TY - JOUR

T1 - Social Entrepreneurship: The foundation of tomorrow’s commercial business models?

AU - Halberstadt, Jantje

AU - Kraus, Sascha

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Social and commercial entrepreneurship are often said to be two contrasting disciplines that are, at best, only tenuously related. Even though there is a lack of consensus on how to define both social and commercial entrepreneurship, most definitions of social entrepreneurship commonly state that solving social problems demands a narrow, specialised focus, whilst commercial entrepreneurship is often seen as a more conventionally 'business'-like activity. In this article, we put forward our arguments using theoretical discussion backed up by practical case studies to show that many of today's commercial business models are based on ideas with a social intention. Our findings on the economic importance of innovative social business ideas highlight the importance of social entrepreneurship, and the importance of encouraging social aspects in teaching, practical entrepreneurship support and research. In fact, we even find that social and commercial entrepreneurship are highly interrelated phenomena, which should not be treated as separate disciplines.

AB - Social and commercial entrepreneurship are often said to be two contrasting disciplines that are, at best, only tenuously related. Even though there is a lack of consensus on how to define both social and commercial entrepreneurship, most definitions of social entrepreneurship commonly state that solving social problems demands a narrow, specialised focus, whilst commercial entrepreneurship is often seen as a more conventionally 'business'-like activity. In this article, we put forward our arguments using theoretical discussion backed up by practical case studies to show that many of today's commercial business models are based on ideas with a social intention. Our findings on the economic importance of innovative social business ideas highlight the importance of social entrepreneurship, and the importance of encouraging social aspects in teaching, practical entrepreneurship support and research. In fact, we even find that social and commercial entrepreneurship are highly interrelated phenomena, which should not be treated as separate disciplines.

KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics

KW - social entrepreneurship

KW - business model

KW - economic importance

KW - innovative ideas

KW - social intention

KW - Social Entrepreneurship

KW - commercial entrepreneurship

KW - social business

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84987673780&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1504/IJEV.2016.10000294

DO - 10.1504/IJEV.2016.10000294

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 8

SP - 261

EP - 279

JO - International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing

JF - International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing

SN - 1742-5360

IS - 3

ER -