Enhancing Social Entrepreneurship Education With Dark Side Theory to Frame Social Enterprises

Abstract

Entrepreneurship, even social entrepreneurship, is not unequivocally good despite perceptions otherwise. This article puts forth a case for incorporating dark side theory into entrepreneurship education as a means of challenging this narrative. This article draws on Dart et al.’s ethical frames for social enterprise to supply students with a rubric to define, frame, and legitimize social enterprises. This article leverages Talmage et al.’s dark social enterprise typology and Talmage and Gassert’s exercise to critically analyze the social and economic intentions, processes, and impacts of various enterprises. Examples are provided throughout the article to illuminate how entrepreneurial intentions are linked to enterprise processes and impacts. The article aims to both broaden and deepen students’ critical perspectives on social enterprises, so that aspiring entrepreneurs are deterred from going dark side. This article concludes with essential questions concerning dark side theory’s role in entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship education.