Social Entrepreneurship: rethinking theoretical assumptions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24917/20833296.172.6Keywords:
Aristotle, intellectual-volitional faculties, realism, social entrepreneurship, teleology, virtuesAbstract
Most of the Social Entrepreneurship (SE) literature derives its theoretical assumptions from the field of entrepreneurship in general, and more broadly, from modern economic theory. However, some thinkers notice significant gaps in existing theory and try to conceptualise SE incorporating some missing elements. In this theoretical paper, we explain the origins of contemporary SE concepts, analyse the significant contemporary SE works of leading thinkers and their theoretical assumptions. We also specify major shortcomings in existing concepts and demonstrate the possibility of filling gaps by realism, especially Aristotle’s philosophy. His distinctive realist view of human beings, including entrepreneurs, and his broader view on economics allows us to understand the essential nature of entrepreneurship, providing unique insights regarding the intellectual-volitional faculties of the social entrepreneur.
References
Aristotle. (1928). Metaphysics (D. Ross, Trans.). In: D. Ross (Ed), The Works of Aristotle. Vol. VIII. Oxford: The Clarendon Press.
Aristotle. (1980). The Nicomachean ethics (D. Ross, Trans.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Aquinas, T. (2006). ST. Charity. Vol. 34. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Aquinas, T. (1952–54). Quaestiones Disputatae de Veritate (Truth) (R.W. Mulligan, J.V. McGlynn, R.W. Schmidt, Trans.). Chicago: Henry Regnery Company. Retrieved from: https://dhspriory.org/thomas/english/QDdeVer.htm
Bale, I., Auzina, A. (2020). Economic Science for Rural Development. Conference Proceedings, 53, 139147. https://doi.org/10.22616/ESRD.2020.53.016
Blanda, J., Urbančíková, N. (2020). Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool of Sustainable Development. Quality Innovation Prosperity, 24(3), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.12776/QIP.V24I3.1463
Bourke, V.J. (1964). Will in Western Thought. New York: Sheet and Ward.
Bublitz, M.G., Chaplin, L.N., Peracchio, L., Cermin, A., Dida, M., Escalas, J., Eilert, M., Gloukhovtsev, A., Mille, E. (2021). Rise Up: Understanding Youth Social Entrepreneurs and Their Ecosystems. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 40(2), 206–225.
Chalmers, D. (2021). Social Entrepreneurship’s Solutionism Problem. Journal of Management Studies, 58(5), 1363–1370.
Cagarman, K., Kratzer, J., von Arnim, L.H., Fajga, K., Gieseke, M. (2020). Social Entrepreneurship on Its Way to Significance. Sustainability, 12, 8954. Received from: https://www.mdpi.com/20711050/12/21/8954
Chan, C.C., Chui, C., Chan, K., Yip, P., Siu, F. (2019). Social Policy & Administration, 53(6), 903–919. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12524
Crimmins, J.C., Keil, M. (1983). Enterprise in the Non-Profit Sector. New York: Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
Danziger, K. (1997). Naming the mind: How psychology found its language. London: Sage Publications. http://doi.org/10.4135/9781446221815
Dees, J.G. (2016). Social Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-94848-2_373-1
Dees, J.G. (2011). Social Ventures as Learning Laboratories. Tennessee’s Business, 20(1), 3–5.
Dees, J.G. (2007). Taking Social Entrepreneurship Seriously. Society, 44(3), 24–31.
Dees, J.G. (1998a). Enterprising Nonprofits. Harvard Business Review, 76(1), 54–66.
Dees, J.G. (1998b/2001, 12 July). The Meaning of ‘Social Entrepreneurship’. Retrieved from: https://www.academia.edu/7911863/The_Meaning_of_Social_Entrepreneurship_
Dees, J.G., Emerson, J., Economy, P. (2001). Enterprising Nonprofits: A Toolkit for Entrepreneurs. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
R.E. (1997). The why’s of business revisited. Journal of Business Ethics, 16(12/13), 1401–1409.
Eichhorn, P. (1978a). Public Enterprise in Germany. Definition Ownership, Objectives and Control. Univ. Of Mannheim.
Eichhorn, P. (1978b). Public Enterprise in the EEC. Part III. Federal Republic of Germany, edited by William Keyser and Ralph Windle, Sijthoff & Noordhoff, The Netherlands.
Fama, E.F. (1980). Agency problems and the theory of the firm. Journal of Political Economy, 88(2), 288–307.
Flower, A. (2000). NGDOS as a moment in history: beyond aid to social entrepreneurship or civic innovation?. Third World Quarterly, 21(4), 637–654.
Fontan, J., Shragge, E. (1998). Community economic development organisations in Montreal. In: M.S. Sherraden, W.A. Ninacs, (eds.), Community Economic Development and Social Work. New York: Haworth Press.
Friedman, M. (1970). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. The New York Times Magazine (13 September).
Ganesh, P.N. (1998). Social entrepreneurial leadership. Career Development International, 4(3), 140–145.
Golonka, M. (2021). Coworking vs Corpoworking: Realistic Perspective. In: M. Orel et al. (eds.), The Flexible Workplace, Human Resource Management, 97–112.
Golonka M. (2019). Entrepreneurship Education – a Realistic Perspective. Przedsiębiorczość – Edukacja [Entrepreneurship – Education], 15(2), 40–58.
Gray, M., Healy, K., Crofts, P. (2001). Social Entrepreneurship: Whose responsibility is it anyway? Paper presented to the Social Entrepreneurship Workshop Centre for Full Employment and Equity and the Department of Social Work The University of Newcastle 21 November 2001
Hota, P.K., Subramanian, B., Narayanamurthy, G. (2020). Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Citation/Co-citation Analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 166, 89114.
Huhn, M. (2017). Responsible Innovation: a Smithian Perspective. Philosophy of Management, 17, 41–57.
Jensen, M., Meckling, W. (1976). Theory of the firm: managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3, 305–360.
Ko, W., Liu, G. (2021). The Transformation from Traditional Nonprofit Organisations to Social Enterprises: An Institutional Entrepreneurship Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 171(1), 15–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04446-z
Korstenbroek, T., Smets, P. (2019). Developing the Potential for Change: Challenging Power Through
Social Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands. International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit
Organisations, 30(3), 475–486.
Lasprogata, G.A., Cotton, M.N. (2003). Contemplating “Enterprise’: the business and legal challenges of social entrepreneurship. American Business Law Journal, 41, 67–113.
Leadbeater, C. (1997). The Rise of the Social Entrepreneur. London: Demos.
Lessem, R. (1978). Towards the Interstices of Management: Developing the Social Entrepreneur. Workshop: Management Education and Development, 9, 178–188.
Lewis, E. (1980). Public Entrepreneurship: Toward a Theory of Bureaucratic Political Power. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Lombard, G. (1971). Relativism in organisations. Harvard Business Review, 49(2), 55–65.
Mort, G.S., Weerawardena, J., Carnegie, K. (2002). Social entrepreneurship: Towards conceptualisation. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 8(1), 76–88.
Midgley, J., Livermore, M. (1998). Social capital and economic development: Implications for community-building practice. In: M.S. Sherraden, W.A. Ninacs (eds.), Community Economic Development and Social Work. New York: Haworth Press.
Moran, R. (1976/2011). Social responsibility, entrepreneurship, and the goals of firms: An examination of current economic literature. Forum for Social Economics Vil., 6(2).
Perrin, F.A.C. (1923). The psychology of motivation. Psychological Review, 30, 176–191.
Ramamurti, R. (1986). Public Entrepreneurs: Who They Are and How They Operate. California Management Review, XXVIII(3), 142–158.
Ross, W.D. (1923). Aristotle. London: Methuen.
Satyendra, P., Swati, P., Scott, W., Eric, W. (2021). CSR and social entrepreneurship: Combining efforts towards sustainability. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 30(4), 335–343.
Schulte, L.S. (1998). JWOD CRP’s: social entrepreneurs and the business of rehabilitation. American Rehabilitation, 24(1), 2–8.
Sison, A.J.G. (2007). Toward a common good theory of the firm: The Tasubinsa case. Journal of Business Ethics, 74(4), 471–480.
Smith, A. (1966). The Theory of Moral Sentiments. New York: A.M. Kelley.
Smith, A. (1776/2020). Wealth of Nations. Harriman House Publishing.
Sroka, W., Meyer, N. (2021). A theoretical analysis of social entrepreneurship: The case of Poland and South Africa. Journal of Eastern European & Central Asian Research, 8(1), 133–148.
Talpaert, R. (1978). Management in Modern Society: A Pro-Active Approach. Management Learning, 9, 139–150.
Thompson, J., Alvy, G., Lees, A. (2000). Social entrepreneurship – a new look at the people and the potential. Management Decision, 38(5), 328–338.
Tronald, L.T. (1928). The Fundamentals of Human Motivation. New York: Van Nostrand (Reprinted Hafner, New York, 1967).
Waddock, S.A., Post, J.E. (1991). Social Entrepreneurs and Catalytic Change. Public Administration Review, 5I(5), 393–401.
Wozniak, A. (2020). The misconducts of UN peacekeepers as an unintended consequence of the Kantian law-based ethics and moral psychology: an Aristotelian analysis. Science & Peace, XI(1), 85–99.
Young, P.T. (1936). Motivation of Behavior: The Fundamental Determinants of Human and Animal Activity. New York: Wiley.
Zappalà, G. (2001). From ‘charity’ to ‘social enterprise’: Managing volunteers in public-serving non-profits. Australian Journal on Volunteering, 6(1), 41–48.
Zietlow, J.T. (2001). Social Entrepreneurship: Managerial, Finance and Marketing Aspects. Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing, 9(1), 19–44.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 Entrepreneurship – Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Articles are published under the terms of the Creative Commons License (CC BY-ND 4.0; Attribution– NoDerivs).
