The meaning of Social Entrepreneurship, J. Gregory Dees
Dees’ broader definition of entrepreneurship as responding to change and creating new opportunities, as opposed to simply forming new business ventures, expanded my view of the term. His definition helped me see that entrepreneurship is a state of mind, and that it is not exclusive to business-savvy individuals. However, I do not agree with his distinction between social entrepreneurship and business entrepreneurship. According to Dees, the difference between business and social entrepreneurship is that businesses measure their success based on “value creation,” whereas social ventures measure success based on “social value creation.” I do not believe that this is a strong enough distinction because, in a capitalist society, any business can argue that its presence in the market creates social value in the form of stimulating the economy, providing jobs, or even by simply satisfying consumers’ desires. Social value is too broad of a concept, and I believe that social entrepreneurship must be defined on more specific terms.
Reshaping Social Entrepreneurship, Paul C. Light
Light’s insistence that the definition social entrepreneurship should include innovative groups as well as individuals is sensible and realistic. He encourages readers to break away from the romanticized notion of the “risk-taking individual,” and admonishes that, in the real world, people do not work in a vacuum. I agree with Light’s assertion that social entrepreneurship can be found in individuals, companies, or even parts of companies. It should not matter where or how groundbreaking ideas are formulated. If there is a risk that a social venture will not receive support due to semantics, then the term “social entrepreneurship” should be defined as broadly as possible.
Social Entrepreneurship: The Case for Definition, Roger L. Martin, Sally Osberg
Martin and Osberg’s definition of social entrepreneurship and their discussion of examples was inspiring. Before these readings, I believed that the qualities of an entrepreneur were only possessed by a select few. However, Martin and Osberg’s definition of the term is much more accessible. Through their examples, they show that simply by questioning the status quo and proposing new solutions, anyone can make a significant social impact. Unlike Dees’ article, Martin and Osberg assert that the overall goal of business and social entrepreneurs is the same: they wish to find a creative solution to an existing problem. According to them, the key distinction between business and social entrepreneurship is that social entrepreneurs target a disadvantaged market. I believe that defining the term based on who the venture serves, as opposed to the overall intention of the venture, is more accurate, because it is not something that can be argued.
