New Research Pathways in Social Entrepreneurship and Organizational Theory

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship, the use of market strategies to pursue social goals, has been recognized as an important organizational approach to deal with grand challenges such as widespread poverty, rising inequality, and climate change. In the past decade, an academic field of social entrepreneurship has emerged and matured. In the proposed symposium we will explore how insights from the research of social entrepreneurship can contribute to organizational theory, focusing on the meaning connected to social entrepreneurship at different levels. The symposium opens with an exploration of how social entrepreneurs understand their own ventures. We will then continue to explore the way the meaning of social entrepreneurship is shaped in field level interactions and conclude with an examination of the connection between organizational fields and new organizational forms. Finally, Sophie Bacq and Jeffrey McMullen will join us in a discussion exploring the contribution of social entrepreneurship research to organizational theory. A Life-Event Approach to Social Entrepreneurship Presenter: Amalya L Oliver; Hebrew U. of Jerusalem Presenter: Tammar B. Zilber; Hebrew U. of Jerusalem A Comparative Analysis of Vocabulary, Meaning, and Practices of Social Entrepreneurs and Investors Presenter: Esther Leibel; Boston U. How Interactions Shape Meaning in the Emerging Field of Social Entrepreneurship in Israel Presenter: Aya Navon; Hebrew U. of Jerusalem From Organizational Fields to Organizations and Back Again Presenter: Kathryn Cooney; Yale School of Management