Ethics and Social Enterprise

Journal of Business Ethics

How can a critical analysis of entrepreneurial intention inform an appreciation of ethics in social enterprise business models? In answering this question, we consider the ethical commitments that inform entrepreneurial action (inputs) and the hybrid organisations that emerge out of these commitments and actions (outputs). Ethical theory can be a useful way to reorient the field of social enterprise so that it is more critical of bureaucratic (charitable) and market-driven (business) enterprises connected to neoliberal doctrine. Social enterprise hybrid business models are therefore reframed as outcomes of both ethical and entrepreneurial intentions. We challenge the dominant conceptualisation of social enterprise as a hybrid blend of mission and market (purpose-versus-resource) by reframing hybridity in terms of the moral choice of economic system (redistribution, reciprocity and market) and social value orientation (personal, mutual or public benefit). We deconstruct the political foundations of charitable trading activities, cooperative and mutual enterprises and socially responsible businesses by examining the rationalities (formal, social and substantive) and ethical commitments (utilitarian, communitarian, pragmatic) that underpin them. Whilst conceptual modelling of social enterprise is not new, this paper contributes to knowledge by developing a theory of social enterprise ethics based on the moral/political choices that are made by entrepreneurs (knowingly and unknowingly) when choosing between systems of economic exchange and social value orientation, then expressing it through a legal form.

This editorial to the special issue addresses the often overlooked question of the ethical nature of social enterprises. The emerging social entrepreneurship literature has previously been dominated by enthusiasts who fail to critique the social enterprise, focusing instead on its distinction from economic entrepreneurship and potential in solving social problems. In this respect, we have found through the work presented herein that the relation between social entrepreneurship and ethics needs to be problema-tized. Further, we find that a range of conceptual lenses and methodological approaches is valuable as the social entrepreneurship field matures.

2013

The narrative surrounding social enterprise, both politically and theoretically, tends to emphasise a narrow definition and a set of expectations as to their role and meaning, generally reducible to organisations able to reconcile business and ethical aspirations. Policies devised to support the development of these organisations are generally based on the assumption that social enterprises have to be self-financing and that their developmental pathways lead to financial sustainability, generally achievable through trade. The experiences of organisations encountered in the course of this research

Ethical and moral standards are the foundation of any company, big or small. In an effort to move beyond mere legal compliance, many companies today develop and institute a foundation of integrity-based ethics. These foundational elements include laws and regulations as well as a core set of operating principles and values, which a company follows when conducting business with its customers, employees, shareholders and the community. This framework drives everything a company does, day-in-and-day-out. The code of ethics must not only be

Social Enterprise Journal, 2010

Purpose -In popular culture, ethics and morality are topical , heightened by recent attention to the banking industry and pay awards, monopoly capitalism, global warming and sustainability. Yet, surprisingly, little attention is given to these in the narrative of the conceptualisation of social enterprise or social entrepreneurshipnor in the academic research on the sector. Current conceptualisations of social enterprise fail to fully satisfy the spirit of the movement which advances a narrative that social enterprises: are more like businesses than voluntary organisations; are more entrepreneurial than public service delivery; use business models but are not just in it for the money. A focus on the economic implies a business model where deep tensions lie. A focus on social capital offers a different frame of reference, yet both these conceptualisations fail to fully identify the phenomenon that is social enterprise. The objective of this paper is to fill that gap. Ethical capital is offered here as an alternative and unrecognised conceptualisation in the field of social enterprise.

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 2008

What is the goal of social enterprise policy? Is it the creation of a 'not-for-profit' or 'more-than-profit' business movement? In institutional policy circles, arguments are shaped by the desire to protect assets for the community, while entrepreneurial discourses favour a mixture of investment sources, surplus sharing and inclusive systems of governance. This article uses data from a critical ethnography to

Current conceptualisations of social enterprise fail to fully satisfy an understanding of the movement. A focus on the economic implies a business model where deep tensions lie. A focus on social capital offers a different frame of reference yet questions remain as to the distinctive characteristics of these organisations. Ethical capital is offered here as the missing conceptualisation in the field of social enterprise. It will be argued in this paper that the conceptualisation of ethical capital has major implications for the development and understanding of the sector. To frame this topic, the paper explores the current conceptualisations within the field of social enterprise, namely the economic lens, the social capital lens and finally an ethical lens.

In this paper I will first be examining some of the academic and research issues that are current and yet-to-emerge in relation to social enterprise; and secondly attempting to illustrate some of these issues through discussion of a particular case-study organisation, a rural community broadband co-operative with which I have been closely involved since early 2005. I will in particular be focussing firstly upon questions of leadership in social enterprises, and secondly upon critical perspectives on the economic and political context within which social enterprises must perforce operate.