Social Enterprise Systems Engineering

This paper describes the interface between Sociology and Systems Engineering and the foundation of a new discipline called Social Systems Engineering. That foundation is described as being related to Special Systems Theory which is a part of General Schemas Theory. Special Systems theory describes a mathematical basis for modelling Life, Consciousness and the Social.

Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprises in Economic and Social Development, 2020

This chapter on “Social Enterprises as Integrative Resources, Strategies, and Models” provides the framework for the rest of this section and text. It first describes the global social and economic problems that neo-conservative orthodoxy and public policy have not been able to correct. That is followed by articulating the basic premise that enterprises that simultaneously pursue both financial and social objectives achieve greater impact. The next section presents characteristics of business models and social enterprises, along with a template to create a social business model. The “strategy tripod” integrates these strategy and organization aspects by considering the micro (enterprise resources and core competences), macro (national institutions), and mezzo (industry forces) levels of enterprise strategy. Last, 10 exemplars are provided that have synthesized these concepts to alleviate a variety of disparities in different countries. The conclusion provides general lessons, and Ap...

The ILO Social Enterprise Development Targeting Unemployed Youth in South Africa (SETYSA) project seeks to promote social enterprise development in South Africa by supporting progress towards a conducive enabling environment and the development of appropriate business development service (BDS) products for potential social entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on young entrepreneurs. The ultimate objective of the project is to encourage the creation of employment opportunities within social enterprises, as well as the social value delivered by the goods and services they produce. This report presents a selection of policy measures that governments worldwide are taking to create a supportive environment for the development of social enterprises. We will describe them both theoretically and empirically, presenting good practices taken from various countries all over the world. The aim is not to present an exhaustive overview of these measures, but to show diverse ways in which govern...

Entrepreneurship Education

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, social enterprise has experienced a renaissance. In public policy circles, entrepreneurship and innovation are perceived as economic development tools, and in many parts of the world, as catalysts for change that can have a real impact by increasing employment in communities as well as environmental challenges. At a local level, entrepreneurship and innovation enable communities to stay vibrant due to social enterprise organisations offering much-needed goods and services. Social enterprise has been acknowledged as a solution to social inequality and environmental issues in society as it develops new areas of empowerment in local communities. Central to the success of social enterprise is education, training, and the engagement of the higher education sector. Traditionally, entrepreneurship and innovation have fundamentally been entrenched within the business subject area, but have now emerged within other disciplines such as criminology, health and s...

Social Enterprise Journal, 2009

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to address the lack of conceptualisation within the emerging field of social enterprise, the aim is to contribute to a better understanding of process effectiveness and potential. Design/methodology/approach -The literature is drawn upon in providing a rationale for focusing on process, for selecting an appropriate organising framework, and for developing the typology and its key dimensions. Findings -In proposing two polar opposite "ideal types" -one based on traditional concepts of non-profit organisations and one that employs entrepreneurship as a strategy for achieving social aims (such as poverty and marginalisation) -the process components (activities, people and organising) and their interrelationship are explained. The dimensions of each component that facilitate or constrain entrepreneurship are conceptualised along a continuum, whereby a predisposition toward either end of the continuum forms the basis of classification. Upon assessing each process component, an overall determination of type can be made. Effectiveness -innovation in dealing with the challenges of social exclusion and marginalisation; increased self-sufficiency and sustainability -depends upon the extent to which the process components are congruently configured to foster entrepreneurship. Originality/value -With conceptualisation in its infancy, the emphasis to date has been on the similarities between social and commercial enterprises. Here, it has been focused on the key differences in process among social enterprise initiatives, thereby contributing new insights into social enterprising and its capacity for effectiveness. In explaining the impact of differing types on outcomes, practitioners and policymakers can develop more realistic expectations of what can be achieved.

Social Enterprise Journal, 2007

This article contains some recommended areas for research on social entrepreneurship and social enterprise, which can be summarized as opportunity exploitation, performance measurement, scalability, and multiple and conflicting logics. Research has a catch-up role with practice, as this field presents many opportunities f conceptualizing, theorizing, and finding systematic, empirical validation through case studies, surveys and other methods.

Action Learning: Research and Practice, 2017