Social entrepreneurship presents an alternative approach to community development. It advocates the adoption of innovative solutions (often incorporating market mechanisms) to address social problems.
This module discusses the concepts associated with social entrepreneurship, and examines the practices and challenges of social entrepreneurship in the Asian context. Topics to be covered include:
(a) identification of social problems;
(b) marginalization and the poverty cycle;
(c) varied conceptualizations of social entrepreneurship and innovation;
(d) different types of social enterprises;
(e) sustainable social enterprises as an effective means of community development;
(f) developing a social enterprise business plan;
(g) establishing a social enterprise;
(h) scaling up a social enterprise; and
(i) social impact measurement.
This module adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to present the concepts, practices and challenges of social entrepreneurship to students, and enables students to better appreciate the potential of business principles in addressing social problems such as marginalization and poverty. Specifically, this module enables participants to:
(a) identify and scope out global social problems;
(b) understand the antecedents of marginalization and the factors that perpetuate the poverty cycle;
(c) appreciate the varied concepts, practices and challenges of social entrepreneurship;
(d) recognize the broad range of social enterprise types;
(e) appreciate the role that sustainable social enterprises can play in effective community development;
(f) develop competence in writing social enterprise business plans;
(g) understand the steps involved in establishing social enterprises and scaling them up; and
(h) appreciate the complexities of measuring the social impact of social enterprises.
Course Outline
Session 1
Global social problems
Causes of social problems
Social problems in the developed world and the developing world
Social problems in the urban and rural contexts
Impact of globalization
Readings
Gerencser, M., Van Lee, R., Napolitano, F., & Kelly, C. (2008). Megacommunities: How leaders of government, business and non-profits can tackle today’s global challenges together. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 1.
Hart, S. L. (2010). Capitalism at the crossroads: Next generation business strategies for a post-crisis world (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing. Chapter 2.
Mathi, B., & Mohamed, S. (2011). Unmet social needs in Singapore: Singapore’s social structures and policies, and their impact on six vulnerable communities. Singapore: Lien Centre for Social Innovation. Retrieved from http://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=lien_reports
Sachs, J. D. (2008). Common wealth: Economics for a crowded planet. New York: The Penguin Press. Chapter 2.
United Nations. (2000). United Nations Millennium Declaration. New York: United Nations. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.pdf
United Nations. (2013). The Millennium Development Goals Report 2013. New York: United Nations. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/report-2013/mdg-report-2013-english.pdf
Session 2
Poverty and social exclusion
Theoretical perspectives on poverty
Theoretical perspectives on social exclusion
Readings
Bhalla, A., & Lapeyre, F. (1997). Social exclusion: Towards an analytical and operational framework. Development and Change, 28, 413-433.
Collier, P. (2007). The bottom billion: Why the poorest countries are failing and what can be done about it. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Chapters 1, 6 and 7.
Collins, D., Morduch, J., Rutherford, S., & Ruthven, O. (2009). Portfolios of the poor: How the world’s poor live on $2 a day. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Chapters 2 & 3.
Frerer, K., & Vu, C. M. (2007). An anthropological view of poverty. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 16, 73-86.
Jung, S. Y., & Smith, R. J. (2007). The economics of poverty: Explanatory theories to inform practice. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 16, 21-39.
Peace, R. (2001). Social exclusion: A concept in need of definition? Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 16, 17-35.
Polak, P. (2008). Out of poverty: What works when traditional approaches fail. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Chapter 10.
Sachs, J. D. (2005). The end of poverty: Economic possibilities for our time. New York, NY: The Penguin Press. Chapter 3.
Turner, K., & Lehning, A. J. (2007). Psychological theories of poverty. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 16, 57-72.
Session 3
Community development
Theoretical perspectives on community development, empowerment and poverty alleviation
Community development, empowerment and poverty alleviation in practice.
Readings
Barney, I. (2003). Business, community development and sustainable livelihoods approaches. Community Development Journal, 38, 255-265.
Bhattacharyya, J. (2004). Theorizing community development. Journal of the Community Development Society Business, 34, 5-34.
Botes, L., & van Rensburg, D. (2000). Community participation in development: Nine plagues and twelve commandments. Community Development Journal, 35, 41-58.
Brocklesby, M. A., & Fisher, E. (2003). Community development in sustainable livelihoods approaches: An introduction. Community Development Journal, 38, 185-198.
Easterly, W. (2006). The white man’s burden: Why the west’s efforts to aid the rest have done so much ill and so little good. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Chapter 1.
Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center. (n.d.). Organizer’s workbook: Moving your neighborhood from good to great! Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center. Retrieved from http://www.inrc.org/Assets/docs/workbook/inrc_book_web.pdf
Mathie, A., & Cunningham, G. (2003). From clients to citizens: Asset-based community development as a strategy for community-driven development. Development in Practice, 13, 474-486.
McKnight, J. L., & Kretzmann, J. P. (1996). Mapping community capacity. Evanston, IL: The Asset-Based Community Development Institute, Northwestern University. Retrieved from http://www.abcdinstitute.org/docs/MappingCapacity.pdf
Polak, P. (2008). Out of poverty: What works when traditional approaches fail. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Chapter 2.
Sachs, J. D. (2005). The end of poverty: Economic possibilities for our time. New York, NY: The Penguin Press. Chapters 12, 13 & 16.
Woodworth, W. (2007). Current international development tools to combat poverty. In J. Fairbourne, S. W. Gibson & W. G. Dyer, Jr (Eds.), Microfranchising: Creating wealth at the bottom of the pyramid (pp. 78-98). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
Session 4
Social entrepreneurship
Different definitions and conceptualizations of social entrepreneurship and social innovation
Social entrepreneurship in the developed world and developing world
Social entrepreneurship in the urban and rural contexts
Readings
Austin, J., Stevenson, H., & Wei-Skillern, J. (2006). Social and commercial entrepreneurship: Same, different, or both? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 30, 1-22.
Bornstein, D., & Davis, S. (2010). Social entrepreneurship: What everyone needs to know. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Part 1.
Brouard, F., & Larivet, S. (2010). Essay of clarifications and definitions of the related concepts of social enterprise, social entrepreneur and social entrepreneurship. In A. Fayolle & H. Matlay (Eds.), Handbook of research on social entrepreneurship (pp. 29-56). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
Dees, J. G. (2007). Taking social entrepreneurship seriously. Society, 44(3), 24-31.
Light, P. C. (2011). Driving social change: How to solve the world’s toughest problems. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Chapter 1.
Light, P. C. (2008). The search for social entrepreneurship. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution. Chapter 1.
Mair, J. (2010). Social entrepreneurship: Taking stock and looking ahead. In A. Fayolle & H. Matlay (Eds.), Handbook of research on social entrepreneurship (pp. 15-28). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
Mair, J., & Marti, I. (2006). Social entrepreneurship research: A source of explanation, prediction, and delight. Journal of World Business, 41, 36-44.
Nicholls, A., & Cho, A. H. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: The structuration of a field. In A. Nicholls (Ed.), Social entrepreneurship: New models of sustainable social change (pp. 99-118). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Peredo, A. M., & McLean, M. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: A critical review of the concept. Journal of World Business, 41, 56-65.
Praszkier, R., & Nowak, A. (2012). Social entrepreneurship: Theory and practice. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 2.
Teo, A. C., & Tan, Y. Y. (2013). The conceptualization of social entrepreneurship by the print media: A content analysis of print media stories published in India and Singapore. Paper presented at the 4th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise, Liege, Belgium.
Session 5
Social enterprises
Relationship between social entrepreneurship and social enterprises
Social enterprises versus social businesses
Work-integration social enterprises versus non-work-integration social enterprises
Multiple bottom lines.
Readings
Alter, S. K. (2006). Social enterprise models and their mission and money relationships. In A. Nicholls (Ed.), Social entrepreneurship: New models of sustainable social change (pp. 205-232). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Brouard, F., & Larivet, S. (2010). Essay of clarifications and definitions of the related concepts of social enterprise, social entrepreneur and social entrepreneurship. In A. Fayolle & H. Matlay (Eds.), Handbook of research on social entrepreneurship (pp. 29-56). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.
Campi, S., Defourny, J., & Gregoire, O. (2006). Work integration social enterprises: Are they multiple-goal and multi-stakeholder organizations? In M. Nyssens (Ed.), Social Enterprise (pp. 29-49). New York, NY: Routledge.
Dacanay, M. L. M. (2009). Social entrepreneurship: An Asian perspective. In J. Robinson, J. Mair & K. Hockerts (Eds.), International perspectives on social entrepreneurship research (pp. 163-182). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Defourny, J. (2001). Introduction: From third sector to social enterprise. In C. Borzaga & J. Defourny (Eds.), The emergence of social enterprise (pp. 1-28). New York, NY: Routledge.
Defourny, J., & Nyssens, M. (2010). Conceptions of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship in Europe and the United States: Convergences and divergences. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 1, 32-53.
Elkington, J., & Hartigan, P. (2008). The power of unreasonable people: How social entrepreneurs create markets that change the world. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press. Chapter 1.
Jager, U. P. (2010). Managing social businesses: Mission, governance, strategy and accountability. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 2.
Teo, A. C. (2013). The social enterprise ecosystem in Singapore: Mapping the change makers, capability builders, funders, educators and researchers in the sector. Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference on Social Enterprise in Asia, Wonju, South Korea.
Yunus, M. (2007). Creating a world without poverty: Social business and the future of capitalism. New York, NY: PublicAffairs. Chapter 2.
Session 6
Microfinance institutions (MFIs)
Different models of microfinance
Social and economic impact of micorfinance
Drivers of success of microfinance
Criticisms of microfinance
Readings
Chu, M. (2007). Microfinance: Business, profitability, and creation of social value. In V. K. Rangan, J. A. Quelch, G. Herrero & B. Barton (Eds.), Business solutions for the global poor: Creating social and economic value (pp. 309-320). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Dowla, A., & Barua, D. (2006). The poor always pay back: The Grameen II story. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press. Chapters 2 & 3.
Epstein, M. J., & Crane, C. A. (2007). Alleviating global poverty through microfinance: Factors and measures of financial, economic, and social performance. In V. K. Rangan, J. A. Quelch, G. Herrero & B. Barton (Eds.), Business solutions for the global poor: Creating social and economic value (pp. 321-334). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Faraizi, A., Rahman, T., & McAllister, J. (2011). Microcredit and women’s empowerment: A case study of Bangladesh. New York, NY: Routledge. Chapters 3, 4 &5.
Karim, L. (2011). Microfinance and its discontents: Women in debt in Bangladesh. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Chapter 4.
Session 7
Co-operative societies
Evolution of the co-operative movement
Philosophy of co-operation
Different types of co-operative societies
Readings
Bhowmik, S. K. (2001). Worker cooperatives and empowerment of the marginalised. In D. K. SinghaRoy (Ed.), Social development and the empowerment of marginalized groups: Perspectives and strategies (pp. 111-133). New Delhi, India: Sage Publications.
Birchall, J. (1997). The international co-operative movement. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. Chapters 1, 2 & 7.
Gilman, R. (1983). Mondragon: The remarkable achievement. In Context: A Quarterly of Humane Sustainable Culture, 2, 44-46. Retrieved from http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC02/Gilman2.htm
Zeuli, K. A., & Cropp, R. (2004). Cooperatives: Principles and practices in the 21st century. Madison, WI: Cooperative Extension Publications, University of Wisconsin-Extension. Retrieved from http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A1457.PDF
Session 8
Setting up a social enterprise: Preliminaries
Understanding the community’s priorities and aspirations
Scoping the social problem
Identifying the community’s assets and liabilities
Identifying market gaps and opportunities
Identifying the stakeholders
Working with the community to develop innovative ideas for the social enterprise
Readings
Blossom, E. (2011). Material change: Design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement. New York, NY: Metropolis Books. Chapter 1.
Brooks, A. C. (2009). Social entrepreneurship: A modern approach to social value creation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Chapter 2.
Heath, S. B. (2002). Working with community. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit (pp. 141-160). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Kitzi, J. (2001). Recognizing and assessing new opportunities. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Enterprising nonprofits: a toolkit for social entrepreneurs (pp. 43-62). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Peredo, A. M., & Chrisman, J. J. (2006). Toward a theory of community-based enterprise. Academy of Management Review, 31, 309-328.
Polak, P. (2008). Out of poverty: What works when traditional approaches fail. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Chapter 1.
Teo, A. C. (2013). Impactful social entrepreneurship in the East Asian context. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual International Conference on Entrepreneurship, Lahore, Pakistan.
Session 9
Setting up a social enterprise: Business plan, strategies and resources
Developing the business plan for the social enterprise
Developing strategies for the social enterprise
Identifying resource (e.g., human and financial) needs, and mobilizing resources.
Readings
Brinckerhoff, P. C. (2000). Social entrepreneurship: The art of mission-based venture development. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Chapters 6, 7 & 8.
Brooks, A. C. (2009). Social entrepreneurship: A modern approach to social value creation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Chapter 4.
Dees, J. G. (2001). Mobilizing resources. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Enterprising nonprofits: a toolkit for social entrepreneurs (pp. 63-102). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Jager, U. P. (2010). Managing social businesses: Mission, governance, strategy and accountability. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 10.
Kitzi, J. (2002). Developing an entrepreneurial competitive strategy. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit (pp. 19-43). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
London, M., & Morfopoulos, R. G. (2010). Social entrepreneurship: How to start successful corporate social responsibility and community-based initiatives for advocacy and change. New York, NY: Routledge. Chapter 4.
Robinson, A. (2002). Selling social change (without selling out): Earned income strategies for nonprofits. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Chapter 5.
Rooney, J. (2001). Planning for the social enterprise. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Enterprising nonprofits: a toolkit for social entrepreneurs (pp. 273-298). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Session 10
Running a social enterprise: Leadership and strategic alliances
Characteristics of social entrepreneurs
Effective leadership
Developing strategic alliances with other stakeholders
Readings
Blossom, E. (2011). Material change: Design thinking and the social entrepreneurship movement. New York, NY: Metropolis Books. Chapter 5.
Bornstein, D. (2007). How to change the world: Social entrepreneurs and the power of new ideas (Updated ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Chapter 18.
Economy, P. (2002). Leading, retaining, and rewarding people entrepreneurially. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit (pp. 71-91). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Elkington, J., & Hartigan, P. (2008). The power of unreasonable people: How social entrepreneurs create markets that change the world. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press. Introduction.
Kania, J., & Kramer, M. (2011). Collective impact. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 9, 36-41.
Kitzi, J. (2002). Cooperative strategy: Building networks, partnerships, and alliances. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit (pp. 45-69). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
London, M., & Morfopoulos, R. G. (2010). Social entrepreneurship: How to start successful corporate social responsibility and community-based initiatives for advocacy and change. New York, NY: Routledge. Chapters 2 & 3.
Lynch, K. & Walls, Jr., J. (2009). Mission, Inc.: The practitioner’s guide to social enterprise. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Chapter 6.
Praszkier, R., & Nowak, A. (2012). Social entrepreneurship: Theory and practice. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 11.
Sonnenfeld, J. A., & Anderson, M. L. (2004). Leadership strategies for managing a nonprofit enterprise. In S. M. Oster, C. W. Massarsky & S. L. Beinhacker (Eds.), Generating and sustaining nonprofit earned income: A guide to successful enterprise strategies (pp. 29-41). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Teo, A. C., & Tan, W. (2013). Developing a model of social entrepreneurship: A grounded study approach. Paper presented at the 4th EMES International Research Conference on Social Enterprise, Liege, Belgium.
Zahra, S. A., Gedajlovic, E., Neubaum, D. O., & Shulman, J. M. 2009. A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges. Journal of Business Venturing, 24, 519-532.
Session 11
Running a social enterprise: Social impact measurement
Social return on investment (SROI)
Impact Reporting & Investment Standards (IRIS)
Other social impact measurement tools
Readings
Bell-Rose, S. (2004). Using performance metrics to assess impact. In S. M. Oster, C. W. Massarsky & S. L. Beinhacker (Eds.), Generating and sustaining nonprofit earned income: A guide to successful enterprise strategies (pp. 269-280). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Brooks, A. C. (2009). Social entrepreneurship: A modern approach to social value creation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Chapter 5.
Doherty, B., Foster, G., Mason, C., Meehan, J., Meehan, K., Rotheroe, N., & Royce, M. (2009). Management for social enterprise. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Chapter 5.
Jager, U. P. (2010). Managing social businesses: Mission, governance, strategy and accountability. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Chapter 7.
Lynch, K. & Walls, Jr., J. (2009). Mission, Inc.: The practitioner’s guide to social enterprise. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Chapter 9.
Twersky, F., & Blair J. (2002). Performance information that really performs. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit (pp. 161-188). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Wei-Skillern, J. C., Austin, J. E., Leonard, H. B., & Stevenson, H. H. (2007). Entrepreneurship in the social sector. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Chapter 7.
Session 12
Running a social enterprise: Innovation, sustainability and scale
Innovation
Sustainability of the social enterprise
Scaling up, scaling out and/or scaling deep
Readings
Aubry, R. (2004). Taking your venture to scale. In S. M. Oster, C. W. Massarsky & S. L. Beinhacker (Eds.), Generating and sustaining nonprofit earned income: A guide to successful enterprise strategies (pp. 281-301). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bornstein, D. (2007). How to change the world: Social entrepreneurs and the power of new ideas (Updated ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Chapter 16.
Boschee, J. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: The promise and the perils. In A. Nicholls (Ed.), Social entrepreneurship: New models of sustainable social change (pp. 356-390). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Brooks, A. C. (2009). Social entrepreneurship: A modern approach to social value creation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Chapter 9.
Lynch, K. & Walls, Jr., J. (2009). Mission, Inc.: The practitioner’s guide to social enterprise. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Chapter 10.
Robinson, A. (2002). Selling social change (without selling out): Earned income strategies for nonprofits. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Chapter 10.
Taylor, M. A., Dees, J. G., & Emerson, J. (2002). The question of scale: Finding an appropriate strategy for building on your success. In J. G. Dees, J. Emerson & P. Economy (Eds.), Strategic tools for social entrepreneurs: Enhancing the performance of your enterprising nonprofit (pp. 235-266). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Wei-Skillern, J. C., Austin, J. E., Leonard, H. B., & Stevenson, H. H. (2007). Entrepreneurship in the social sector. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Chapter 6.
Assessment Methods
Individual response paper 1 : 10%
Individual response paper 2 : 10%
Individual learning journal : 10%
Individual 24-hour take-home test : 30%
Individual class and IVLE forum discussion participation : 10%
Group project : 30%
The first response paper will get students to offer their views on whether social entrepreneurship is a more effective model of social intervention and community development, compared to the traditional charity model.
The second response paper will get students to offer their views on whether social enterprises will eventually replace businesses, or whether businesses will eventually evolve into social enterprises.
The learning journal will get students to discuss their learning outcomes and key takeaways from the module at the end of the semester.
For the 24-hour take-home test, students will be given a social entrepreneurship case. They will be required to conduct an in-depth analysis, discussing the social problems faced by a community, the motivations and expectations of the various stakeholders, the challenges faced by the social enterprise in addressing the social problems, and recommendations on how the challenges can be overcome and how the social enterprise can be more effective in meeting its social goals. To preempt collusion by students on the test and to ensure academic integrity, the students’ submissions will be screened by Turnitin.
Students’ class and IVLE forum discussion participation will be evaluated on the basis of the quality of students’ contribution.
For the group project, students will be required to develop a comprehensive social enterprise proposal or plan. The proposal should cover the following:
(a) identifying a particular community to work with;
(b) determining the community’s needs and priorities;
(c) determining the community’s aspirations and motivations;
(d) based on the community’s priorities, scoping a particular social problem that you can help to address;
(e) mapping the community’s assets and strengths;
(f) mapping the community’s liabilities and weaknesses;
(g) identifying the pertinent environmental dimensions and factors;
(h) identifying the relevant stakeholders, their demands and their expectations;
(i) developing a social enterprise idea that can harness the community’s assets to address the pertinent social problem;
(j) identifying the resources that are required to set up and run the social enterprise;
(k) computing the financial projections for the social enterprise; and
(l) estimating the social impact of the social enterprise's operations.