case study about social entrepreneurship

Program on Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Impact
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Social Enterprise Case Studies

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If any case is reproduced and used in a course please contact us before distribution. For a complete listing of case studies by the Yale School of Management, please visit the Yale SOM Case Studies Directory .

Design and social innovation "raw" cases

Mayo Clinic: Design thinking in healthcare

If we can test new drugs in clinical trials, can we also test new kinds of doctor-patient interactions?

Teach for all

How can Teach for America expand its successful model of education beyond the United States?

SELCO 2009: Determining a path forward

Harish Hande founded SELCO to provide solar electricity for lighting and power to India's poor. Having attained a measure of success, he must determine the future of his enterprise.

Project Masiluleke

Texting and testing to fight HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Free cases on nonprofit governance

Conflicting agendas for the future of a youth agency.

Having avoided self-scrutiny for most of its sixty year history, a youth agency is forced to take a hard look at its future when finances begin to decline. The executive director and the board president hold differing views on the appropriate course of action, and the reader is asked to decide which position is in the best interests of the organization.

Consulting to a nonprofit board: Peeling the onion

Outside consultants to governing boards are commonly asked to clarify the appropriate roles for the board, executive director, and staff--who does what and who should. The "problem," however, is rarely what it seems to be to participants. Understanding the complex environments in which boards do their work is key to effective consulting and to achieving successful outcomes for a board. In this case the reader is challenged to "see" the agency in its context with a variety of interpretive lenses.

Board development and congregational sponsorship

The governing board of a shelter for homeless women and children is dominated by representatives of the founding congregations. As the condition for receiving a substantial grant, the board has been asked to curtail its involvement in operations and focus instead on planning, policy development, evaluation, and fundraising. The reader analyzes the influence of faith on member behavior and the board's developmental stage and assesses the impact of changing from sectarian to non-sectarian sponsorship.

Neighborhood agencies, businesses, and the city: Boston Against Drugs

Boston Against Drugs was a partnership among the city, business corporations, and neighborhood groups united in opposition to drug and alcohol abuse. In this case, the reader is asked to analyze BAD as a collaboration, paying particular attention to assessing the role of the corporate partners. Readers must make recommendations regarding future funding options necessary to keep BAD alive as well as administrative and governance changes necessary to strengthen BAD's operating effectiveness.

Governing board oversight of donor dollars: Foundation for new era philanthropy

The exposure of the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy as a Ponzi scheme attracted wide press coverage in 1995. New Era promised nonprofit organizations that funds deposited with it would be matched in six months. In this case the reader is asked to evaluate the oversight of donor funds exercised by the governing board of Menno Haven, Inc., an operator of retirement communities that numbered among the Foundation's major beneficiaries.

Hospital joint ventures and conflicts of interest

Although Mapletown's community hospital is operating in the black, it carries a substantial debt load and its future in the changing health care environment is uncertain. A physician's proposal to add an expensive high tech service brings to the surface conflicting perspectives about governing board strategies and actions that will best promote the community's welfare.

A governing board considers closure: A dramatic narrative in three acts

In this case the reader must decide how the governing board of a floundering arts organization should respond to a motion for closure. The case illustrates the unique traits that founding executive directors often possess, the limitations of un-involved boards, the dangers of inert programs and policies, the need for transformational leadership in floundering organizations, and the factors that may influence a board to consider closure. The case is presented through a play-like narrative of three acts.

To be or not to be? Or, is it nobler to care than to be a part of managed care?

Associated Youth Services (AYS) provides a variety of services to at-risk youth and their families. In recent years its management and board have responded to rapid cuts in state funding and to the introduction of "managed care" in the administration of state social service programs. Readers of this case critique a decision process of core strategic importance: whether to redesign the organization's mission and vision to reflect a basic paradigm change in the external environment.

Authority dilemmas on a board in a multi-tiered governance structure

Nonprofit organizations often struggle with the never--ending discussion of board roles and responsibilities. Who does what, when, and who should? In the case of St. Aloysius Care Center, the problem of role responsibility was exacerbated by an organizational structure embracing three levels of authority. The distinctions and responsibility were never clear, not just structurally but politically. When the local board, consistent with its understanding of its authority, initiated actions to replace its president/CEO, it opened a Pandora's box. All three levels acted as if they were in charge.

Hope Network: Where do we go from here?

A faith-based nonprofit organization is at a crossroads after learning that its founding CEO plans to retire. The board of directors must now determine what kind of leader to seek and what implications this process might have for the future of the organization.

ABC Childcare "My hands are tied"

Elizabeth Green is the Executive Director of ABC Childcare, a financially burdened nonprofit childcare center loosely affiliated with a local YMCB in Central Massachusetts. The YMCB's efforts to centralize operations had been costlier than expected, resulting in a newly imposed salary freeze for all educators and administrators. Dissatisfaction among YMCB employees was smoldering, and teachers were increasingly tense. Elizabeth felt that without the ability to offer even the most modest of raises, she could not overcome her teachers' waning motivation. Furthermore, she became concerned about the longer-term implications. Could she and her associates develop a strategy to re-energize teachers?

Other case studies related to social entrepreneurship

Ibm corporate service corps.

Founded in 2007, IBM’s Corporate Service Corps (CSC) had become the largest pro bono consulting program in the world. The program promised a triple-benefit: leadership training to the brightest young IBMers, brand recognition for IBM in emerging markets, and community improvement in the areas served by IBM’s host organizations. As the program entered its second decade in 2016, IBM was looking for ways in which it could increase social impact while preserving the program’s other aspects.

Achievement First

On the edges of a warehouse district in New Haven, Connecticut, Amistad Academy, a charter school founded by two Yale Law School graduates, are challenging the conventional theory that poor educational performance is the result of low socioeconomic status (SES) by not only getting students on par with their grade levels in reading and math, but is pushing them to perform as well as the best suburban school districts too.

The Business of Art

In 2007 the Guggenheim began considering a proposal for a new branch in Guadalajara, Mexico. A spectacular site, a healthy tourist industry, and a cooperative local government all seemed to offer a solid foundation for a new museum. However, the Guggenheim's endowment was not growing at the same fast rate as it had during the 1990s. Was Guadalajara a good option for a Guggenheim in Latin America? Or should the Guggenheim wait and pursue offers from other cities?

CostumeRentals

This case was produced through the Yale SOM Goldman Sachs Foundation Partnership on Nonprofit Ventures. This case examines the challenges of a start-up for profit venture created by non-profit parent entities. CostumeRentals, LLC has many issues to resolve. As a new venture, it has the challenges of profitability, operational efficiency, staffing, and sustainability.

Environmental Defense - TXU

James D. Marston, director of Environmental Defense's Texas Office, has been asked by a group of private equity firms to bless their takeover of TXU in return for environmental concessions. What should his negotiation strategy be?

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William Bratton and the NYPD

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DonorsChoose

In 2000, Charles Best (Yale College ’98), a social studies teacher at an alternative public high school in the South Bronx, found himself frustrated because his school did not have access to many of the resources available in other New York City public schools. Best and his colleagues were able to secure basic materials, but they were unable to bring many creative classroom projects to fruition, because they lacked financial support.

Seven Theaters

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Case Studies in Social Entrepreneurship

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This book is an essential resource for the increasing number of facilitators who wish to help students learn about the promise and pitfalls of social enterprise. The oikos-Ashoka case competition for social entrepreneurship was conceived in 2007 as a way to help find great material and case studies in this emerging field.

This fourth collection of oikos case studies is based on the winning cases from the 2010 to 2014 annual case competitions. These cases have been highly praised because they provide excellent learning opportunities, tell engaging stories, deal with recent situations, include quotations from key actors, are thought-provoking and controversial, require decision-making and provide clear take-aways. This new volume of social entrepreneurship case studies highlights cases from around the globe authored by teachers from around the globe. The selected cases span many industries and geographic contexts; nevertheless, they are connected by a shared ambition: to highlight the power of entrepreneurship to solve social problems.

The cases are clustered in three different sections: Socially oriented Enterprise Cases – Health and Fair trade, Ecologically oriented social enterprises, and Corporate Social Entrepreneurship. Case Studies in Social Entrepreneurship will be an essential purchase for educators and is likely to be a widely used as a course textbook at all levels of management education.

Online Teaching Notes to accompany each chapter are available on request with the purchase of the book.

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Stakeholder theory in social entrepreneurship: a descriptive case study

Methodology
Open access
Published: 29 January 2016
Volume 6 , article number 4 , ( 2016 )

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case study about social entrepreneurship

Ruben Burga 1 &
Davar Rezania 1

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In this paper, a descriptive case study of a social entrepreneurial firm is used to demonstrate stakeholder salience and stakeholder social issue management valence. The methodology is to use a semi structured interview with a social entrepreneur to identify and map the firm’s stakeholders’ salience and stakeholders’ social issue management valence. The resulting map uses spheres, sized proportionally to social issue management valence, to represent the various stakeholder groups. Each map shows the positioning of stakeholders according to their salience at critical points in the life of the social entrepreneurship. This paper contributes to stakeholder theory through its use of an innovative methodology to combine and view the stakeholders and their importance to the social entrepreneur on a single map. This map incorporates the elements of stakeholder salience with stakeholder social issue management valence. This mapping approach enables us to visualize how salience and valence positions change at critical times. Social entrepreneurs applying this mapping method can balance the allocation of their time and attention to stakeholders while simultaneously keeping with their social mission.

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In the current business environment, one of enhanced social and environmental awareness, firms are expected to be profitable while promoting social responsibility and rewarding their stakeholders (Cooper and Owen, 2007 ). When an enterprise is formed as a social entrepreneurial firm, a deliberate decision is made to integrate social consciousness into the business model (Dees, 2001 ). A social entrepreneurship is one that incorporates goals of revenue-generation, social awareness and environmental considerations. Furthermore, within these firms, “the social mission is explicit and central” (Dees, 2001 , p. 3).

Social entrepreneurship is an emerging business model (Austin et al., 2006 ). Murphy and Coombes ( 2009 ) suggest that the emergence of the social entrepreneurial model results from an increased public awareness of corporate and environmental social responsibility. Social entrepreneurship has been viewed as a business model exhibiting a continuum of objectives ranging from a purely social mission through combinations of social and profit motives (Bacq and Janssen, 2011 ; Battilana et al., 2012 ; Dees and Anderson, 2003 ; Kerlin, 2006 ; Lepoutre et al., 2013 ; Zahra et al., 2009 ). The common element among social entrepreneurial firms is their primary concern with social issues (Austin et al., 2006 ; Dees, 2001 ; Mair, 2010 ).

Social entrepreneurship is often studied through the lens of stakeholder theory. A stakeholder is defined as an entity “which either: is harmed by, or benefits from the corporation: or whose rights can be violated, or have to be respected by the corporation” (Crane and Matten, 2010 , p. 62). Freeman ( 1994 ) describes one of the principles of the stakeholder concept as “the principle of who or what really counts” (p. 411). Donaldson and Preston ( 1995 ) define stakeholder considerations as normative (describing why stakeholder interests impact the firm), descriptive (describing the “how” of taking the stakeholder’s interest into account), instrumental (judging the benefits impacting stakeholder interests) and managerial (relationship management and decision-making). Schlange ( 2009 ) suggests that stakeholders need not be limited to individuals or groups of individuals but that they may also be inanimate objects (such as the earth) or animate beings such as animals.

Stakeholder theory is “a theory of organizational management and ethics” (Phillips et al., 2003 , p.480). The theory involves the consideration of stakeholders and their relationships with the firm as a series of activities leading to end results that are implicitly value and moral-laden (Phillips et al., 2003 ). In a review of the literature on stakeholder theory, Mainardes and colleagues recognize that “over the years, some academics have criticized the vagueness and ambiguity of this theory” (Mainardes et al., 2011 , p. 227). Mainardes et al. ( 2011 ) also call for more studies of stakeholder theory as it relates to organizational performance. Parmar et al. ( 2010 ) have explained that stakeholder theory is important to firms because of their focus on “ethics and moral theory” (p. 410). Stakeholder theory forms the basis for the stakeholder salience models that will be demonstrated in this descriptive case study. The two stakeholder models that will be described as important to social entrepreneurship are those described by social issue management valences (Kusyk and Lozano, 2007 ) and stakeholder salience values (Mitchell et al., 1997 ).

The social issue management valence model

Stakeholder theory accounts for all individuals who are socially impacted or who have a social impact on the firm through social drivers and barriers (Kusyk and Lozano, 2007 ). Using grounded theory, Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) identify drivers and barriers to social issue management. They classify internal and external stakeholders according to their drivers and barriers to social responsibility practices and weigh these drivers and barriers in order to assign them to a category. The stakeholders are placed into categories by Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) and ranked with valences of low management of social issues to high involvement and high decision-making in managing social issues. The current study defines this weighing as the stakeholder social issue management valences (SIMVs). Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) conceptualize the social issue management valences exhibited by stakeholders in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) into a 2x2 matrix of internal and external drivers and barriers to social issue management.

The technique of using drivers and barriers to social issue management is also used within the context of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of large and small businesses by Laudal ( 2011 ). Social issues are conceptually discussed by Bhattacharya et al. ( 2008 ) from the perspective of incorporating corporate social responsibility initiatives within the framework of stakeholder salience. Empirical research on social issue management and the relationship with stakeholders in overseeing corporate social performance initiatives is described by Roy ( 2009 ). Zyglidopoulos ( 2002 ) also uses stakeholder theory to discuss the social issue management challenges that a firm must face when dealing with critical societal conflicts such as how a multinational company copes with an environmental incident.

The stakeholder salience model

The stakeholder salience model as described by Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ) identifies salience values as a result of the combination of power, urgency and legitimacy claims that the stakeholder has on a firm. The element of power defines the degree of power that the stakeholder possesses over a firm. The element of urgency is the importance of time that the stakeholder claims over a firm. The element of legitimacy defines the claim that the stakeholder has on the attention of a firm (Mitchell et al., 1997 ). Agle et al. ( 1999 ) use this model to determine the stakeholder attributes of senior management in public firms. Parent and Deephouse ( 2007 ) determine the individual effects of each of the stakeholder salience attributes through a mixed-method study of a major sporting event. They describe the relative importance of each of the power, urgency and legitimacy attributes. Currie et al. ( 2008 ) use a descriptive case study of stakeholder salience to understand the relationship between stakeholders in the tourism industry and illustrate their relative importance. Elijido-Ten et al. ( 2010 ) use the model to empirically study a firm’s response to environmental concerns and its importance to stakeholders. This stakeholder salience model is used by Key et al. ( 2013 ) to describe the changing saliences of smokers versus non-smokers and as an explanation for institutional changes (Oates, 2013 ).

The social entrepreneurship context

Even though stakeholder theory is used extensively for explaining who or what is important for a business and for a social enterprise, few descriptive studies of the theory in social entrepreneurship were found. A literature search of peer-reviewed articles encompassing stakeholders, social entrepreneurship and case study methodology using ProQuest’s search of academic databases resulted in peer-reviewed articles by Faminow et al. ( 2009 ), Kumar ( 2013 ), Spitzeck et al. ( 2013 ) and Thompson ( 2012 ). None of these articles combined stakeholder attributes of salience with social issue management valences. A descriptive case study of stakeholders and their impact on the operation and social consciousness of any social entrepreneurship is important because it provides insight into how stakeholder theory works in practice.

The research objective of this paper is to use a single case study to develop a mapping methodology that can integrate important aspects of stakeholder theory; those of salience and social issue management.

Given that the objective is to use the results from a descriptive case study to develop a mapping methodology, the case study method described by Yin ( 2003 ) is adopted as the most appropriate research methodology. Yin ( 2003 ) describes three types of case studies; explanatory, exploratory and descriptive. A single descriptive case study was chosen as it is structured to help identify emerging patterns based on a solid theoretical framework (Tobin, 2010 ). Reliability of the data is enhanced by following Yin’s ( 2003 ) recommendation to design and follow a strict case study protocol. This protocol includes providing an overview of the case, detailing data collection procedures, detailing the interview format and questions, and formatting the resulting information (Yin, 2003 ). As with other qualitative research methods, validation of the data is critical (Berg and Lune, 2012 ). This will be achieved by triangulating the data in the case study with third party external sources.

The case of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company (FTACC) is described, which was formed and operated in Prince Edward County, a rural part of Ontario, Canada. This case characterizes a social entrepreneurial company which by definition has a central social mission (Dees and Anderson, 2003 ) and so needs to effectively manage its stakeholders. A social entrepreneurial firm provides a good empirical case for describing how stakeholder theory works. The context of this social entrepreneurship is used to analyze the entrepreneur’s perception of the salience values and social issue management valences of the stakeholders in the firm. A rich body of data on the operation of the firm was uncovered through third party reports and case studies (DesRoches et al., 2009 ; Donald, 2009 ). The richness and availability of information fulfills one of Yin’s requirements ( 2003 ) when discussing the validity of descriptive case study research.

One external data source consists of a working paper published by the University of Toronto’s Martin Prosperity Institute (Donald, 2009 ) which describes FTACC as an innovative and environmentally conscious artisanal cheese factory, as well as its impact on the surrounding community. A second external data source is a case study developed by Queens University’s Monieson Centre (DesRoches et al., 2009 ) that reviewed FTACC’s operations from a business viewpoint, detailing critical points in the life of the firm and identifying some of the stakeholders. A peer-reviewed research paper was also reviewed that described the events surrounding one of the identified critical events, the Listeria crisis at FTACC (Charlebois, 2015 ), to validate the events at that critical time.

The protocol of this paper consists of a semi structured interview with FTACC’s founding entrepreneur. The opportunity to obtain rich data from a narrative supported by externally sourced information provides relevance to this descriptive case study (Yin, 2003 ).

The semi structured interview was conducted with the founder of FTACC in a single session. The protocol consisted of questions that were submitted to the founder prior to the interview. However, in keeping with the methodology of a semi structured interview (Berg and Lune, 2012 ) the authors began the interview with a pre-defined question and then adjusted the subsequent questions according to the flow of the interviewee’s narrative. Questions were improvised based on the protocol, helping to elaborate the questions or problems that the founder found important and how she resolved them, her description of the business challenges as a social entrepreneur and the involvement of stakeholders. Some of the questions in the formal protocol are listed in Table 1 . The two-hour interview was recorded, resulting in 45 pages of transcribed narrative.

The authors used their protocol questions to identify key decision points that were subsequently validated by the founding entrepreneur. Having a variety of alternatives and choosing one of them defines decision-making in a narrative (Schwenk, 1985 ). Three major decision points were identified by the founding entrepreneur; the epiphany of choosing to run an artisanal cheese company and the subsequent development of a social entrepreneurial firm, a Listeria outbreak at the firm and its resolution, and finally the decision to exit the company.

This study’s methodological approach integrates how the founding entrepreneur perceives her stakeholders based on two salience models and maps these two models as a single graphical representation. Mapping in the social sciences is a useful method to explore patterns and frameworks (Trochim, 1989 ). Stakeholder salience positions are mapped based on a modification of the Venn diagrams described by Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ) and the social issue management valences according to the typology described by Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ). Mapping of stakeholders according to their stakeholder salience has been performed previously in the management literature. Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ) used Venn diagrams to illustrate possible stakeholder positions. Rowley ( 1997 ) used a different type of mapping technique based on principles of network theory to identify salient stakeholders. In her study of stakeholder influences, Bourne ( 2011 ) created an integrative mapping technique, “the Stakeholder Circle TM ” to determine the salience of stakeholders in the management of projects (Bourne and Walker, 2008 ; Bourne, 2011 ).

In the present case, two key stakeholder models are examined: stakeholder saliences based on power, urgency and legitimacy and a stakeholder model based on social issue management valences. Stakeholders based on those models are positioned on a single map that visualizes them at key points in time. Stakeholder salience is mapped using concentric circles identifying the integration of power, urgency and legitimacy (PUL) attributes from the stakeholder salience model (Mitchell et al., 1997 ). Stakeholders are then identified by spheres sized according to their coded values of social issue management valences (SIMVs) based on the work by Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ).

Stakeholder salience: methodology of a descriptive view

Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ) illustrate the inter-relation of the power, legitimacy and urgency attributes through the use of Venn diagrams. In the present case, the idea of using Venn diagrams is extended by summing the presence or absence of the three PUL salience values, each either having a 0 or 1 value into a single cumulative value ranging from 0-3. This resulted in an orbiting diagram where stakeholders orbit in a space of stakeholder salience. The central clustering is at the nexus of salience where Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ) defines the stakeholder salience as definitive (where all three factors have a value of 1 and cumulatively a value of 3), through the next orbit of expectant stakeholders (where two of the factors sum to cumulative values of 2), and the final orbit of salience (where only one of the factors is valued as 1). Where the stakeholder does not have power, legitimacy or urgency in the stakeholder salience model described by Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ), then the stakeholder is not considered and falls out of the orbit. Table 2 lists the stakeholders according to the sum of their power, legitimacy and urgency values. Throughout the stages defined by key “decision points”, stakeholders are positioned by the entrepreneur in the concentric circles of influence.

It is acknowledged that through the coding technique employed in this study, the identification of key stakeholders assumes that each of the stakeholder power, urgency and legitimacy claims has equal importance and that they will each have a value of 0 or 1 only. This assumption has been disputed by Parent and Deephouse ( 2007 ) who claim that power has a more important value than urgency and legitimacy. Currie et al. ( 2008 ) in the context of the tourism industry, examining the legitimacy component of stakeholder salience, claim a definitional confusion over the term and measurement issues compared to the other stakeholder saliences defined by Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ). Nevertheless, Key et al. ( 2013 ) and Agle et al. ( 1999 ) use the Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ) stakeholder model with its assumptions to empirically describe stakeholder salience and identify key stakeholders based on the three attributes of power, urgency and legitimacy.

Social issue management valences: methodology of a descriptive view

In keeping with the intention to view the Venn diagram and the social issue management valences typology model in one graphical representation, spheres were created to identify the stakeholder and their social issue management valences. The size of the spheres that define the stakeholders is determined by the perception of the founding entrepreneur. This perception is categorized into one of the ordinal values on the four position grid in Fig. 1 . Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) use this grid categorization technique to record the social issue management valence (SIMV) of stakeholders. This report contributes to this type of stakeholder evaluation by assigning ordinal values to each quadrant of the typology as shown in Fig. 1 based on the social entrepreneur’s perception. On the orbiting diagrams, the size of the spheres corresponds to their SIMVs. Quadrants are ordered from 0 to 3. An ordinal value of 0 corresponds to a stakeholder non-participant status; a value of 1 corresponds to an observer status; a value of 2 corresponds to a moral dependence status; and a value of 3 corresponds to a moral leadership status. This categorization aligns with the typology suggested by Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ). In this way, changes in stakeholder SIMVs can be assessed from one critical decision point to another. Table 3 provides a complete description of the stakeholders and their weighting according to the Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) SIMVs at key decision points based on the founding entrepreneur’s perception.

Modified Kusyk and Lozano Typology (Kusyk and Lozano, 2007 )

Results and discussion

A descriptive case study requires focus and depth (Yin, 2003 ). This section details through a narrative the founding entrepreneur’s perception of stakeholder PUL salience values and SIMVs at each decision point of the firm’s life. Three critical decision points were identified by the founding entrepreneur of FTACC.

The creation of FTACC and its development as a social entrepreneurial firm.

The handling of a Listeria crisis.

The decision to exit the social entrepreneurship.

Narrative background

In 2003, the founding entrepreneur (P), was at a crossroads and was considering the transition from a corporate environment to an entrepreneurial environment. The entrepreneur believed that for family reasons she would relocate to the Prince Edward County region of Ontario, Canada. At this stage, the stakeholders in this narrative are limited to the immediate individuals who both affect and are affected by the decision. This includes a supportive family group already residing in the geographical area of Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada, where she believes she will relocate with her spouse (S) and her child (C).

After making the decision to become an entrepreneur and then deciding where to locate her business, the entrepreneur needed to decide on the type of business to establish. In this case, the choice was made after thorough research into the needs of the local market where they were physically moving in Ontario, Canada. The entrepreneur contacted information sources within the region to determine the needs of the region. Stakeholders in the local area such as the local councilman (CM) and the local economic development officer (ED) were influential in highlighting the needs of the region. The selection of the type of business to establish happened through what the entrepreneur described as an epiphany. This paradigm change was described by the entrepreneur as occurring in her car soon after moving, during a conversation with a key stakeholder, her spouse. The entrepreneurial ‘idea’ at this point was to establish an artisanal cheese-making farm in Prince Edward County, governed by principles of environmental sustainability. The entrepreneur described her own personal value system as a culmination of being a new parent and her personal belief that goods should be made by following environmentally sustainable practices and principles.

With supportive peers from a cheese-making class at a local university, the entrepreneur created the Ontario Cheese Society (OCS) to promote knowledge creation and transfer in the area of artisanal cheese-making. Through a process of lobbying government contacts at the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AA) and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (O), she was able to spark an interest in her entrepreneurial idea. Furthermore, she was able to obtain financial backing to complete a feasibility study of the artisanal cheese market potential in Ontario. She also met with the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) (the provincial milk marketing board) to investigate the logistics of her supply chain.

The narrative illustrates stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1994 ) in the life of the social entrepreneurial firm. Another lens which frames this narrative is that of contingency theory (Van de Ven and Drazin, 1985 ). The founding entrepreneur’s decisions about organizational structure were contingent on environmental conditions. She adjusted her decisions according to changing conditions to optimize her operations. However, the focus of this narrative is on the process of selecting and prioritizing the important stakeholders for the social entrepreneurial firm. Consequently, stakeholder theory is used in this research to frame the methodology of prioritizing stakeholders.

First decision point

What type of infrastructure should govern the creation of this artisanal cheese social entrepreneurship? The entrepreneur incorporated her new social entrepreneurship as the Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company. She arrived at a critical decision point, realizing that existing stakeholder needs should be balanced with the identification and addition of new stakeholders. According to the founding entrepreneur’s narrative, existing stakeholders such as her child (C), the local councilman (CM), the economic development officer (ED), her local family (F), and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (AA) had low power and urgency claims but retained legitimacy. Other new stakeholders providing the knowledge and expertise required to create a sustainable firm were introduced; the architect and contractors (AC) who designed the geothermal caves, the solar panels, and the wind turbines; the Canada Green Building Council (L) who administered the certifications for environmental sustainability; the local farms (LF) who provided the goat milk; the local services (LS) who provided infrastructure support; the additional institutional investors (I) who provided the funding and interest in promoting sustainability; and the Ontario Cheese Society (OCS) who continued to provide knowledge transfer to enable the realization of artisanal cheese-making.

The stakeholders described here have varying degrees of interest in social issues. Using the valences identified through the Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) grid of social drivers and barriers, most of the stakeholders identified within the highest circle of salience for FTACC are also the most socially conscious stakeholders identified. The institutional stakeholders such as the DFO or focused organizations like the Canada Green Building Council (L) have stable social issue management valences while some of the emerging stakeholders such as the contractors, the local farms and the local services begin this stage with a level of social consciousness that they (the contractors) acquire from FTACC or that they (local farms) enhance by exposure to FTACC.

The situation is mapped according to the founding entrepreneur’s perception. In this case, the stakeholders with the highest PUL salience values have a high SIMV. This map illustrates an environment where a social entrepreneurship can function within the locus of social consciousness, environmental sustainability and economic convergence. The relationships described by the founding entrepreneur are dyadic between the stakeholders and herself but it is also understood that the relationships may also involve multiple linkages and networking among the stakeholders (Bhattacharya and Korschun, 2008 ; Rowley, 1997 ). Figure 2 describes each of the stakeholder’s salience and stakeholder’s social issue management valence at this decision point.

Stakeholder’s salience and social issue management valence at the first critical time

Second decision point

Another critical decision point occurred during a Listeria outbreak at FTACC. At this decision point, there was a shift in the salience values among stakeholders. A Listeria outbreak is not uncommon in the dairy food industry (Carpentier and Cerf, 2011 ) and the specific manner in which this particular outbreak at FTACC was handled has been documented (Charlebois, 2015 ). Nonetheless, the founding entrepreneur stated that “common opinion was that we would not survive this crisis” (founding entrepreneur, personal communication). Various stakeholders needed to be addressed and their concerns assuaged in order to return the company to profitability; “we didn’t lose any sales, in fact they increased…we never lost a customer because we were so tied in with the community that we could talk about it openly” (founding entrepreneur, personal communication). The satisfying of stakeholder claims and the SIMVs at this point was not perceived to be as important as satisfying the concerns of Health Canada (HC) and returning the company to operating and marketing capacity. Figure 3 shows the fluctuating positions of the stakeholders during this crisis.

Stakeholder’s salience and social issue management valence at the second critical time. (This time frame deals with a Listeria outbreak. Blue avatars are new stakeholders since the previous event)

Third decision point

The final decision point in this case study was the divestment of the firm by the founding entrepreneur. The decision to exit the social entrepreneurship developed due to differences of opinion between the key investors (I) and (S), and the entrepreneur. Although the social entrepreneurial firm was operating successfully, half of the investors were willing to continue funding and operating the firm while the other half desired an exit strategy and to “cash in their chips” (founding entrepreneur, personal communication). The stakeholder salience model (Mitchell et al., 1997 ) describes how a manager’s consideration of shifting saliences determines decision-making based on paying attention to definitive stakeholders. The investors (I), spouse (S), and the entrepreneur (P) remain as key stakeholders but only the founding entrepreneur retains her high level of social issue concern. An additional stakeholder, an investment bank (B) was brought in to run the business while the company looked for an acquiring firm. The bank became a key definitive stakeholder with high power, urgency and legitimacy salience but little concern about social issues. All suppliers (LF), (LS) and even customers (CU) lost their sense of urgency as priorities were shifted by the bank acting as the decision maker in lieu of the founding entrepreneur. The bank made certain decisions about other stakeholders along economic imperatives rather than considering the social principles of environmental sustainability, social impact, and economic impact upon which the founding entrepreneur had created the firm. When it came down to the exit strategies, the social entrepreneurship’s founding principles and social mission were put aside as these could not be legally enforced through the current legislative regulations. In Ontario, Canada there are no provisions for protecting social and environmental provisions described in an incorporated firm after the firm has been sold. Figure 4 describes each of the stakeholder’s PUL values and SIMV values at this critical time.

Stakeholder’s salience and social issue management valence at the third critical time. (The founding entrepreneur exits the firm. Black avatar is the new stakeholder since the last event)

In the end, the social entrepreneurship was successfully sold to a company that retained its name and operations in Prince Edward County and continues to leverage its brand but does not strictly function within the framework of social entrepreneurship discussed in this paper.

The objective of this study was to use a descriptive case study of stakeholder theory in the context of social entrepreneurship to demonstrate the application of the stakeholder salience model and the stakeholder social issue management model. A mapping methodology was designed to describe the application of this theory within a social entrepreneurial firm, FTACC. Key stakeholders were identified and positioned in the first circle of concentric orbits, characterized by their integrated power, urgency and legitimacy (PUL) values. As defined by Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ), these were “definitive stakeholders” (p. 878). The integration of the Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) typology model identified the founding entrepreneur’s perception of the social issue management valences (SIMVs) towards these key stakeholders. Since the founding entrepreneur’s attention to her stakeholders influences her managing and planning of tasks, it is important and convenient for the entrepreneur to reflect on her positioning of stakeholder salience and social issue management valences on a map to see who is receiving more attention. Mapping and the management of stakeholders based on these factors can directly relate to the operation and performance of a social entrepreneurial firm.

The mapping and integration of these two stakeholder salience models into a single graphical representation is a methodological contribution to stakeholder theory. The map represents the perceptual location of stakeholders according to their PUL values and SIMVs and identifies key stakeholders (those with highest PUL values or highest SIMVs). Ideally stakeholders should occupy PUL positions and SIMVs based on their importance to both the social and commercial mission of the firm. Independently, each stakeholder model depicts the importance of a stakeholder, but mapping both models in one figure allows a richer depiction of salience derived from Mitchell et al.’s ( 1997 ) model of power, urgency and legitimacy attributes and the social issue management model described by Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ).

This mapping method also allows the integration of the founding entrepreneur’s perception of her stakeholders at various points in time described by her as critical decision points. It was shown that throughout three critical decision points in the life of FTACC that the founding entrepreneur’s perception of her stakeholders changed. This was demonstrated by depicting changes in the graphical representations of PUL values (their movement within the concentric circles) and SIMV (size of the spheres). Therefore, additional evidence was provided, indicating that stakeholder salience is dynamic (Mitchell et al., 1997 ; Windsor, 2010 ). The ability to view the shift in both stakeholder PUL values and SIMVs at different critical points in time is an important contribution to stakeholder theory.

Applied implications

The mapping methodology employed here enables the social entrepreneur to visualize their own current perception of stakeholder PUL values and SIMVs and compare it to an ideal map based on the social entrepreneurship’s mission. As an entrepreneur’s attention is a limited resource, the mapping exercise enables the social entrepreneur to visualize their stakeholders’ positioning from the viewpoint of stakeholder saliences and decide how to balance the attention that should be paid to them to attain the firm’s mission.

Viewing the deviation between stakeholder salience values against an ideal model can cause discomfort for the social entrepreneur. Viewing what should be with what actually is can be described as an example of self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987 ). Aligning the positioning of stakeholders with the social entrepreneur’s perception of ideal values can help the social entrepreneurs manage this discrepancy (Clarke and Holt, 2010 ). If the primary goal of the social entrepreneurship is achievement of its social mission, then this map can be used to signal to social entrepreneurs the need to balance the attention they pay to their stakeholders. When misalignment occurs, social entrepreneurs can implement training, engagement or other necessary action to reach the social entrepreneur’s desired mission.

As a temporal mapping technique, this paper’s methodology illustrates the dynamic nature of a social entrepreneur’s perceptions during critical events. It also serves as a visual reflection of the importance of stakeholders at these times. Reflexive thinking by the entrepreneur is important for maintaining an alignment of social values (Clarke and Holt, 2010 ). The methodology allows social entrepreneurs to visually understand and acknowledge that shifting perceptions of stakeholder PUL values and SIMVs can impact the decision-making of the social entrepreneur and hence her efforts at managing the business.

Limitations and future research directions

This research showed that in this particular case, the methodology of mapping stakeholder salience as described by Mitchell et al. ( 1997 ) combined with a modified typology of Kusyk and Lozano ( 2007 ) for categorizing social issue management valences, is a useful way to describe stakeholder theory in a social entrepreneurship. An innovative methodology is provided that integrates two stakeholder models and shows dynamic changes in those values as perceived by the founding social entrepreneur throughout critical decision points. The mapping of the two stakeholder models as a holistic view offers an innovative way of applying stakeholder theory to improve the management and planning activities in a social entrepreneurship. We highlight that social entrepreneurs can benefit from the use of this methodology to identify key stakeholders, why they matter to the firm and manage their social concerns within a commercial business model and still maintain their primary social mission.

Future research could explore other social entrepreneurial firms in different settings or markets and replicate the descriptive case study and the mapping exercise. For example, FTACC evolved in a rural setting and so it would be interesting to map the PUL values and SIMVs for any similar social entrepreneurship in an urban setting. FTACC was a for-profit social entrepreneurial firm. It would be interesting to compare the shifts in PUL values and SIMVs with a social entrepreneurial firm that was established as a non-profit venture.

The mapping methodology described in this paper illustrates a useful visualization technique to integrate stakeholder salience values with stakeholder social issue management valences.

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Burga, R., Rezania, D. Stakeholder theory in social entrepreneurship: a descriptive case study. J Glob Entrepr Res 6 , 4 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40497-016-0049-8

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Case synopsis.

The use of entrepreneurship to deliver profound social impact is a much-needed but poorly understood concept. While social enterprises are generally well understood, there is a considerable need to have a more common approach to measuring the different ways they create social value for us as well as to reduce the difficulties of starting and growing them in 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).

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Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Sustainable development
Social enterprise
Entrepreneurship

Acknowledgements

American University of Nigeria (AUN) and AUN Center for Entrepreneurship for the enabling this work and providing training resources.Eberly Foundation in the United States, for donating the remainder of a previous grant, which is being used for Impact+ Women programme.The Tony Elumelu Foundation and International Committee of the Red Cross, for funding at 3 entrepreneurs that have passed through our Impact+ Programme.Disclaimer. This case is written solely for educational purposes and is not intended to represent successful or unsuccessful managerial decision-making. The authors may have disguised names; financial and other recognizable information to protect confidentiality.

Dodo, F. , Raimi, L. and Rajah, E.B. (2021), "Social entrepreneurship and SDGs: case studies from northeast Nigeria", , Vol. 11 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-10-2019-0264

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Module 6: Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Case study: social entrepreneurship at tom’s shoes, learning outcomes.

Give examples of corporate social responsibility

young child wearing a pair of TOMS shoes

While there is no universally accepted definition of social entrepreneur , the term is typically applied to an individual who uses market-based ideas and practices to create “social value,” the enhanced well-being of individuals, communities, and the environment. Unlike ordinary business entrepreneurs who base their decisions solely on financial returns, social entrepreneurs incorporate the objective of creating social value into their founding business models.

Social entrepreneurship has become exceedingly popular in recent years, and a number of prestigious business schools have created specific academic programs in the field. It is often said that social entrepreneurs are changing the world. They are lauded for their ability to influence far-reaching social change through innovative solutions that disrupt existing patterns of production, distribution, and consumption. Prominent social entrepreneurs are celebrated on magazine covers, praised at the World Economic Forum in Davos, awarded millions of dollars in seed money from “angel” investors, and applauded as “harbingers of new ways of doing business.”

Social entrepreneurs are thus often hailed as heroes—but are they actually effecting positive social change?

Undeniably, social entrepreneurship can arouse a striking level of enthusiasm among consumers. Blake Mycoskie, social entrepreneur and founder of TOMS Shoes, tells the story of a young woman who accosted him in an airport, pointing at her pair of TOMS while yelling, “This is the most amazing company in the world!” Founded in 2006, TOMS Shoes immediately attracted a devoted following with its innovative use of the so-called One for One business model, in which each purchase of a pair of shoes by a consumer triggers the gift of a free pair of shoes to an impoverished child in a developing country.

The enthusiasm associated with social entrepreneurship is perhaps emblematic of increased global social awareness, which is evidenced by increased charitable giving worldwide. A 2012 study showed that 83 percent of Americans wish brands would support causes; 41 percent have bought a product because it was associated with a cause (a figure that has doubled since 1993); 94 percent said that, given the same price and quality, they were likely to switch brands to one that represented a cause; and more than 90 percent think companies should consider giving in the communities in which they do business.

Despite the eager reception from consumers, critics of social entrepreneurship have raised concerns about the creation of social value in a for-profit context. Thus, TOMS is sometimes mistaken for a charity because it donates shoes to children in developing countries, yet it is also in business to sell shoes. The company earns an estimated $300 million a year and has made Mr. Mycoskie a wealthy man. While companies are starting to look more like charities, nonprofits are also increasingly relying on business principles to survive an uncertain economy in which donors expect to see tangible results from their charitable contributions.

Our understanding of social entrepreneurship is complicated by the absence of any consensus on ways to measure social outcomes. As a result, there is little concrete statistical data available on the impact of social entrepreneurship. Indeed, there is not much agreement on a precise definition of social entrepreneurship, so it becomes difficult to say to what extent any given company is an example of social entrepreneurship. TOMS’ Chief Giving Officer, Sebastian Fries, recently told the New York Times that the company is “not in the business of poverty alleviation.”

Does this mean that increased social value is merely a happy byproduct of the business of selling shoes? If so, what makes Blake Mycoskie a social entrepreneur?

Some critics go so far as to suggest that social entrepreneurs are merely using public relations tactics to engage in social or environmental greenwashing—taking advantage of consumers’ desire to do good. In some cases, it has been argued, social entrepreneurs can even do more harm than good. Lacking a full understanding of the socioeconomic and cultural dynamic of the developing countries in which they intervene, social enterprises can undermine fragile local markets and foster dependence on foreign assistance. But in the end, the individual impact of social entrepreneurial ventures may outweigh some of these concerns.

Revision and adaptation. Authored by : Linda Williams and Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Good Corporation, Bad Corporation: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Global Economy. Authored by : Guillermo C. Jimenez and Elizabeth Pulos. Provided by : Open SUNY Textbooks. Located at : http://pressbooks.opensuny.org/good-corporation-bad-corporation/chapter/5/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Toms. Authored by : Danielle Henry. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/waterandglass/5826939576/ . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
TOMS - Gives new shoes to children in need. One for One. Provided by : TOMS. Located at : https://youtu.be/7MV3HWQHl1s . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
Thank You Notes From The Field. Provided by : TOMS. Located at : https://youtu.be/7b05syjxe2E . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License

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Home > Books > Entrepreneurship - Trends and Challenges

Social Entrepreneurship: Case Study in Unilever Food Solutions’ Trusted Hands Food Safety Online Training Program

Submitted: 06 April 2017 Reviewed: 12 September 2017 Published: 20 December 2017

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.70955

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The social entrepreneurship is important in meso (organizational) and macro (policy-making) levels. This paper focuses on a case study in Turkey. “Trusted Hands Food Safety Online Training Program” by Unilever Food Solutions is examined as an example of social entrepreneurship. It is aimed to support food safety awareness in the industry to create and certificate the chefs. Unilever Food Solutions has received the Food Security Special Award, a project developed and implemented by the Food Safety Association. In the first year, 5000 chefs in Turkey intended to complete the education of this field and to have a certificate. It started with the support of professional associations. The sustainability and private sector involvement plays an essential role in this case, which is such an important issue such as health and hygiene.

social entrepreneurship
social value
business models
sustainability
social impact
bottom or base of the pyramid (BOP)
growing inclusive markets (GIM)
business opportunities

Author Information

Pınar başar *.

Istanbul Commerce University, Istanbul, Turkey

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

Social entrepreneurship offers opportunities to improve society using practical, innovative, and sustainable ways. A social entrepreneur is an individual or organization who seeks out to find solutions surrounding social issues environment fair trade, education, health, and human rights. Social concerns are conducting more than financial or market opportunities. It has to be financially sustainable. Entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship also maintain employment opportunities. A social enterprise also facilitates employment for disadvantaged groups. There are niche opportunities for social entrepreneurs which are not suitable for entrepreneurs. Social initiatives represent a concept for the access to services for disadvantaged groups and protection for the environment.

Current fiscal regulations dissuade social enterprises. The tax regulations make it harder to operate social actions. On account of this, the maintenance of nonprofit economical enterprises is risky, while they are treated the same as commercial enterprises.

2. Differences between business and social entrepreneurs

The entrepreneurs emphasize innovation and creativity. They seek new ways to define existing needs. Social entrepreneurs are those who take responsibility and risk for civil society needs.

The authors Say, Schumpeter, Drucker, and Stevenson have important contributions to the issue of the entrepreneurship. Other researches also indicate the connection of the subjects’ entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship [ 8 ]. The social entrepreneurs challenge some unique problems [ 11 ].

Business entrepreneurs tend to focus on new needs, while social entrepreneurs tend to focus on existing environmental and social problems more effectively on long-term goals through new approaches. Social entrepreneurs are those who take responsibility for civil society needs. While traditional entrepreneurs take risks on behalf of shareholders, social entrepreneurs take risks on behalf of stakeholders. The objectives of social entrepreneurs differ from those of business entrepreneurs. The social entrepreneurs are motivated in different ways than commercial entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs face similar problems such as establishing and institutionalizing their enterprises. Social entrepreneurs can also experience problems such as defining opportunities and needs, planning, support, obtaining information and resources, creating marketing and demand, and creating organizational structure. Since social entrepreneurs have different motivation and aim from commercial entrepreneurs, they differentiate from commercial entrepreneurs in the way of leadership style also. The leader focuses on change and processes, is a part of the group, and controls group structure and processes. Social entrepreneurs are not a part of the group that is affected by the group or working in the group ( Table 1 ) [ 28 ].

Entrepreneurship	Social entrepreneurship
Tend to focus on new needs	Tend to focus on serving more effective long-term goals. Through new approaches
They take risks on shareholders or their names	They take risks on behalf of stakeholders
They try to create a business/business	They try to create a change
The main motivating factor for entrepreneurs is the idea of starting a new business, starting to work on it, and getting a financial gain	The main objectives are the social change from the pursuit of profit and the development of the customer group
The risk of entrepreneurs goes to gain preference and respect	Social entrepreneurs are those who take responsibility and risk for civil society needs
The main purpose is profit	They can also participate in profit-oriented activities, but they see it as a means to reach their goals

Table 1.

The differences between entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship.

Source: Özdevecioğlu and Cingöz [ 31 ].

Another proposal is that the two entrepreneurial types will have different requirements, especially in terms of access to financial markets and risk capital. Finally, in terms of performance management, it has been emphasized that commercial entrepreneurs can develop and use concrete and quantitative metrics more easily and that social entrepreneurship is a front line for nonmaterial elements (and therefore more difficult to measure). The social value opportunity in social entrepreneurship arises at the intersection of human resources and financial resources. Social entrepreneurs must have the ability to bring these internal resources together in an external context. The components of social entrepreneurship are to produce social value, being innovative, and creating resources and sustainability. The social organization mentioned at this point can be a new constitution, or it emerges in the form of joint projects of the existing social institutions in order to increase the scope of influence [ 7 ].

Social enterprises are separated from ethical or socially responsible companies precisely at this point. In contrast to companies, the measure of success in social enterprises is not the profits that are achieved, but the positive impact created on society. Another point that distinguishes social enterprises from these companies is that they should be accountable not to their shareholders but to the communities they serve [ 28 ].

It is suggested by Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship to establish a board for managing the social enterprises effectively. The corporate governance assures the credibility, complies with social values, and presents the enterprise responsibilities against stakeholders [ 2 ].

Another study presents scale of four dimensions about the measurement of social entrepreneurship orientation with a two-stage design with Delphi study. It indicates the combination of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship aspects together [ 24 ].

As a result of the case studies, it is understood that the predetermined dimensions of social entrepreneurship are examined extensively. The researches have focused on conceptualizing and not developing a mass-interaction measurement tool that SCALERS gave to name their social entrepreneurship. In traditional entrepreneurial countries, meaningful interventional activities tend to have more social entrepreneurial activities [ 3 ]. Social entrepreneurship is built and works for a social purpose. The profits are used for social purposes [ 10 ].

The difficulty of the performance measurement conducts the social investor to quest for the control and monitor. The research Rosenzweig [ 30 ] shows “impact value chain” first. The main antecedents of the measurement are figured as inputs, which are resources put directly into the venture (e.g., assets, volunteering, or money), outputs, which are consequences of the project managers’ measurement, and outcomes, which are the intended global changes. After the comparison of the desired outcomes with internal output, measures can show an accomplishment [ 30 ].

Garrigós, Lapiedra, and Narangajavana researched social entrepreneurship and social value measurement in the Colombian construction industry. The social value rise with the leakage reduction is assumed. The policy aims the effectiveness and economic multiplier [ 11 ].

3. Social entrepreneurship and social value

Most of the movements can be seen as small and extent worldwide, but they are interconnected and mutually strengthening each other. When all these things are taken together, it means more than the sum of their components. There is a synergy of these movements. Through social missions and entrepreneurial approaches, all social enterprises create and disseminate social, economic, and environmental values. Whatever the type or sector of the pioneering organization is, “creating value for all” is a precondition for the growth of more inclusive markets [ 7 ]. The concept of “sociality” includes adapting the principles of entrepreneurship to social problems instead of profit maximization. Thus, social enterprises are emerging as entrepreneurial or free market-based organizations in solving social problems.

There are many definitions of social entrepreneurship. Social enterprises aim social impact. Social entrepreneurship involves corporate initiatives that invest in individual, or in the form of the profit generated by a new entity, which is planned to be opened by the individual, within the framework of social objectives [ 7 ].

According to the definition of GEM, the economic expectations of social entrepreneurship projects are determined according to the costs of the strategies to be implemented. Corporate social project practices, which have become an important part of corporate strategies, have made it possible to achieve common achievements within this understanding. The difference of social entrepreneurship and commercial entrepreneurship mentions entrepreneurship as a context, actor (people/resources), deal, and opportunity together: as the PCO equilibrium. The first proposition here is that market failure creates different opportunities for social and business entrepreneurs. The second factor is that the understanding of economic success and social value creation differs between the two concepts.

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who realize social transformation in an innovative way. These individuals are making social enterprise “with the enthusiasm of entrepreneurship, the methods of business, the creation of innovation, and the courage to abandon general practices” [ 7 ].

The entrepreneurs create innovations in different ways like “product or process innovation, or a new product or a changed product, or a combination of any” according to the definition of OSLO MANUAL. Product innovations are made through “the use of new materials; use of new intermediate products; new functional parts; use of radically new technology; fundamental new functions (fundamental new products) and process” and the process innovations through “the new production techniques; new organizational features (introduction of new technologies); new professional software” [ 25 ]. The social and/or ecological value creation motivates the social entrepreneurs. The social entrepreneurs also aim innovation in a new product, a new service, or a new method like entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs transform the society in economic and social ways.

They may be in the form of cooperative or hybrid models, legally organized as nonprofit-making institutions. Although social initiatives are not yet defined as separate entities in most countries, there are some steps taken in this direction [ 7 ]. In the United States, there is differentiation between the Community Interest Company and the Low-Profit Limited Liability Company because of the focus of profitability [ 1 , 24 ]. Benefit corporation (BC) is another definition according to United States law, which describes a new legal for-profit business entity. It contains the responsibility to return profits to shareholders [ 33 ].

The aims of projects that are realized by companies and social organizations are based on three themes. First, identifying the social, cultural, and environmental objectives that are deployed as the basis of the project, second prioritizing the social objectives identified during the project, and third going for profit for the purpose of ensuring the continuation of project implementation.

Social entrepreneur targets to find solutions for the environment, the youth, and various socioeconomic indexed social problem areas. It accentuates that providing employment and income-generating activities for religious, ethnic, economically marginalized groups emphasize the self-sufficiency of individuals. They aim to increase their visibility within the community they live in and to reduce their commitment to social safety nets in a rational way.

The access in long-term capital and the lack of strategic planning, especially in developing countries, constitute the biggest obstacle in front of entrepreneurs. The talent, money, and interest in social enterprises around the world are increasing recently. There are debates about what social initiatives are and what they do in various national and international platforms.

Systematic change is the most important objective. Social entrepreneurs aim to create systematic change, disseminate their solutions, and gain support from the community in the long run, eliminating the problem, while improving similar cases in the areas they deal with. To describe the difference between the social intervention approach and others is that social initiatives are not for to teach only fish or fishing, but instead aim to radically change the fish industry [ 9 ].

It is considered that there is a big difference between entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship also in the implementation process. They are so connected like the parts of a whole system. The partnerships like universities and other stakeholders contribute to the efficiency and the innovation. Social entrepreneurs aim to reach two different goals under the roof of a single establishment: to provide social benefit and profit [ 8 ].

Social enterprises that function as a commercial enterprise by producing goods and services in free market conditions also direct the income they derive from these activities to social purposes. In this method, the business activity may be directly related to the social problem, but it is also possible that there is no direct connection between them. CSOs adopting such an approach perceive social enterprise activities as an alternative to reduce their dependence on donations and grants and to increase their fiscal sustainability.

Another way social enterprises pursue is the empowerment and capacity building of individuals and communities by creating employment and income-generating activities for disadvantaged groups (women, youth, people with disabilities, minorities, and so on).

Contrary to the first approach, commercial activity itself is seen as an effective tool for social change in this method.

Another approach that is observed in social enterprises is to act in a creative, bold, and entrepreneurial spirit in their commercial activities. Solution-focused, experiential transformations of barriers can be much more profitable than traditional methods of business ventures.

Another common point is that most social enterprises are initiated and maintained by social entrepreneurs. Like entrepreneurs who change the face of the business world, social entrepreneurs are also important tools of social change [ 10 ].

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship offers “models of sustainable social innovation.” The global, regional, and industry transformation and the association with the other stakeholders of the World Economic Forum is in the focal point of The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship [ 18 ].

Social entrepreneurship is a concept, which needs awareness and development in Turkey. Social support of universities, associations, and foundations through awards, courses, and studies and governmental support through tax regulations are expected to raise the awareness and interest in social entrepreneurship. The attainment of consumer markets is easier through the internet access and popularity of social media. Additionally, entrepreneurship is the period for innovation development and application. Economic development and also social development are not only evolved through innovation [ 32 ].

Entrepreneurship is a combination of production resources and aims the profit. Social entrepreneurs do not focus on profits, mostly the social benefits. The development of social entrepreneurship must be accentuated in the society.

Increasing knowledge-based economies promote entrepreneurship. Social inclusion and economic development constitute synergy for social entrepreneurship. Social enterprise can be defined as “businesses that trade for social purposes.” They are nonprofit entities, which are implementing commercial methods to accomplish their social objectives. The concept is summarized as “mission-driven business approach” [ 23 ].

The researches execute the antecedents and the consequences of social entrepreneurship in social constructionist approach [ 23 ].

Social capital can be defined as the assets that have as a consequence of the relations of one with others and (in a correlated way) of the participation in organizations: these relations facilitate the access to other resources [ 5 ].

Social enterprise must be constructed as a social organizational identity [ 23 ]. The social capital is an important determinant for business support. The concept of social entrepreneurship technology is affected through rapid technological change. The changes are adapted for creating social value. New methods are internalized [ 14 ].

Social capital is the feature of commercial conglomerates, which have shared values, trust, and culture. So trust is an important dimension of social capital [ 6 ]. Entrepreneurs use their connections for funding or receiving credit from suppliers without any formal contract, which is very crucial for the sustainability. Social capital is crucial for equalization and continuance for human development. German and Japanese cooperative and long-term oriented cultures induce them for innovation and industrial development. So the social capital is remarkable in these countries ( Table 2 ) [ 32 ].

The Different Organizational Models of Social Enterprises are examined in Table 2 . The entrepreneurial approach and social focus are their common point.

There is a “traditional NGO” managed by volunteerism, income-based donations, and social services, while at the other end there is a commercial enterprise which is the main goal of profit. Social enterprises are in the midst of these two extremes as commercialized institutions at various levels in their functioning. For example, many social enterprises employ professional staff, receive consultancy services, and make income-generating investments. However, social enterprises also provide employment and social services to disadvantaged groups, advocate, and thus interfere with various social problems. No social initiative is the same as another (in terms of purpose, target mass, methods, and institutional structures). However, no matter how diverse the commercialization, the approaches, and the environments in which they function, it is possible to find some common interests between social enterprises in terms of purposes and methods [ 10 ].

“A leveraged nonprofit enterprise” is not working through an income-earning strategy. The sustainability is maintained through partnerships and funding of traditional donor-dependent model. Its sustainability strategy constitutes dependent independent resources [ 1 ]. Leveraged nonprofit ventures’ sustainability is influenced by the partners’ attention.

“Hybrid enterprise” conglomerates features of the for-profit and nonprofit legal models. The various legal structures are used in different countries. In the United States, the low-profit entities are structured as Limited Liability Company. In the United Kingdom, the sustainability of the social activities is afforded by a profit subsidiary in the form of “Community Interest Company.” The entrepreneur establishes numerous legal entities to sustain it financially. It is financed with grants, loans and/or own resources [ 24 ].

“Social entrepreneurs” aim to create social change in education, health, environment, and enterprise improvement. A social entrepreneur accomplishes major and sustainable social change through innovations [ 18 ]. The entrepreneur establishes a for-profit entity or business which is social or ecological driven. The social entrepreneurs’ main objectives are social and then profit [ 22 ].

Entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs are using the same tools and endeavor in market principles and forces for driving change. Social entrepreneurs provide opportunities for marginalized and poor. They find solutions for social issues like education, health, welfare reform, human rights, workers’ rights, environment, economic development, agriculture, and so on [ 18 ].

Social entrepreneurship is tried to be encouraged with educational programs and competitions. The financial returns are low, and it complicates the presence of these organizations [ 10 ].

A strong financial system is a requirement of entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurs create jobs, and so they help to reduce the unemployment rate. Turkey’s economy is growing. The collaborations with international organizations promote economic progress through entrepreneurship. Table 1 summarizes the differences between entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship.

There are many suggestions for the improvement of social entrepreneurship [ 23 ]. One of the problems they face is institutionalization which is difficult because the social initiatives are dependent on the social entrepreneurs and it is not easy to survive [ 3 , 4 ].

The institutionalization of social entrepreneurship education is impeded through limited presidential support, a clear and well-defined vision, and financial problem [ 27 ].

The strategies to simplify the increase of social enterprises are legal recognition and regulation; combination of the most innovative organizational solutions; replication process; protection of consumer’s rights; and avoidance of isomorphism. Quasi-market strategies require unusual mix of resources and conformance to local dimension. The network plays important role to accomplish this. It is recommended to change the implementation of employment subventions for long-term unemployed to reduce labor costs. It can be used to lower productivity [ 4 ].

3.1. The concepts of new business models

The competiveness forces the companies for a search of new business opportunities. Growing Inclusive Markets (GIM) and Base of the Pyramid (BOP) can be taken into account as important concepts when considering the size of the population.

3.1.1. Growing Inclusive Markets (GIM)

The macro-level approach is based on the creation of opportunities and innovation through defining the markets in another way. There are important aspects of social entrepreneurship. The concepts aim at taking “business for poor” and raise prosperity of the society. Social entrepreneurship operates in a global structure with many stakeholders. The growing inclusive markets (GIM) Initiative is a stakeholder of UNDP. The aim is to find solutions for the global development with inclusive business models. They try to create new chances for better lives of poor people. GIM endeavors for the millennium development goals (MDGs). This initiative creates a big network [ 19 ].

UNDP Private Sector Division is working toward the inclusive market policies and projects with sections The GIM Initiative and the Business call to action (Cat). The Inclusive Markets Development (IMD) program is for the advancement of new opportunities. The Growing Inclusive Markets Initiative has two purposes. The enhancement of the recognition includes business models and finds solutions for sustainable human development. The other purpose is structuring market environment improvements with taking actions with stakeholders and changing the policies [ 16 ].

As the empirical research conducted by the GIM Initiative reveals, these constraints include limited market information, problems about the infrastructure, reaching the knowledge and skills, difficulties by compensating the financial needs, and ineffective regulatory environments. In addition to the potentially unnecessary bureaucratic processes that can be undertaken in general by interventional efforts, many laws do not recognize social enterprises as separate legal structures. Conditions, laws and regulations may limit their capacity to seek financial and social returns, and force such organizations to merge into profit-oriented or non-profitable legal entities. Social entrepreneurs need to ensure financial stability [ 1 ].

Social entrepreneurship encompasses three main types of inclusive business models, as documented in the final report of the Social Entrepreneurship Information Network and shaped in many GIM case studies. First, they can get members to come together and get more value; for example, strong bargaining power, efficiency and volume develop, value chain, and product development increase [ 29 ]. The business model is based on the production of handcrafts that are low cost, require intensive labor, consume little energy, and perform with low technology. Table 3 summarizes the Socially Inclusive Business Model according to the social value and the economic value [ 5 ]. The initiatives analyzed found business opportunities in low-income sectors. Socially Inclusive Businesses produce economic and social values [ 26 ].

	Social enterprise

(Nonprofit legal entity)	(Nonprofit legal entity)	(Nonprofit legal entity)	An organization with a social mission	(For-profit legal entity)	(For-profit legal entity)
Relies entirely on donations, grants, and subsidies	A financially sustainable nonprofit	A financially sustainable nonprofit	Financially sustainable through its own income generation activities	A company with a social mission	Generates revenues and maximizes profits to shareholders
	Relying entirely on strategic partnerships for sustainability	Generates some income, making it more sustainable and strategic		Reinvests 50% or more of its revenues back into its core activities

Table 2.

The Spectrum of social enterprises (arranged by legal form and revenue source).

Source: Abdou and Fahmy [ 1 ].

Table 3.

Profits and Social Impact in Socially Inclusive Business.

Source: Marquez [ 23 , 26 ].

3.1.2. Base of the Pyramid (BOP)

The base of the pyramid (BOP) approach can be explained as creating and distributing goods and services for poor people. There are not many companies using the opportunity to supply goods to this group. The international finance corporation reveals that purchasing power is annually $5000 billion of this 4 billion people. The transformation is aimed of this people to customers. The multinational companies have to look from a different window to find out the opportunities in the market of four billion people and assure the capital efficiency.

Prahalad and Hart [ 13 ] explained the BOP approach in their study “The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid” as “The aspiring poor present a prodigious opportunity for the world’s wealthiest companies. But it requires a radical new approach to business strategy” [ 13 ]. Prahalad (2004), Hart (2005) and London (2007) are the authors, which have mentioned the base (bottom) of the pyramid (BOP) theory first. The poor society, which is living on less than US$ 1.25 per day, is defined as “resilient and creative entrepreneurs” and “value-conscious consumers” (Prahalad 2004: 1). The concept suggests to create economic openings with collaboration of multinational corporations. It recommends the strategic association with persons at the base of the world’s income pyramid. It assumes to the radical change in the business model. The poor is presented as solution itself and as a resource. In that way can be a win-win position created. The demand of the over three billion poor people is attracting the entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. The financing and social value has to be balanced with low-cost consumer goods. It is contrasting to the mission-driven corporate social responsibility approach [ 26 ]. The BOP concept brings “mutually beneficial economic and social incentives” together. It is purposed to produce the own revenues. It is revealing that the partner’s involvement depends on the potential of venturing the needs of the poor people [ 26 ].

Based on the study of the famous Indian economist Amartya Sen (1999), which sees the rise of freedom as including the economic possibilities as “a fundamental solution to a basic solution and development” to provide sustainable human development, UNDP considers the markets to be more inclusive. This means that the poor people can buy his needs at affordable prices, meaning that venture capitalization is an opportunity rather than a necessity, access to decent business opportunities, and the ability to contribute to companies’ value chains as suppliers and distributors. Social enterprises contribute to the development of “containment markets” either by supporting development and can change the role of the disadvantaged groups. They are able to demand the products and services as customer and buyers or supply as employees, producers, and entrepreneurs. Such initiatives can be developed by all types of institutions (social enterprises, multinational corporations, large public entities, or SMEs), and these business models carry a number of common characteristics as outlined below [ 7 ].

Some firms like Nirma have implemented solutions with product innovation and new manufacturing process. Of course, in this business model, it is not possible to aim the traditional high margins. A different perspective is needed for the competitiveness [ 29 ]. It is expensive to research for the development of products and services sustainability and enter and continue in distribution channels and communication networks. MNCs have know-how to bring together a global knowledge rather to local entrepreneurs. Leaders can use the interpersonal and intercultural skills to customize the products and services to local BOP markets [ 29 ].

The economically sustainability and generation of social and environmental benefits are important to define the inclusive businesses [ 26 , 31 ]. Despite the significant benefits of the social enterprise model, such as increasing financial capacity and independence from donors, increasing scale of operations resulting from income strategies is achieved, and thus greater social impact, and social enterprises also faced some potential difficulties. First, while social enterprises are developing market models of pyramid-based coverage, they face market constraints that are similar to traditional markets. Social enterprises use solutions like organizations operating in low-income markets adopt according to formulate products and processes for BOP markets, which has different conditions, increasing the buying power and bringing the potential resources with other partners. The researchers indicate that the success of the business models is dependent on the organization’s main mission, capacities, and the segment it addresses and when it reaches a suitable scale.

4. Methodology

Methodology of the research is case study. Case study approach is an effective way to build solid ground to make positive argument on subject where it is rather easy to compare theoretical information and arguments with applied cases. It is also aimed to encourage other social entrepreneurship initiatives by mentioning good examples like Trusted Hands Food Safety Program Online. This case provides opportunity for awakening the social interest. This case is appropriate for the use of the subject matter covered which includes concepts that are globally discussed. However, various examples determine the value.

5. Unilever food solutions and trusted hands food safety online training program

The study researches “Food Safety” training of Unilever Food Solutions. An independent company conducted the Turkey Chief Survey, and 80% of the chiefs identified as the most important need Food Safety training. The “Trustworthy Hands” Food Safety Training Program is prepared online in order to reach all kitchen teams throughout Turkey. The project aims to complete 5000 chief trainings in the first year. It is planned to have a food safety certificate by participating in trainings of 30,000 chiefs in 3 years.

Trustworthy Hands Food Safety Training consists of five separate sections, cross contamination, physical and chemical hazards, cleaning, production safety, and HACCP applications. In order to meet the lack of knowledge and development needs of the chefs in the field of food safety, the Food Security Association organized an introductory meeting with the participation of sector representatives for the “Trustworthy Hands” Food Safety Training Program. Food Security Association, Food Industry Association, Tourism Restaurant Investors and Businesses Association (TURYİD), and the Union of the Cooks supported the project. Turkey emphasized that they have launched the first and only comprehensive food safety training program. It is to launch the online training modules in other countries too.

It is declared that 350,000 people are working in the catering sector. In 77,000 restaurants in Turkey, millions of meals are eaten every day. More than 30,000 of the restaurants are located in Istanbul. TURYİD serves 165 brands in 480 points. It creates an industry of two billion endorsements annually. It is 10% of the general food and beverage sector. The associations increase their strength in the direction of goals through cooperation with the sectorial knowledge, communication, and training issues [ 20 , 21 ].

It is stated that 325,000 are hospitalized and 5000 people died because of food poisoning every year in the world. In 2013, the number of people who lost their lives due to “external injuries and poisonings” in Turkey is 20,000,409, but this number has decreased to 16,000,018 in 2014. According to the World Health Organization, in 2010, a total of 582 million people were poisoned from 22 different food items in the world. Interestingly, 40% of the 582 million people are under 5 years old. The bacterial cause of food is found in raw poultry, unpasteurized milk, red meat, and untreated water which are the most common factors of poisoning with Campylobacter. Unpasteurized milk, eggs and raw egg products, raw meat, and poultry have to be controlled carefully because of the Salmonella. Listeria, nigella (traveler’s diarrhea), and clostridia are other dangerous factors for food poisoning [ 15 ].

It is stated that Unilever Food Solutions reached to one of the two businesses in the nonhouse food sector. Food Safety Association has indicated that 50% of the chefs have completed five videography trainings in the “Trustworthy Eller” food safety training. Unilever Food Solution has launched a training course for the kitchen teams [ 17 ].

The chefs are able to see the article “Get Your Food Safety Training and Certificate Now” on Knorr products and access training videos prepared with the passwords on the product packages by entering the Food Security section where it also can be reached via ufs.com . Training program consist of five short videos produced by the Food Safety Association as an education, and at the end of each training video, questions about that section must be answered in order chefs to be entitled to receive special certificates for the names of Food Safety Association certified ones. It is emphasized that there are plans to reach the chefs through not only digital channels but also product packages because of the presence of Unilever Food Solutions products at every one of them. They also note that they are taking care to be part of Unilever Food Solutions products.

The main objective is to ensure that food is healthy and maintains its nutritive properties and continues. Food safety involves the processing, preparation, transport, storage, and disposal of foodstuffs to prevent biological, physical, and chemical agents that cause food-borne illnesses. It is an approach that addresses the process of submitting to consumers. Safe food is defined as food that has been made suitable for consumption by eliminating all kinds of deterioration and contagious factors, and everything that is done to achieve this is the technical direction of the business. “He added that Food Safety Inspections in Turkey are done by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. Many countries, including Turkey, are developing and implementing standards and management systems related to food safety.” The latest method to ensure food safety is published as national standards in countries with the HACCP system. Many countries have accepted that “ISO 22000: Food Safety Management Systems Standard,” which was prepared by ISO in 2005, is included in Turkey in order to ensure the use of a common system of accreditation in international trade and a common system of food safety standards all over the world. In Turkey, TS EN ISO 22000, which was put into practice in 2006 by TS 13001-HACCP Standard, has been applied in food and food-related enterprises.“HACCP plan for the establishments identifies and monitors biological, chemical, and physical properties that are food-borne hazards. It is preventive, rather than reactive, and is an effective risk management tool [ 23 ].

Taking the risk factors into consideration, necessary precautions must be taken before delivering to the customer. “Trusted Hands” Trainings is a project that aims to raise awareness about food safety in the chiefs and close the information gap. The Turkish Food Safety Association prepares and sends the certificates to the chefs who have completed the training.

6. Conclusion

The social considerations in Turkey are rising in recent years. The society’s consciousness is increasing and also became aware of social, environmental, and health issues. The number of successful social entrepreneurs increases trends and behaviors through social actions.

Social entrepreneurs produce services and products. The disadvantaged groups can use the employment opportunities. Social entrepreneurship implements similar tools like entrepreneurs. They face the same problems and take the same risks also. The existence is dependent on the support mechanisms. In this case, the public and private support for social entrepreneurship plays an important role. The legal arrangements are needed for the financial continuance. Consultancy, knowledge sharing through awards, courses, and studies builds a net. The youth and children can be elaborated in education system. People in lower segments of society can also be informed about the social issues.

In this study is examined the project of Unilever Food Solution in the framework of the awakening consciousness in society and in the sector about food safety which is an important issue of health. It is also a good example of the collaboration of publıc and private sectors.

The suggestions made in the literature can be summarized in three points: first highlighting success stories and case studies; second accumulating the best practices; and third forming a High-Impact Entrepreneurship Index and planning exercise. These efforts will guide the new actions also [ 12 ].

There are many difficulties of continuance and establishment of social enterprises but also many advantages like the technological, financial, and human resources. Internet facilitates communication and cooperation. The definition of legal form and other problems are waiting solutions from governments [ 12 ].

The other problem is that the short-term approach will complicate the existence of the social enterprises. Tax exemptions are needed for the maintenance. The long-term focus can facilitate the partnerships. These resources can be used more effectively, and the social impact can be enhanced [ 10 ].

Private sector is an important project partner and also creates financial sources. The material contribution or sponsorship builds a synergy and a win-win position to public and private sector also. The public benefit can be taken in terms of its scope and coverage, because the society’s awareness and purchasing power will be enhanced. The wealth arises [ 10 ].

The improvements are promising for the future of social entrepreneurship. The society, the companies, and the government are more aware of the social, environmental, and health issues. It is expected to raise the interest about the research topic. This case intends to show key points in its successful implementations can be followed. The results of this research enlighten social entrepreneurial form that is likely to become much more extensive in new economy. Tables and definitions aim to present the understanding of business model and its importance. The most important contribution is intended to observe a good practice. The research enables to open the horizons in the business start-ups and explore a new way of thinking for win-win. The outlined phenomenon in an exploratory approach involves an in-depth analysis of a case for the guidance of new cases.

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© 2017 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Social Entrepreneurship: A Few Case Study

Social entrepreneurship provides a unique opportunity to challenge, question, and also rethink concepts from different prospects of business research and management. This paper shows its view on the concept of social entrepreneurship and its various definitions.Entrepreneurship has been seen as differ concept comparing itwith other forms of entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship bridges the gap between financial needs and actual needs of the society and. Also, illustrate and explain the present scenario of social entrepreneurship in India with the help of four case studies namely, EnAble India, Water Health

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IAEME Publication

Social entrepreneurship is a topic of growing interest among academicians and practitioners. The potential of social problems in India is well known, but the degree of support and interest is hardly significant. An entrepreneurial mindset is re-emerging in India. Right from ancient times, India has been entrepreneurial. But the era of liberalization of late had released the genie from the bottle – the suppressed urge and natural instincts of our effervescent entrepreneurial class has once again been unleashed. Social entrepreneurship is not a newer concept but the positioning of the concept has risen to new heights in recent times. The paper attempts to shed light on the comment state of affairs on the theme of challenges and opportunities facing the social entrepreneurship scene in India.

Upasana Thakur

Social entrepreneurship is an emerging trend in business. Social entrepreneurship combines innovation, creativity and opportunity in order to address some crucial and critical social and environmental challenges. It is an altruistic form of entrepreneurship that aims at providing certain benefits to the society. The concept of social entrepreneurship may be applied to number of organizations with different sizes, beliefs, goals and targets. Gaining a better understanding of how an issue relates to a society helps social entrepreneurs in developing innovative solutions and mobilizing all the available resources to affect the society at large. Social entrepreneurship focuses on maximizing gains in social satisfaction and empowering deprived communities and individuals. This paper is an attempt to understand the concept of Social entrepreneurship and highlight its role and importance in convalescing the social and business scenario in India.

Rajeshwari Narendran

Roshan Patel

Social entrepreneurs can help get better various issues like nutrition, education and health care and many are still blighted by unemployment and illiteracy by helping those less fortunate towards a worthwhile life. Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, they can solve the problem by changing the system. Social entrepreneurship is expected to be the next big thing to influence India as the country juggles to achieve a balance between a growing GDP growth, ensuring inclusive growth and attempting to address issues ranging from education, energy efficiency to climate change. This paper attempts an analytical, critical and synthetic examination of social entrepreneurship in India.

International Journal of Innovation

Dr. Hemantkumar Bulsara

Social Entrepreneurship is an all-encompassing nomenclature, used for depicting the process of, bringing about social change on a major and impactful scale compared to a traditional Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). It is an increasingly important concept in the study of voluntary, non-profit and not-for -profit organizations. Earlier, organizations addressing key social issues were assumed to be idealistic, philanthropic with entrepreneurial skills. Social Entrepreneurship in India is emerging primarily because the government is very keen on its promotion, not necessarily by funding it or by advising on it but by enabling it. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the private sector with clearly earmarked funds and full-fledged action teams have played an important role in sprucing up the image of Social Entrepreneurship. The focus of the paper is to study the growing trends of Social Entrepreneurship in India and the new initiatives taken by various Social Entrepreneurs. ...

Publisher ijmra.us UGC Approved

Traditionally, entrepreneurship has been associated with profit making individuals who aim high and achieve a lot for themselves in the world of tough competition. But, with the empowerment and responsiveness of the citizens of the developing world, a new resurgence has started in the field of entrepreneurship with innovation, particularly among the youth of the world. This resurgence is the growth of Social Entrepreneurship, where profits are not the end result, but just the means to achieve the end result of social enhancement and further empowerment. Social entrepreneurs, with their powerful ideas and thirst for revolution, create innovative solutions for progression in the lives of people in an extraordinary ways. This paper outlines India's social entrepreneurship scenario, and is intended to give the reader a succinct overview on resurgence and innovation of social entrepreneurship in several sectors.

ravimohan rajmohan

iaeme iaeme

Social entrepreneurship could be defined as a function of a social entrepreneur who is often an intrapreneur.”A social entrepreneur is one who organizes, create and manage a venture to achieve a social change and create a social capital in the form of work culture, harmonious work environment that improves productivity and team building”. This intangible asset promotes the organization’s efficiency and brand building and hence profitability.

Dr. Safoora Habeeb

The scale and magnitude of socioeconomic problems in India are huge and conspicuous. Social entrepreneurs address existing gaps in society, which are in need of pragmatic solutions. Their role in bridging the gap between social needs/demand and supply with optimum profit for sustenance is immense and it is high time to acknowledge the legitimate endeavor of socially minded individuals. This paper attempts at critical examination of social entrepreneurship need and challenges in India. Further, the relevance of social learning theory is presented in the context of social entrepreneurship. A primary research with a sample of 100 respondents is conducted and statistically analyzed using SPSS, to bring out the willingness, challenges and viewpoint of the mass on the subject.

Anand Choudhary

Social entrepreneurship in recent times has gained importance as a means to meet social and economic needs of the poor globally. However, in spite of it’s increasing popularity as a concept, there is no consensus among academics and practitioners when it comes to formulating one common definition on the topic which may be acceptable to all as it means different things to different people. The current article tries to analyse the literature available on the subject, exploring it’s theoretical and conceptual framework which helps to understand the phenomena of social entrepreneurship and its role, importance and applicability in the modern society.

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Stephanie Gottlieb, the Founder and Creative Director for Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry—with some ... [+] of her most popular designs

So, how did one woman manage to break through this sparkly glass-ceiling? To get insight on the common pitfalls of early-stage entrepreneurship and navigating the dicey water of the highly male-dominated fine jewelry industry, I spoke with Stephanie Gottlieb , Founder and Creative Director of Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry . We examined her journey from being an employee at a male-run jewelry company to building a bejeweled empire against all odds. Gottlieb shares how she was able to defy convention, succeed in a male-dominated field, and ultimately build a thriving multi-million-dollar company.

But first, let’s get educated on just how hard it is to bust into a male-dominated space as an entrepreneur. Women in the US run over 14 million small businesses , making up almost 40% of all enterprises nationwide. Which means we majorly contribute to the economy, generating a staggering $2.7 trillion in yearly revenue and providing employment for nearly 12.2 million individuals. Therefore, it seems like women should be welcomed with open arms into industries that are typically run by men, right? Hum, not really. Let’s hear from Gottlieb firsthand about the obstacles women entrepreneurs often encounter, from access to funding and resources to societal expectations and biases. She candidly shared her experiences and sheds light on actionable solutions to help women overcome these challenges and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

Start slow and steady

"When I started the company in 2013, it was slow and steady," Gottlieb reminisces. "I built my business through word of mouth, reaching friends and family through trunk shows and pop-up events.” Basically, she didn’t have a fancy office or tons of funding before she leaned in. “My initial investment was minimal," she reveals. "I worked from home, made only a handful of samples for myself to wear, and leveraged connections with vendors in my industry to allow me to work with their product on consignment."

Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry Showroom

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Capitalize on your unique perspective and stand behind your beliefs, which in a male-dominated field, can be a significant competitive advantage. According to a study by McKinsey & Company , companies with greater gender diversity are 21% more likely to outperform their peers. Gottlieb says, “By leveraging your unique viewpoint, you can identify gaps in the market and create innovative solutions that cater to underserved segments.” I read this to mean, ‘Design stuff you’d want to wear and stand by it—other people's opinions don’t matter as much as you think.’

Be the brand on social media

With Instagram as her trusty sidekick, Gottlieb turned her passion for jewelry into a loyal follower network almost 500k strong. "Consistency and authenticity are two of the most important strategies when trying to grow a brand through social media," she shares. From showcasing her latest designs to engaging directly with customers, Gottlieb’s social media savvy has transformed SG Jewelry into a trusted name because followers get to see the behind the scenes of Gottlieb’s life—which makes them feel connected to her and the brand.

Use flexibility as your superpower

For women dreaming of launching their own business, Gottlieb has one piece of advice: “Be flexible. It's important to be flexible and to keep an open mind," she advises. "Business needs change constantly, the world around us changes, and we need to be able to adapt. Whether you're juggling business plans or making a quick marketing pivot, flexibility is the key to success.”

Establish Credibility Through Expertise

Establishing your credibility and expertise is critical. Women often face bias and skepticism, but demonstrating your knowledge and skills can help overcome these challenges. Women are often underestimated in terms of competence, making it even more crucial to showcase their expertise. Gottlieb entered the industry by working for an esteemed diamond company in the heart of the NYC Diamond District and went on to pursue her Diamond degree from GIA to further reinforce her subject matter expertise. She advises that women publish articles, speak at industry events, participate in panels, and publish videos on social media to showcase their knowledge and increase their visibility.

Cultivate Resilience and Confidence

Building a business in a male-dominated field requires resilience and confidence. Women entrepreneurs often encounter biases and obstacles, but maintaining a positive mindset and perseverance is key to long-term success. Gottlieb did this by developing a support system of friends, family, and fellow entrepreneurs. She prioritizes self-care and stress management techniques to maintain mental health and celebrates small wins to build momentum and confidence within her team.

So, to all the dreamers and doers out there: dare to dream big, dare to take risks, and above all, dare to build the life you've always imagined. Because when it comes to building your own empire, the only limit is the one you set for yourself.

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Crime and Public Safety | Douglas County High School teacher arrested on…

Crime and Public Safety

Crime and public safety | douglas county high school teacher arrested on suspicion of child sex assault, james thomure of centennial was arrested tuesday.

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 10: Denver Post reporter Katie Langford. (Photo By Patrick Traylor/The Denver Post)

James Thomure, a Centennial resident, is in custody at the Douglas County Detention Facility on $20,000 bail, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release .

Sheriff’s officials did not provide details of the allegations against Thomure.

Douglas County High School Principal Tony Kappas informed parents and guardians of Thomure’s arrest in an email Thursday, according to the school district.

Thomure began working in Douglas County School District in 1999 and is on administrative leave “pending investigation,” Kappas wrote.

“I know it is concerning to receive news of this nature,” Kappas wrote. “Please know the safety and well-being of every student is of primary importance to Douglas County High School and the Douglas County School District.”

Anyone with information about the case or who believes they or someone they know may be a victim can contact Detective Sara Clay at [email protected].

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