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Social entrepreneurship: What are we talking about? A framework for future research

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  • Mair, Johanna

    (IESE Business School)

  • Marti, Ignasi

    (IESE Business School)

Abstract

This paper introduces a framework to guide research and systematically enhance our understanding of social entrepreneurship. Drawing from traditional entrepreneurship literature, the paper presents social entrepreneurial "opportunities" as an important concept to differentiate social entrepreneurship from other social initiatives as well as from business entrepreneurship. It also addresses important issues -level of analysis, methods, and performance measures- that the field will have to attend to if it is to develop into an independent field of research. Finally, the paper argues that a dual approach -combining analytic and systemic thinking- is required to capture the complexity of the phenomenon.

Suggested Citation

  • Mair, Johanna & Marti, Ignasi, 2004. "Social entrepreneurship: What are we talking about? A framework for future research," IESE Research Papers D/546, IESE Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0546
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sascha Bjarnø Olinsson, 2017. "Social Entrepreneurship-Committing Theory to Practice," Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 225-247, May.
    2. Majda EL Agy, 2021. "The Social Enterprising Success: Comparative Study of Social and Economic Entrepreneurs," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(5), pages 1-65, July.
    3. Barbara Bradač Hojnik & Katja Crnogaj, 2020. "Social Impact, Innovations, and Market Activity of Social Enterprises: Comparison of European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Isha Nag & Sridhar Manohar & Amit Mittal & Arjun J Nair, 2024. "Thought clarity to execution chaos: a review on core competencies of grassroots entrepreneurs for instigation, growth and sustainability of startups," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-36, December.
    5. Barinova Vera, 2018. "Foreign experience in socially responsible business and feasibility of its implementation in Russia," Research Paper Series, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, issue 174P, pages 100-100.
    6. Chantal Hartog & Brigitte Hoogendoorn & Sophie Bacq & Jan Lepoutre, 2011. "Social and commercial entrepreneurship: Exploring individual and organizational characteristics," Scales Research Reports H201110, EIM Business and Policy Research.
    7. Zahra, Shaker A. & Gedajlovic, Eric & Neubaum, Donald O. & Shulman, Joel M., 2009. "A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 519-532, September.
    8. Sophie Bacq & Chantal Hartog & Brigitte Hoogendoorn, 2013. "A Quantitative Comparison of Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Toward a More Nuanced Understanding of Social Entrepreneurship Organizations in Context," Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 40-68, March.
    9. Fahmeed Idrees & Hamid Hassan, 2019. "Entrepreneurships Role in Enhancing the Productivity and Sustainability of Pakistan," Global Regional Review, Humanity Only, vol. 4(1), pages 376-383, March.
    10. S. Bacq & F. Janssen, 2011. "The multiple faces of social entrepreneurship: A review of definitional issues based on geographical and thematic criteria," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5-6), pages 373-403, June.
    11. Sophie Bacq & Chantal Hartog & Brigitte Hoogendoorn, 2016. "Beyond the Moral Portrayal of Social Entrepreneurs: An Empirical Approach to Who They Are and What Drives Them," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(4), pages 703-718, February.
    12. Nur Raihan Che Nawi & Mohd Mursyid Arshad & Steven Eric Krauss & Ismi Arif Ismail, 2018. "Social Entrepreneur as Career: Why it Attracts Youth in Malaysia?," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 8(6), pages 24-36, June.
    13. Li Qi & Hero Rana Barua Mito & Mousumi Akter, 2025. "Social Enterprise Transformation and Its Effects on Socio-economic Development: A Comparative Case Study of Developed and Developing Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 1307-1326, March.
    14. Sorin I. Blaga, 2020. "A Review Of Romanian Social Entrepreneurship And Further Research Agenda," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 15(4), pages 7-24, december.
    15. Adam Jabłoński & Marek Jabłoński, 2020. "Business Models in Water Supply Companies—Key Implications of Trust," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-27, April.
    16. Agnieszka Pacut, 2020. "Drivers toward Social Entrepreneurs Engagement in Poland: An Institutional Approach," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, January.

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