Mining Social Entrepreneurship Strategies Using Topic Modeling

Yanto Chandra,Cheng-Jun Wang,Li Crystal Jiang

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2740324

Yanto Chandra, Cheng-Jun Wang + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2740324

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Abstract

Despite the burgeoning research on social entrepreneurship (SE), SE strategies remain poorly understood. Drawing on extant research on the social activism and social change, empowerment and SE models, we explore, classify and validate the strategies used by 2,334 social entrepreneurs affiliated with the world’s largest SE support organization, Ashoka. The results of the topic modeling of the social entrepreneurs’ strategy profiles reveal that they employed a total of 39 change-making strategies that vary across resources (material versus symbolic strategies), specificity (general versus specific strategies), and mode of participation (mass versus elite participation strategies); they also vary across fields of practice and time. Finally, we identify six meta-SE strategies ― a reduction from the 39 strategies ― and identify four new meta-SE strategies (i.e., system reform, physical capital development, evidence-based practices, and prototyping) that have been overlooked in prior SE research. Our findings extend and deepen the research into SE strategies and offer a comprehensive model of SE strategies that advances theory, practice and policy making.

Highlights

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—which range from halving extreme poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education—have galvanized efforts from leaders and civil society organizations around the world to search for and develop better social intervention strategies
We offer an interactive visualization that depicts the distribution of the Ashoka Fellows on a global map
This article describes the findings from a data exploration and validation that spans 30 years of diverse social entrepreneurship (SE) strategies used by 2,334 social entrepreneurs affiliated with the global SE support organization Ashoka across 60 countries

Summary

Introduction

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—which range from halving extreme poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education—have galvanized efforts from leaders and civil society organizations around the world to search for and develop better social intervention strategies. Enormous progress has been made to date, unfinished tasks remain concerning the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals and the establishment of greater momentum to achieve the post-2015 agenda of a world of prosperity, equity, freedom, dignity and peace [1]. Among the most influential actors who have and will continue to play key roles in the attainment of the goals are social entrepreneurs: entrepreneurial leaders who use the tools and logics commonly used by business entrepreneurs to achieve social goals. Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank’s collateral-free loans that alleviate poverty and the founder of APOPO

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