Sweden was distinguished visit in the spring, by Richard Branson, CSR’s new rock star and super-entrepreneur. Not only as a model for social responsibility – in his own special style, he has also taken the throne as a social entrepreneur with the now winged words “a business is a force for doing good”. But what is social entrepreneurship really?
According to Bill Drayton social entrepreneurs is “contractors working for social change through entrepreneurial solutions.” A social entrepreneur is in many ways the change that Gandhi was referring to by being an actor that creates value for society through change.
One can observe the different qualities of the social entrepreneur to distinguish it from the business-driven entrepreneur. They have a mission to create sustainable value for society while monetary gain is only a means to fulfill the mission.
The social entrepreneur has the ability to see possibilities where others see problems, and is a growing concept due to increased awareness of globalization, sustainable development and new concepts such as Reputation Management. The adoption of the new ISO 26000 demonstrates the popularity of globalization and sustainable development, which has created an awareness that there is a need out of business that generate income even for less developed countries and the need for organizations that address societal problems. The proliferation of Internet and search engine syndrome has contributed to an incitement to work actively to make its brand visible in the right context. It is about improving its reputation by carrying out positive action, and may overshadow any unwanted search results.
When you talk about social entrepreneurs, it is important to distinguish the different types of social entrepreneurship. You have Gandhi variant as a social entrepreneur, who simply use their entrepreneurial ability to create value for society. While social entrepreneurship has become popular in business and more companies see the benefits of supporting social entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship. Not just to show social responsibility but also because it proved that one can earn money on building sustainable businesses with great passion for social justice. charity.This has in turn resulted in an increased interest from business angels and investors to invest in projects to solve various problems in society, while making returns, a phenomenon known as the Social Impact Investment and backed by sections such as Bill Gates.
If you are interested in the topic I recommend to read my and Maria Sporres latest trendwatch about the subject at http://www.dfkompetens.se/trendspaning/veckans-entreprenorskap/2010-09-21_socialt/index.xml
