Marketing in the Social Enterprise Context: Is it Entrepreneurial?

Abstract

This study explores the types of marketing activities in which social enterprises engage and considers the extent to which these activities could be described as entrepreneurial. Interviews were done with 80 founders, chief executives, or the most senior managers or volunteers of social enterprises in the UK. A variety of enterprises were included, such as projects for the homeless, drug awareness initiatives, and a community festival. Inductive analysis identified four themes: opportunity recognition, entrepreneurial effort, entrepreneurial organizational culture, and networks and networking. While social enterprises were found to engage in entrepreneurial marketing, the findings indicate that within a social enterprise context, sector-specific factors, including local embeddedness, a not-for-profit orientation, and the challenges posed by social exclusion may influence the marketing activities of social enterprises. (JSD)

Keywords: Marketing, Social entrepreneurship, Opportunity recognition, Social networks, Organizational cultures