Companies are increasingly asked to provide innovative solutions to deep-seated problems of human misery, even as economic theory instructs managers to focus on maximizing their shareholders' wealt

Misery Loves Companies: Rethinking Social Initiatives by Business:

Social entrepreneurship, as a practice and a field for scholarly investigation, provides a unique opportunity to challenge, question, and rethink concepts and assumptions from different fields of management and business research. This paper puts forward a view of social entrepreneurship as a process that catalyzes social change and/or addresses important social needs in a way that is not dominated by direct financial benefits for the entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurship is seen as differing from other forms of entrepreneurship in the relatively higher priority given to promoting social value and development versus capturing economic value. To stimulate future research the authors introduce the concept of embeddedness as a nexus between theoretical perspectives for the study of social entrepreneurship. Different research methodologies and their implications are discussed.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID984426_code361123.pdf?abstractid=673446&mirid=1&type=2

Social Entrepreneurship Reserach: a Source of Explanation, Prediction and Delight

For the last 30 years a growing number of scholars and practitioners have been experimenting with concepts and models that facilitate our understanding of the complexities of today’s business challenges. Among these, “stakeholder theory” or “stakeholder thinking” has emerged as a new narrative to understand and remedy three interconnected business problems—the problem of understanding how value is created and traded, the problem of connecting ethics and capitalism, and the problem of helping managers think about management such that the first two problems are addressed. In this article, we review the major uses and adaptations of stakeholder theory across a broad array of disciplines such as business ethics, corporate strategy, finance, accounting, management, and marketing. We also evaluate and suggest future directions in which research on stakeholder theory can continue to provide useful insights into the practice of sustainable and ethical value creation.

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Stakeholder Theory: The State of the Art

Entrepreneurship has been the engine propelling much of the growth of the business sector as well as a driving force behind the rapid expansion of the social sector. This article offers a comparative analysis of commercial and social entrepreneurship using a prevailing analytical model from commercial entrepreneurship. The analysis highlights key similarities and differences between these two forms of entrepreneurship and presents a framework on how to approach the social entrepreneurial process more systematically and effectively. We explore the implications of this analysis of social entrepreneurship for both practitioners and researchers.

/pdf/social-and-commercial-entrepreneurship-same-different-or-48tja4pepe.pdf

Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?

Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Source of Explanation, Prediction, and Delight

This study undertakes an analytical comparisonbetween social and commercial entrepreneurship using a model from commercialentrepreneurship. It is an exploratory analysis of the extent that elementsapplicable to commercial entrepreneurship are transferable to socialentrepreneurship. Conversely, it explores the ways insights from social entrepreneurship canilluminate an understanding of commercial entrepreneurship. Socialentrepreneurship can be defined broadly or narrowly, but the authors define itas an innovative, social-value creating activity that can occur within oracross the nonprofit, business, or government sectors. The comparative analysis is guided by four theoretical propositions focusingon four variables: (1) market failure, (2) mission, (3) human and financeresource mobilization, and (4) performance measurement. These will createdifferences between social and commercial entrepreneurs. A commercial entrepreneurship model is proposed in order to approach thesocial entrepreneurship process more systematically and effectively. This modelstresses the dynamic fit among the people, the context, the deal, and theopportunity. For each element, the similarities and differences between socialand commercial entrepreneurship are examined. The analysis draws out lessonsuseful for both social and commercial entrepreneurs. Finally, a revised social entrepreneurship model is proposed. At the centeris a Venn diagram in which the intersection of opportunity, capital, and peopleis a core social value proposition. Surrounding the Venn diagram are the tax,regulatory, sociocultural, macroeconomy, political, and demographics forces. Todeliver the social value proposition effectively, all components must achieve astate of alignment. (TNM)

Collaboration between nonprofits and businesses is increasing and becoming more strategically important. Based on 15 case studies, this article presents a cross-sector collaboration framework consi...

Strategic Collaboration Between Nonprofits and Businesses

/pdf/social-and-commercial-entrepreneurship-same-different-or-48kmzqadg5.pdf

Social and commercial entrepreneurship: same, different, or both?

The Strategic Benefits of Alliances. Understanding Strategic Collaboration. Making the Connection. Ensuring Strategic Fit. Generating Value. Managing the Relationship. Collaboration Drivers and Enablers: Jumpstart and Amercian Eagle Outfitters. Guidelines for Collaborating Successfully.

James E. Austin

Papers

Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?

Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?

Strategic Collaboration Between Nonprofits and Businesses

Social and commercial entrepreneurship: same, different, or both?

The Collaboration Challenge: How Nonprofits and Businesses Succeed Through Strategic Alliances