Social Entrepreneurship: A Critical Review of the Concept

Journal of World Business, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 56-65, 2006

29 Pages Posted: 5 Aug 2008

See all articles by Ana Maria Peredo

Ana Maria Peredo

University of Victoria

Murdith McLean

University of Victoria

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 2, 2006

Abstract

This paper undertakes an analytical, critical and synthetic examination of "social entrepreneurship" in its common use, considering both the "social" and the "entrepreneurship" elements in the concept. On both points there is a range of use, with significant differences marked out by such things as the prominence of social goals and what are thought of as the salient features of entrepreneurship. The paper concludes with the proposal of a suitably flexible explication of the concept: social entrepreneurship is exercised where some person or persons (1) aim either exclusively or in some prominent way to create social value of some kind, and pursue that goal through some combination of (2) recognizing and exploiting opportunities to create this value, (3) employing innovation, (4) tolerating risk and (5) declining to accept limitations in available resources.

Keywords: social entrepreneurship, not for profit, social enterprise

Suggested Citation

Peredo, Ana Maria and McLean, Murdith, Social Entrepreneurship: A Critical Review of the Concept (July 2, 2006). Journal of World Business, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 56-65, 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1197663

Ana Maria Peredo (Contact Author)

University of Victoria ( email )

3800 Finnerty Rd
Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2
Canada

Murdith McLean

University of Victoria ( email )

3800 Finnerty Rd
Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2
Canada