Social Enterprises and Corporate Enterprises: Fundamental Differences and Defining Features

Abstract

To date, most efforts to define social entrepreneurship have focused on adapting existing management theories on entrepreneurship and non-profits rather than distinguishing the organisational purposes and structure of social entrepreneurship from traditional for-profit organisations. There is little consensus among academicians and practitioners alike as to what social entrepreneurship is and what it is not. To articulate a clear and non-ambiguous definition of social entrepreneurship, it is necessary first to understand the distinguishing features of social entrepreneurial ventures compared with corporate entrepreneurial ventures and non-profit organisations. This article differentiates these ventures in terms of their motives, goals, antecedent conditions, processes, role of the entrepreneur and outcomes. In doing so, it provides a brief summary of the state of knowledge in the emerging field of social entrepreneurship and raises new questions and hypotheses for future research on this topic.