Social entrepreneurship and SDGs: case studies from northeast Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Fardeen Dodo ◽  
Lukman Raimi ◽  
Edward Bala Rajah
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurship ◽  
Sustainable Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Development

Case synopsis The use of entrepreneurship to deliver profound social impact is a much-needed but poorly understood concept. Although the authors can generally recognize social enterprises when they see them, they lack a common approach to understanding and measuring the different ways they create social value for them. The authors also lack an appropriate method for reducing the difficulties of starting and expanding them within the difficult conditions of developing countries. In the northeast of Nigeria, for example, the mammoth challenge of rebuilding communities in an unfavorable entrepreneurship environment makes the need for a solution even more urgent. This case study illustrates a model of promoting entrepreneurship that advances the conditions of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in local communities using a configuration of the key theories of social impact entrepreneurship (variants of entrepreneurship with blended value or mission orientation, including social entrepreneurship, sustainable entrepreneurship and institutional entrepreneurship). The extent to which ventures can adjust and improve the extent of their contributions to the SDGs are shown using examples of three entrepreneurs at different stages of growth. From this case study, students will be able to understand how entrepreneurs can identify and exploit social impact opportunities in the venture’s business model, within the network of primary stakeholders as well as in the wider institutional environment with the support of Impact+, a simple impact measurement praxis. Learning objectives The case study envisions training students how to hardwire social impact focus in the venture’s business model (social entrepreneurship), how to run ventures with minimal harm to the environment and greatest benefit to stakeholders (sustainable entrepreneurship) and how to contribute to improving the institutional environment for social purpose entrepreneurship (institutional entrepreneurship). At the end of learning this case study, students should be able to: 1. discover an effective model for a startup social venture; 2. explore options for managing a venture sustainably and helping stakeholders out of poverty; and 3. identify ways to contribute to improving the institutional environment for social impact entrepreneurs. Social implications For students, this case will help in educating them on a pragmatic approach to designing social impact ventures – one that calibrates where they are on well-differentiated scales. For business schools, entrepreneurial development institutions and policymakers, this case study can help them learn how to target entrepreneurial development for specific development outcomes. Complexity academic level The case study is preferably for early-stage postgraduate students (MSc or MBA). Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Helm: a social enterprise expanding opportunities for people with disabilities in Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Seham Ghalwash ◽  
Ayman Ismail ◽  
Noha El Sebaie
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Content Type

Case synopsis Drawing from individual experiences and shared passion, Amena and Ramez first founded Helm as a student club at the American University in Cairo in 2012. As a club, Helm worked extensively to identify the main challenges facing persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Egypt. During meetings with various stakeholders, Helm found that employment was a recurring theme. The employment rate for PwDs in Egypt was only 21.3% compared to 40.2% among the non-disabled. During its first year alone, Helm found jobs for 300 individuals with some sort of disability. Despite this initial success, Helm strived to increase its social impact by increasing the integration of PwDs in Egypt through changing employers’ mindset and building inclusive work atmospheres where PwDs could work and thrive. There were, however, major cultural barriers in Egypt standing in the way of this vision. Despite these challenges, Helm managed to play a pivotal role in creating social transformation around disability in Egypt. Helm became a key player in reshaping Egypt’s legislation on PwDs through participating in several policymaking discussions, parliamentary committee meetings and programs with governmental entities. In the hope of increasing Helm’s potential social impact, Amena and Ramez aimed to maintain their growth in Egypt and to expand to other markets in the region. Accordingly, they were faced with a set of compelling questions. Amena and Ramez further wanted to make sure that their current business model and contribution to social transformation for PwDs could help them to grow and serve other markets. Should they adapt their business model and services offerings to scale up their social impact accordingly? If so, how? Case learning objectives This case allows students to consider the nature of social enterprises in developing countries and how they create social transformation in supporting PwDs in local communities. This case also introduces students to social enterprises’ business models, scalability and the sustainability issues which such enterprises face in the context of developing countries. By the end of studying the case, students should be able to understand the following: Objective 1: Identify the characteristics of social entrepreneurship and apply it to a social enterprise using Robinson’s (2006) definition of social entrepreneurship; Objective 2: Analyze the business model of a social enterprise using the nine building blocks of the business model canvas of Osterwalder and Pigneur (2010); Objective 3: Evaluate the social enterprise revenue model for sustainability using Yunus et al.’s (2010) building a social business model; and Objective 4: Suggest business model modification to improve a social enterprise’s scalability and service offerings in a new market. Complexity academic level This case study is aimed at students who are enrolled in entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, non-profit management, corporate social investment and sustainability courses. This case is written at an honor of graduate level so it can be used for master’s level, short graduate programs, MBA. The case is directed to students who have a business background and want to understand and explore social entrepreneurship. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Social entrepreneurs as institutional entrepreneurs: evidence from a comparative case study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Chatzichristos ◽  
Nikolaos Nagopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Field Conditions ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurs

Purpose This study aims to illuminate the field conditions under which social entrepreneurship can become institutionalized and transform the existing institutional fields. Design/methodology/approach A comparative case study was conducted among three social enterprises, within different regional institutional fields, following a most different systems design: OTELO, in Mühlviertel, ADC MOURA, in Baixo Alentejo and STEVIA HELLAS in Phthiotis. Findings The results indicate some of the field conditions under which an institutionalization of social entrepreneurship can thrive, namely, a high civil approval, a highly institutionalized and decentralized institutional field that allows the social enterprise to remain autonomous, as well the anchoring of the venture to a pre-existing counter-hegemonic narrative or/and to an embedded network that drives the dissemination a new institutional logic forward. Research limitations/implications The institutionalization of the voluntary collective action that social entrepreneurship embodies has significant limitations. The same is true for innovation, which tends to lose its innovative spirit as it becomes institutionalized. Future research has to explore if institutionalized social entrepreneurship can maintain a voluntary perspective and an innovative drift. Originality/value Most studies on institutional entrepreneurship deploy in-depth case studies while multi-case comparative research remains rare. The current comparative study adds significantly to the understanding of institutional entrepreneurship, as it compares different degrees of institutionalization and successful institutional entrepreneurs to non-successful ones.

Keggfarms Pvt. Ltd: a social enterprise and a way of life

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Saima Rizvi ◽  
Shivani Teckchandany
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Social Entrepreneur ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Content Type

Subject area Entrepreneurship, Design thinking and innovation, Strategy, Social entrepreneurship and rural markets, Business at the base of pyramid, Sustainability and leadership. Study level/applicability Undergraduate and Post Graduate Students Case overview Keggfarms Private Ltd was a private company started by Mr Vinod Kapur, a social entrepreneur who wanted to create a scalable social impact with his endeavor, which was the first of its kind outside the developed world. Keggfarms was established in 1967 with the aim of creating a business model which could benefit the rural sector by generating income and also enabling nutritional self-sufficiency. The case study aims to explore the sustainable model which had survived for 48 years without a push strategy and without a sole focus on profit. The business had spread to around 19 states in India, and the enterprise had decided to replicate a similar business model in the African continent. The social enterprise had aimed to touch the lives of millions of people in poverty by providing them with a low cost chicken – Kuroiler, which could survive the harsh weather and environmental conditions of rural India. Expected learning outcomes The study will help students to understand how social enterprises are born and built from the vision of the founder; how social capital is generated in the economy and how a blue ocean strategy was applied in this case to build a sustainable and financially viable social entrepreneurship model. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

Strategic marketing approaches impact on social enterprises

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro da Silva Nascimento ◽  
Fernanda Kalil Steinbruch ◽  
Daniel Max de Sousa Oliveira ◽  
Júlio César da Costa Júnior ◽  
Fernando Bins Luce
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Strategic Marketing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Value Creation ◽  
Advance Knowledge ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeDue to social enterprises' (SEs) relevance to social value creation, marketing increases its attention to these hybrid organizations. However, there is no consensus on how strategic marketing can improve SE performance. Thus, this paper aims to discuss how commercial, social and societal strategic marketing approaches relate to compensatory and transformative social entrepreneurship scopes to improve SE performance.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual. We hold discussions and raise reflections to advance knowledge on both marketing and social entrepreneurship fields, more precisely by intertwining them.FindingsWe develop a conceptual model for adapting three strategic marketing approaches to compensatory and transformative SEs. We argue that SEs have three types of performances: commercial, social and societal. Social and commercial strategic marketing are essential for SEs acting in compensating local failures of capitalism. Societal and commercial strategic marketing are essential for SEs focused on transformative actions to changing global system. Such relations can leverage social impact, which we conceptualize as compensatory or transformative.Practical implicationsThe model contributes to improvements on strategic marketing decisions by marketers and entrepreneurs in social entrepreneurship.Originality/valueWe propose a decomposition of strategic marketing into three approaches: commercial, social and societal, which constitutes a novelty to the field. This can facilitate management of SEs with different actions and performances, whether at local or international levels.

Suboptimal food retail model in Czechia: social super discount stores

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomáš Sadílek
Keyword(s):  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Size Range ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Status ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Discount Stores ◽  
Selection Of

PurposeThe paper aims to identify retail models redistributing suboptimal food and their presence in Czechia. The author aims to give an overview of the status in comparison with other European Union countries and the form of such models in the Czech retail market concerning social super discount stores (SSDSs).Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on data obtained from an empirical study conducted by the study of secondary materials, author store-check observations and interviews with owners of SSDSs. The theoretical part consists of a literature review on social enterprises, food wasting and the definition of certain food distribution formats such as social supermarkets, food banks and SSDSs. The criteria for the selection of the research sample for observation were chosen based on the research conducted in Austria by researchers from the Vienna University of Economics and Business.FindingsThe research sample consists of 40 retail stores belonging to five retailers. The particular variables of the study are the number of stores, store size, range of categories and products, discount rates, location and the number of employees in the selected stores in Czechia.Originality/valueThis paper is a case study to identify and explore social retailing in Central Europe. This paper contributes to the emerging set of literature on social entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of retail for suboptimal food products.

Wecyclers roll out: Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Ijeoma Dhalia Nwagwu ◽  
Oreva Atanya ◽  
Ngozi Onuzo
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inclusive Business ◽  
Roll Out

Study level/applicability This case is appropriate for the following courses in undergraduate, graduate or executive programs. Subject area Sustainability, strategy, inclusive business, environmental sustainability and women in leadership. Upon completion of the case study discussion successful students will be able to: Case overview Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola brought to life Wecyclers, an urban waste management company in Nigeria that started as an idea during her MBA programme at MIT. Bilikiss served as its CEO from 2012 and mobilized efforts to sign up thousands of individuals, corporate bodies and agents who turn in waste to recycle. While waste management already had a lot of private sector participants (PSPs), there was no recycling company with a focus on community engagement as at the time Wecyclers came on board. The company went through several iterations to arrive at business model, develop its peculiar infrastructure, build partnerships and raise funds. The case study documents Wecyclers roll-out under the leadership of Bilikiss, whose work with Wecyclers has been shaped by her evolution as a professional woman with a background, education and network that has enabled her excel in the face of social norms which emphasize men as leaders. The case dilemma involves strategy cross-roads Bilikiss faced in mid-2017 as Wecyclers considered expanding its operation, pushed beyond waste collection, pushed by infrastructural weaknesses in the landscape which forced the company to consider vertical integration of its inclusive business model as a way forward to meaningfully serving its stakeholders – from communities, corporates to agents. Expected learning outcomes • Explore the strategic contexts of doing business in emerging markets;• understand the challenges and opportunities in inclusive business model for solving a social problem such as waste management; and • Examine the growth and evolution of women’s leadership, possibilities and hurdles, in a range of contexts. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Social implications In this way, the case study contributes to the limited body of knowledge about strategic and pragmatic facing social enterprises in emerging markets, including funding, community engagement, infrastructure, etc. It also gives us a view of inclusive business models and the evolution of women’s leadership. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Understanding social enterprise in The Netherlands

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-45
Author(s):  
Joost Willem Backer
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Institutional Context ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Case Study

Purpose This paper aims to provide a qualitative country case study of The Netherlands, adopting the macro-institutional social enterprise (MISE) framework as developed by Kerlin (2009, 2013, 2017). The research question is twofold: How does the institutional context shape the social enterprise country model in The Netherlands, and To what extent can the MISE framework be a useful tool in explaining this dynamic between the institutional context and social enterprise country model? Design/methodology/approach This research applies the MISE framework developed by Kerlin (2017), which is founded upon the historical institutionalist approach. Findings The analysis of the institutional context in The Netherlands shows that the country context shares most traits with the autonomous diverse model. Its institutional environment should however be more enabling for the development of social enterprises. This discrepancy is explained through the notion of political will, resulting in the suggestion that the historical institutionalist approach of the MISE framework could be expanded by a greater focus on political will. Research limitations/implications To investigate the Dutch social enterprise country model, this paper principally relies on external sources, including surveys (McKinsey, 2016; PwC, 2016; Social Enterprise NL, 2015; 2016; 2018). This is problematic due to its subjective nature, small population size used and potential conceptual misfit with the definitions used in this research. Practical implications For academia, this paper enhances the understanding of the relations between the institutional environment and social enterprise by adding a case study of The Netherlands to the body of research around the MISE framework. Furthermore, the paper suggests to enhance the historical institutionalist approach of the MISE framework with a greater focus on political will. For advocates of social enterprises in The Netherlands, including policymakers, this paper may add to their understanding of the current developments around social enterprise in The Netherlands and possibly enhance their effectiveness of advocating for policies that are conducive to the development of social enterprises. Originality/value This research is the first in applying a universally applicable theoretical framework to the context of The Netherlands. For scholars of social enterprise in The Netherlands, it provides a comprehensive overview of developments of social enterprise in the country over recent years, as well as a thorough analysis of the current state of affairs. For international scholars of social enterprise, this research provides a case of comparison with other countries, taking into account all main institutions that shape a country and social enterprise in that country. For scholars of the MISE framework, this research offers an additional country case study that further helps improve the framework.

Transformative service research, service design, and social entrepreneurship

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Alkire (née Nasr) ◽  
Christine Mooney ◽  
Furkan A. Gur ◽  
Sertan Kabadayi ◽  
Maija Renko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Prosocial Motivation ◽  
The Core ◽  
Human Wellbeing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an interdisciplinary framework bridging service design and social entrepreneurship with transformative service research (TSR) to create greater synergetic effects to advance wellbeing and drive social impact. Design/methodology/approach This research provides an interdisciplinary review and synthesis of literature to establish a basis for a conceptual framework advancing human wellbeing and driving social impact. Findings The overarching framework created incorporates various concepts, methods and tools across the three research domains. At the core of the framework is the ultimate goal of multilevel wellbeing and social impact. The core is subsequently supported by established social entrepreneurship concepts and strategies: prosocial motivation, hybrid identity, social bricolage, entrepreneurial thinking, community engagement, business model design and innovative delivery. The implementation of these concepts could benefit from the methods and tools used in service design, such as: design probes, service blueprints, appreciative inquiry, contextual interviews, actor maps, sustainable business model canvas and service prototyping. Practical implications The paper uses the refugee crisis as an illustrative example of how the proposed framework can be put into action by service organizations. Originality/value By bridging literature in TSR, service design and social entrepreneurship, this paper provides service managers with a framework to guide scalable systemic solutions for service organizations interested in advancing human wellbeing and driving social impact.

LOTS Charity Foundation – transitioning into a social enterprise

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Ogechi Adeola ◽  
Munachim Amah
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Subject area Social Entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability Entrepreneurship modules of undergraduate programs. The case was developed for undergraduate students taking courses or modules on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on how social enterprises evolve in emerging markets. It may also be used to teach MBA students taking similar courses. Case overview This case highlights the challenges NGOs face in emerging markets and provides motivation for transitioning into social entrepreneurship. The setting of the case is Nigeria where the World Bank estimates the poverty rate to be about 46 per cent. Innovative solutions, especially those originating from socially oriented organisations, are desperately needed to overcome the myriad social challenges facing Nigeria, all of which are direct or indirect consequences of poverty. Social entrepreneurship is gradually becoming a viable career option, especially as interested organisations absorb the teeming graduates from Nigerian universities, thereby themselves contributing to the mitigation of the undesirable consequences of unemployment. NGOs that primarily relied on donors are also beginning to look inwards because of the harsh economic climate in the country. With donors gradually reducing and, in some instances, withdrawing financial support, NGOs may have to look to other options for raising the needed capital to achieve set goals. Beginning in 2008, and driven primarily by spiritual and altruistic ideals, Tolulope Sangosanya (Tolu) walked the filthy streets of Ajegunle, a notorious ghetto in Lagos, where the inhabitants lived in shanties built on heaps of refuse. Shortly after that, she established an NGO – LOTS Charity Foundation – supported mainly by generous donors and her small-scale trading business. LOTS, an acronym for Love on The Streets, began to care for the physical and educational needs of the residents of this slum that she named Dustbin Estate. Though LOTS would go on to feed and educate hundreds of children, in December 2014, a major donor cancelled two weeks before a major charity event – Christmas For Every Family. This dealt a devastating blow to Tolu’s efforts, and she had to seriously consider how the organisation would continue to sustain itself in the future. Faced with mounting challenges, she began contemplating either giving up or transforming the Foundation into a full-fledged social enterprise capable of financing its activities. Expected learning outcomes The key learning points from the case study are as follows: to understand the dilemma NGOs in Nigeria (and perhaps some other emerging markets), face, and how transitioning into a social enterprise may become a viable option. To analyse the impact of social–cultural and economic context under which NGOs operate and how social enterprises evolve in emerging markets. To identify the key determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour and some of the business skills needed to resolve social problems successfully in developing countries. To explicate the key theories and concepts underlying the case study: the asset-based community development and social bricolage theories. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Sahaj Crafts: the challenge of alleviating poverty in Western Rajasthan

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aashish Mehra ◽  
Nidhi Mathur ◽  
Vaibhav Tripathi
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Social Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Learning outcomes The learning objectives of this case are as follows: identify and understand the major challenges/problems faced by a social enterprise in promoting handicraft business; examine the value chain architecture of handicraft products; assess the role of the protagonist (Sanjay) as a social change agent in shaping a successful social enterprise; assess Sahaj Crafts' initiatives and analyze whether the key intervention/s planned/executed were required for skilling up of rural artisans and upgradation of handicraft business; know the marketing strategies for handicraft products; and understand the “strategies” which need to be applied for uplifting people's lives at the bottom of pyramid in general and for enlivening of artisans’ clusters in particular. The outcomes are as follows: examining the value chain architecture of handicraft product; understanding the difficulties and challenges of structuring a viable social business model; examining the role of Sanjay as a social change agent in shaping a successful social enterprise; and examining the model of Craft Incubation Center and design education proposed by Sahaj Crafts for improving rural artisans’ livelihood and skills upgradation. Case overview/synopsis Sanjay Joshi – the promoter and CEO of “Sahaj Crafts” (a social enterprise established in Western Rajasthan, India), an initiative to strengthen indigenous skills and mainstream rural craft products and artworks – is faced with the question of how to scale up his organization’s operations. Doing so requires that he address these fundamental challenges in terms of – how to deal with unorganized craft communities; match up product orientation to market demands; integrate modern technology / processes in craft business; combat restricted mobility of women artisans; and make effective interventions so that the artisans learn and enjoy working in the current model and solve the financial issues faced by the social enterprise. Providing effective and implementable answers to those questions is vital to Sahaj Craft’s development in attaining its mission to alleviate poverty in the region. Failing to expand operations above a critical scale may leave Sahaj Crafts vulnerable in meeting sufficient demand for contemporary craft products in the mainstream markets. Complexity academic level This case study is primarily suitable for post-graduate level management students to teach the concepts of designing and operationalizing a “social” business model in a social entrepreneurship module. This case study can also be used for highlighting business model innovations in the social sector of emerging markets. The case could be taught in the following academic domains: social entrepreneurship; bottom of the pyramid; social inclusion; supply chain consolidation (vertical integration in a value chain); marketing strategies for handicraft products; branding; brand positioning; cost and management accounting. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document