BEYOND THE COMMERCIAL VERSUS SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP DICHOTOMY: A CASE STUDY OF INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURS

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (03) ◽  
pp. 1250018 ◽  
Author(s):  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS ◽  
SARA NADIN

Despite a widespread recognition in the mainstream entrepreneurship literature that many legitimate entrepreneurs do not pursue purely profit-driven commercial goals, the small but burgeoning literature on entrepreneurship in the informal economy has assumed entrepreneurs operating wholly or partially on an off-the-books basis are commercial rather than social entrepreneurs. To evaluate critically this assumption, evidence is reported from a survey involving face-to-face interviews with 70 informal entrepreneurs located in deprived and affluent urban and rural English localities. The finding is that informal entrepreneurs range from those pursuing purely commercial ends through to purely social entrepreneurs pursuing solely social logics, with the majority situated somewhere in-between combining both commercial and social objectives. The outcome is a call to recognize that not all informal entrepreneurs are purely commercial entrepreneurs and that the commercial versus social entrepreneurship dichotomy will need to be transcended if the multifarious goals underpinning informal entrepreneurship are to be better understood.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Mikkel Snorre Wilms Boysen ◽  
Nils Falk Hansen ◽  
Mostafa Yamil

ResuméI de seneste 30 år har pædagogprofession og pædagoguddannelse ændret sig på måder, der tilsyneladende har gjort faglig fordybelse for pædagoger og UC undervisere vanskeligere. I dette lys synes entreprenante pædagogiske ildsjæle at repræsentere en mulig modpol, i den forstand at ildsjæle ofte evner at stå værn om faglig kvalitet, fx med afsæt i fagområder som drama, musik eller billedkunst. Ligeledes formår entreprenører ofte at etablere værdifulde initiativer indenfor, udenfor eller på tværs af formelle institutioner og organisationer. I artiklen undersøges denne hypotese og problemstilling via et empirisk studie af tre pædagogiske entreprenante ildsjæle før/under/efter en række workshops, hvor ildsjælene arbejder med pædagogiske målgrupper. Tre forskere/undervisere og 50 pædagogstuderende på tre forskellige campusser foretager undersøgelsen. Studiet peger på, at faglig ekspertise og specialviden kan opnås både udenfor og inden for etablerede formelle institutioner, men at entreprenørskab giver nogle særlige muligheder i forhold til at fastholde ildsjælenes fokus på deres pædagogiske visioner og deres faglige ekspertise. I artiklen diskuteres afslutningsvist ulemper og fordele ved at anvende entreprenørskabs-modeller til at oparbejde og tilbyde specialviden på kanten af den pædagogiske profession og uddannelse. AbstractSocial entrepreneurs within the pedagogical profession: A study of entrepreneurship as a possible way to build up specialized pedagogical competence and environments. In Denmark, the pedagogical profession and the field of social education have changed radically over the last thirty years: pedagogues are expected to acquire both academic and practical competence, as well as have a broad set of knowledge within many different pedagogical subcategories. In consequence, educators and pedagogues have found it increasingly difficult to achieve and maintain specialized, rather than general, professional expertise. In this perspective, social entrepreneurship seems to represent a possible gateway, because entrepreneurs are often able to focus on a specific professional agenda and approach, e.g. within the field of drama, music, visual art, therapy, etc. In the current article, this hypothesis is investigated through a qualitative case study of three social entrepreneurs’ pedagogical careers, methods, approaches and visions. The study is conducted by three researchers/educators and fifty students across three different campuses. The study indicates that specialized knowledge and competence can be achieved and maintained both within and outside formal institutions. Still, entrepreneurship seems to offer unique possibilities when it comes to the establishment of specialized pedagogical environments with a continuous focus on specific visions and approaches. At the end of the article, entrepreneurship within the pedagogical profession is discussed from a normative perspective and essential pros and cons are highlighted.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen MacCarthy

This holistic case study showcases Building Up as an exemplar of a successful social enterprise in the city of Toronto. Data was collected through the interviewing of the founder, an employee, and a program participant in addition to an observational visit. Many perspectives surrounding the evolution, current conduct of the organization, and its overall impact were gained. The findings shine light on important aspects of social entrepreneurship that is absent within the literature. The discussion of the findings draws from critical and decolonial frameworks which deepened the conversation of what it means to be a successful social enterprise in Toronto. This paper concluded with contemplations, contradictions and suggestions on how best to move forward. Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship, Successful Social Enterprise, Social Entrepreneurs, Alternative Systems, Connection, Social Change


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (44) ◽  
pp. 13-29
Author(s):  
Bibi Noraini Mohd Yusuf ◽  
Noorkartina Mohamad ◽  
Farah Mastura Noor Azman

The entrepreneurial element has now emerged as one of the important pillars in designing appropriate attributes and structures of the academic curriculum covering varied disciplines in all fields of studies in Malaysia’s higher education institutions. This study was conducted in Perlis’s Islamic University College (KUIPs) campus aimed at understanding these attributes and the entrepreneurship cultural awareness of students’ in initiating and identifying appropriate entrepreneurial activities before completing their studies. The study was qualitative in nature involving a group of 20 students randomly chosen from four (4) faculties in KUIPs. Students were interviewed using instant message routes because of the restrictions imposed by authorities in addressing concerns a rising from the COVID 19 pandemic, where face-to-face interviews were disallowed due to health and security factors. The objectives of this study were 1) What are the factors that encourage students to become entrepreneurs on campus? and 2) What are the constraints facing students in becoming entrepreneurs on campus? The results of the study found that there were 3 main factors attributing to students’ keen interest to venture into entrepreneurial activities in KUIPs, namely a) keen interest to initiate own business and aspiring to be an entrepreneur after graduation, b) meeting students’ basic needs (social entrepreneurship), and c) able to earn extra income to defray living and study expenses. There were 3 constraints discovered in becoming entrepreneurs, namely a) Capital, b) Suitable Location, and c) Business Skills to start entrepreneurial activities (entrepreneurial knowledge/skills). The results of this study are most beneficial to those involved in the management of entrepreneurial affairs of students, students themselves, and lastly for the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences in KUIPs (in understanding the current attributes and constraints), there by enabling the faculty to design appropriate entrepreneurship programs and activities in order to nurture and create entrepreneurship cultural awareness for future students.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oly Mishra

Purpose This study aims to focus on implementing frugal innovation and its principles by social entrepreneurs to face the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research paper discusses the case of an Indian social entrepreneur who works for menstrual health and hygiene of unprivileged and rural women in India. The social entrepreneur’s constant endeavor is to create an ecosystem to ensure rural women’s economic and social upliftment through financial inclusion and livelihood training. When faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the social entrepreneur re-purposed the manufacturing process to produce masks that were the need of the hour. Design/methodology/approach The research paper is qualitative and follows an inductive case study approach. The underlying principles of frugal innovation are established through content analysis of the social entrepreneur’s interviews and her team members. Findings The study discusses how adversity can be an opportunity for social entrepreneurs by implementing frugal innovation principles, i.e. re-use, re-purpose, re-combine and rapidity, in times of crisis. Research limitations/implications One of the major limitations of this study is that it is based on a single case study, as, in the current scenario, this case appeared to be the most suitable one. There is no way to generalize the assumptions of this model. Researchers will have to study the phenomena of frugal innovation in adversity across multiple cases in the future. Also, the study is based on a single emerging economy, i.e. India. Further research may be carried out with such cases from other countries. Practical implications The proposition of this research paper will help new and established social entrepreneurs understand that the four principles of frugal innovation and their practical application by a social entrepreneur. This will act as a guiding light for the present and future entrepreneurs regarding how one can respond to a crisis. This will also help advance our understanding of the distinct ways in which social entrepreneurs’ activities can help society in times of crisis. The findings of this research paper provide timely implications for social entrepreneurs. To respond efficiently to various crises, it is important to consider its effect on social entrepreneurship. Social implications The research paper shows that the social enterprise has implemented frugal innovation principles to manufacture the COVID-19 protection items supplied through existing supply chain networks. Also, a social entrepreneur is not intimidated by the sudden changes in the business environment; instead, they look at the situation as an opportunity to do something new. They are always willing to take the risk to innovate a solution that will address people’s problems. frugal innovation, due to its highly collaborative nature and its ability to make the most from limited resources, is the only way social entrepreneurs can create an inclusive, secure and sustainable future. Originality/value There are several challenges in social entrepreneurship, especially in emerging economies like India. During the pandemic, availability of resources was the major challenge, due to which social entrepreneurs had to find solutions through frugal innovation. This paper provides the practical application of the four principles of frugal innovation implemented by a social enterprise to manufacture and supply Covid protection items. It also presents the practical and managerial implications of the principles of frugal innovation by social entrepreneurs in low resource settings.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Sigala

Literature on social entrepreneurship provides a limited understanding of how to generate social value. The article expands on a “learning with the market” approach for developing a framework, explaining how social entrepreneurs can manage, get engaged with, form, and create (new) markets for co-creating social value and transformation. The applicability and implications of the framework are examined through a case study of a social restaurant (Mageires). Data collected from various restaurant stakeholders (customers, employees, suppliers, owners/founders, and other business partners) identified three market capabilities for generating social value and change: network structure (building networks with various stakeholders), market practices (e.g. institutionalization of “new currencies” for conducting economic transactions, adoption of ethical, flexible, and all inclusive recruiting practices), and market pictures (e.g. use of a common terminology and performance metrics and generation of stakeholders’ dialogues for creating intersubjective meanings).


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen MacCarthy

This holistic case study showcases Building Up as an exemplar of a successful social enterprise in the city of Toronto. Data was collected through the interviewing of the founder, an employee, and a program participant in addition to an observational visit. Many perspectives surrounding the evolution, current conduct of the organization, and its overall impact were gained. The findings shine light on important aspects of social entrepreneurship that is absent within the literature. The discussion of the findings draws from critical and decolonial frameworks which deepened the conversation of what it means to be a successful social enterprise in Toronto. This paper concluded with contemplations, contradictions and suggestions on how best to move forward. Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship, Successful Social Enterprise, Social Entrepreneurs, Alternative Systems, Connection, Social Change


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (02) ◽  
pp. 1350011 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHAMU SUNDARAMURTHY ◽  
MARTINA MUSTEEN ◽  
AMY E. RANDEL

Social entrepreneurship is emerging as an important field of study within business disciplines. There is significant social entrepreneurship activity in emerging economies but little systematic research of the phenomenon in this context. The purpose of this study is to generate a deeper understanding of how social value is created in India (one of the largest emerging economies). Using a multiple historical case study design and systematic coding techniques, we uncover distinct types of social entrepreneurship activities in India and identify intriguing common, conceptual themes across types. These insights pointedly illustrate how social entrepreneurs successfully blend social and economic imperatives of social entrepreneurship. Based on our findings, we present four testable propositions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioana Alexandra Horodnic ◽  
Colin C. Williams

Purpose When tackling the informal economy, an emergent literature has called for the conventional rational economic actor approach (which uses deterrents to ensure that the costs of undeclared work outweigh the benefits) to be replaced or complemented by a social actor approach which focusses upon improving tax morale. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of these two policy approaches in reducing informal sector entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach To evaluate this, data are reported from a 2015 representative survey involving 1,384 face-to-face interviews with owners or managers of small businesses in three South-Eastern European countries, namely, Croatia, Bulgaria and FYR Macedonia. Findings The findings provide support for the “social actor” approach and display that small businesses have a greater propensity to perceive competitors as operating informally when the level of tax morale is lower. Meanwhile, no support for the deterrence measures of the “rational economic actor” model is reported. Research limitations/implications The major limitation of the study is that the paper is not able to display the reasons for the low level of tax morale and horizontal trust. Therefore, further in-depth qualitative research is necessary to explain whether and how the low levels of trust are determined by the failures of various formal institutions. Originality/value This is the first known study on small businesses which analyses simultaneously two distinct policy approaches that aim to reduce participation in informal entrepreneurship.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (01) ◽  
pp. 1250005 ◽  
Author(s):  
KWAME ADOM ◽  
COLIN C. WILLIAMS

In recent years, there has been growing recognition in the entrepreneurship literature that many entrepreneurs operate in the informal economy and that not all these informal entrepreneurs are doing so out of economic necessity and because of a lack of choice. Instead, it has been asserted that some of these informal entrepreneurs choose to exit the formal economy and trade on an off-the-books basis more as a matter of choice. However, until now most research displaying this has been conducted in advanced western and post-socialist economies. Little has been written on whether this is also the case in third (majority) world countries. This paper starts to fill this gap by evaluating informal entrepreneurs' motives in sub-Saharan Africa. Reporting the results of face-to-face structured interviews with 80 informal entrepreneurs in Ghana, the finding is that the majority, especially the women informal entrepreneurs, are predominantly necessity-driven while those who are principally intentional participants in informal entrepreneurship are men. However, many women who initially entered informal entrepreneurship out of necessity have over time become more opportunity-driven entrepreneurs. The outcome is a call for wider research in other global regions on informal entrepreneurs' motives and whether similar gender variations prevail.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document