, W. 2001. Social entrepreneurship: Whose responsibility is it anyway? The false premise of social entrepreneurship. Working Paper. Center of Full Employment and Equity and Department of Social Work, November 2001. University of Newcastle, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dart, R. 2004. The legitimacy of social enterprise. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 14(4): 411–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dees, J. G. 1998a. The meaning of social entrepreneurship. Paper, Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Durham. Available: http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/centers/case/documents/dees_SE.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Dees, J. G. 1998b. Enterprising nonprofits: What do you do when traditional sources of funding fall short? Harvard Business Review. January/February: 55–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dees, J. G. and Elias, J. 1998. The challenges of combining social and commercial enterprise. Business Ethics Quarterly, 8(1): 165–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dees, J. G., Emerson, J. and Economy, P. 2001. Enterprising nonprofits: A toolkit for social entrepreneurs. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dees, J. G., Emerson, J. and Economy, P. 2002. Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs. Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dorado, S. and Haettich, H. 2004. Social entrepreneurial ventures: Worth a careful look? Working Paper. UMASS — College of Management, Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, P. 1985. Innovation and entrepreneurship. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenhardt, K. M. 1989. Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4): 532–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foryt, S. 2002. Social entrepreneurship in developing nations. Working Paper. INSEAD, Fontainebleau.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, B. and Strauss, A. 1967. The discovery of grounded theory. Strategies of qualitative research. London: Wiedenfeld and Nicholson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grenier, P. 2002. The function of social entrepreneurship in the UK. Paper presented at the ISTR Conference, Cape Town, July.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guclu, A., Dees, J. G. and Battle Anderson, B. 2002. The process of social entrepreneurship: Creating opportunities worthy of serious pursuit. Paper. Fuqua School of Business, Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henton, D., Melville, J. and Walesh, K. 1997. The age of the civic entrepreneur: Restoring civil society and building economic community. National Civic Review, 6(2): 149–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hockerts, K. 2004. Bootstrapping social change: Towards an evolutionary theory of social entrepreneurship. Manuscript submitted to Academy of Management Review, June 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, S. 2000. Literature review on social entrepreneurship. University of Alberta: Canadian Center for Social Entrepreneurship. Available: http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/ccse/Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanter, R. 1999. From spare change to real change: the social sector as beta site for business innovation. Harvard Business Review, 77(3): 122–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larson, A. L. 2000. Sustainable innovation through an entrepreneurship lens. Business Strategy and the Environment, 9: 304–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laville, F. L. and Nyssens, M. 2004. The social enterprise: Towards a theoretical social-economic approach. In C. Borzaga, and J. Defourny (eds), The emergence of social enterprise: 312–32. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leadbeater, C. 1997. The rise of the social entrepreneur. London: Demos.

    Google Scholar 

  • Letts, C. W., Ryan, W. P. and Grossman, A. 1999. High performance nonprofit organizations. Managing upstream for greater impact. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mair, J. and Marti, I. 2004. Social entrepreneurship: What are we talking about? A framework for future research. Working Paper 546, March. IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mair, J. and Noboa, E. 2003a. Social entrepreneurship: How intentions to create a social enterprise get formed. Working Paper 521, September. IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mair, J. and Noboa, E. 2003b. The emergence of social enterprises and their place in the new organizational landscape. Working Paper 523, October. IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona.

    Google Scholar 

  • Margolis, J. D. and Walsh, J. P. 2003. Misery loves companies: Rethinking social initiative by business. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48: 268–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLeod, H. R. 1997. Cross over, Inc. 19: 100–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mort, G. S., Weerawardena, J. and Carnegie, K. 2002. Social entrepreneurship: Towards conceptualization. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 8(1): 76–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paton, R. 2003. Managing and measuring social enterprises. London: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prabhu, G. N. 1999. Social entrepreneurial leadership, Career Development International, 4(3): 140–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C. K. 2004. The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid. Eradicating poverty through profits. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C. K. and Hammond, A. 2002. Serving the world’s poor, profitably, Harvard Business Review, 80(9): 48–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahalad, C. K. and Hart, S. L. 1999. Strategies for the bottom of the pyramid: creating sustainable development. Unpublished Draft Paper, August 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, T. 1999. Unleashing the new resources and entrepreneurship for the common good: A scan, synthesis and scenariofor action. W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaltegger, S. 2002. A framework for entrepreneurship: Leading bioneers and environmental managers to entrepreneurship. Greener Management International, 38: 45–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shane, S. 2000. Prior knowledge and the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunity. Organization Science, 11: 448–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J., Alvy, G. and Lees, A. 2000. Social entrepreneurship — A new look at the people and the potential. Management Decision, 35(5): 328–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volery, T. 2002. An entrepreneur commercialises conservation: The case of Earth Sanctuaries, Ltd. Greener Management International, 38: 109–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waddock, S. and Post, J. 1991. Social entrepreneurs and catalytic change. Public Administration Review, 51(5): 393–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, J. P., Weber, K. and Margolis, J. D. 2003. Social issues and management: Our lost cause found. Journal of Management, 29(6): 859–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Francesco Perrini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Clodia Vurro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. IESE, Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain

    Johanna Mair (Assistant Professor of General Management) (Assistant Professor of General Management)

  2. Stern School of Business, New York University, USA

    Jeffrey Robinson (Assistant Professor of Management) (Assistant Professor of Management)

  3. INSEAD’s Centre for the Management of Environmental and Social Responsibility (CMER), Fontainebleau, France

    Kai Hockerts (Adjunct Professor and Senior Research Programme Manager) (Adjunct Professor and Senior Research Programme Manager)

Copyright information

© 2006 Francesco Perrini and Clodia Vurro

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Perrini, F., Vurro, C. (2006). Social Entrepreneurship: Innovation and Social Change Across Theory and Practice. In: Mair, J., Robinson, J., Hockerts, K. (eds) Social Entrepreneurship. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230625655_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation