Effective Leadership of Social Enterprise

Abstract

Educational Objectives The goal of this course is to engage students in exploring the key determinants of superior performance in established nonprofit social enterprises through the prism of the top management and/or the leadership of the governing boards of these institutions. Students will examine the experiences of established nonprofits to determine common themes and approaches. The objective is to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to build and lead high performing enterprises, which are dealing with some of the most challenging problems facing societies around the globe. As with studying the management of complex for-profit businesses, students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge acquired in other MBA courses in an interdisciplinary fashion. However, because the nonprofit operating environment is so different, and most would agree more complex than the business environment, students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a creative and unfamiliar way. Students will be encouraged to think outside of their traditional comfort zone. Previous ELSE enrollees have observed that applying their knowledge to the nonprofit sector has actually sharpened their for-profit management skills.