Where Is Social Work in the Social Entrepreneurship Movement?

Abstract

Although the business and public policy communities have ignited a national movement toward embracing social entrepreneurship as a laudable enterprise and a critical piece in addressing social problems, social work remains notably absent from the discussion and definition of this field. Though the values and practices of social entrepreneurship are closely aligned with social work, social work scholars and institutions have been less at the forefront of this movement than have representatives of other disciphnes. The Skoll Foundation, a leading agent for developing and promoting social entrepreneurship, listed three exemplary social entrepreneurs in their description of the concept (the document, Foundations of Entrepreneurship, has since the time of this writing been taken down; for general information, see http:// www.skollfoundation.org/). Among those listed is Jane Addams, founder of Hull House and one of the most influential figures in social work history. Yet social work has done little to align itself with the movement of social entrepreneurship. There remains an opportunity for the field of social work to avail itself of the resources and knowledge created by this movement and to infuse social work knowledge into the study of social entrepreneurship. Understanding the history and definition of social entrepreneurship helps to define potential roles and contributions for social work and provides an opportunity to explore their congruence and potential connections. DEFINITION OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP Consideration of the role of social work in the social entrepreneurship movement requires an understanding of the concept. Although there has been some debate about the definition of social entrepreneurship (Christie & Honig, 2006; Mair & Marti, 2006), common to all definitions is the goal of creating social value or mission rather than personal gain or financial wealth (Peredo & McLean, 2006). Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka, a leading global organization that identifies and promotes social entrepreneurs, is generally credited with the term's origin. His famous statement embodies the concept: Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry (see http://usa.ashoka.org/social-entrepreneurs-are-not-content-just-givefish- or-teach-how-fish). Scholars have argued over whether social entrepreneurship has specific ingredients, including particular responses or specific characteristics of the entrepreneur. Dees (1998) defined social entrepreneurship as the combination of social mission with business discipline, innovation, and determination to respond to social needs. Martin and Osberg (2007) described social entrepreneurship as a response to an opportunity to create an out-of-the box solution to a novel problem. They described three components: (1) identification of a stable but unjust equilibrium; (2) creation of a transformational social response; and (3) the result being a new, stable equilibrium that alleviates suffering of the identified group. Their definition clarifies that social service provision, creation of local programs, and social activism that creates change through indirect action are not included. Some scholars have suggested that social entrepreneurs have certain characteristics like a willingness to accept above-average risk, being unusually resourceful (Peredo & McLean, 2006), or having a strong ability to seize presented opportunities (Thompson, 2002). In 2006, Light argued for a more inclusive definition. He defined social entrepreneurship as the effort of an individual, organization, network, or group of organizations to create large-scale, sustainable change by shifting an approach to solving social problems. He argued against the notion of a heroic, risk-taking individual, forwarding instead a concept that celebrates working together in novel ways to solve social problems. …