Abstract
Social entrepreneurship evades easy definition and conceptualization. In this paper, we attempt to advance social entrepreneurship theoretically by examining it conceptually, from a ‘theory of the firm’ perspective. If social entrepreneurship entails pursuit of a double bottom line (Dees, Harvard Business Review, 76 (1), 54–67, 1998), the added complexity of the social entrepreneurial venture identified by Tracey and Phillips (Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6, 264–71, 2007) should be discoverable from a ‘theory of the firm’ perspective. Applying the knowledge-based theory of the firm to social entrepreneurship, we aver that social entrepreneurship's added complexity is manifest when social entrepreneurial ventures make decisions about protecting their knowledge. Social entrepreneurial ventures manifest this added complexity in all three ways Tracey and Phillips identify: managing accountability, managing identity, and managing the double bottom line. In contrast to ordinary entrepreneurial ventures, social entrepreneurial ventures have to balance two incommensurable objectives when they make decisions about protection of their knowledge.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
