UNIVERSITY CLARK Graduate School of Management (GSOM) Fall 2008 SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good
Course Number: Course Title: Professor: ENT / MGMT 245 Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good Dr. David A. Jordan [e-mail] [phone], ext.230 [phone] (fax)
Context/Course Description________________________________________
A nascent field of business development inquiry has emerged on both the national and global stage. Social entrepreneurship (SE) has captured an important zeitgeist of the modern era; that is, the utilization of economic wealth creation, traditionally associated with business entrepreneurship (BE), to foster and create significant and sustainable social benefit or change. Social entrepreneurship is concerned with the utilization of business entrepreneurial skills as a means of creatively responding to societal problems. As traditional boundaries between the public (i.e. government), private (i.e. business) and third sector (i.e. nonprofit) of our society blur it is valuable to understand the challenges and opportunities in this new and growing landscape. According to Dees (2001), who popularized the term, social entrepreneurship involves: adopting a mission to create and sustain social value; recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission; engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning; acting boldly without being limited by resources currently at hand; and exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability for the outcomes created. Within this description, one can identify certain parallels between the aspects of social entrepreneurship and well established business entrepreneurial concepts wherein each can learn and benefit from this new union of social and economic value, variably termed blended value or social return on investment.
Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good ~ Seminar, Fall 2008
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The intent of this course is to introduce students to the complex dynamicsthe art and science if you willunderlying Social Entrepreneurship as an emerging national and global phenomenon. The course challenges the student to look beyond well established business objectivesthe creation of wealthand investigate how wealth creation can impact public good. The course will consist of lectures, case discussions, and original research conducted by the student(s). An investigation of global social entrepreneurial initiatives including the establishment of Indias Grameen Bank, Transparency International, Social Accountability International, the Ethos Institute, the Ashoka Foundation, and other well known, and lesser well known, social value initiatives and their leaders will be useful in understanding the entrepreneurial aspects of business planning, scaling, and sustainability.
Learning Objectives______________________________________________
This course is designed to assist each student: 1. Develop an understanding of the similarities/dissimilarities between traditional business entrepreneurship (BE) functions and intent (i.e. economic value creation) and social entrepreneurship (SE) (i.e. social value creation). 2. Provide students with an introduction to the significant challenges and opportunities facing social entrepreneurs and their ventures. 3. Explore the leadership dynamic/characteristics of social entrepreneurs. 4. Become oriented to measuring and reporting social impact and social return, including the framework of social return on investment. 5. Apply the lessons learned in class toward evaluation of an existing social entrepreneurial program/initiative. 6. Create a feasibility study for a prospective social venture as a nonprofit or profit start-up, or as a business venture within an existing nonprofit or profit entity. 7. Additionally, key learning objectives embedded within the assignment of this course include furthering the students ability to demonstrate: Effective written and oral communication, defined as that which is clear, concise, well organized, well reasoned, and appropriately presented, Critical and reflective thinking skills as demonstrated by the ability to apply concepts taught in the curriculum to managerial situations, The ability to work effectively in a team, and The ability to identify and assess ethical and social responsibility issues.
Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good ~ Seminar, Fall 2008
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Course Requirements_____________________________________________
This course focuses on the utilization and adaptation of business skills toward creating and managing social enterprises. It is intended to offer a conceptual framework (the art) and techniques (the science) for thinking strategically about innovation in the social sector. To enrich the quality of the class students are encouraged to: 1. Participate in all class discussions: Commit yourself even when youre out of your comfort zone. Express your perspectives and listen carefully to the views of your classmates. Bring forth relevant learning from readings and your experience. 2. Formulate, ask, and discuss the tough questions about this emerging field. 3. Absorb the assigned readings and discuss them with your colleagues and actively during in-class discussions. 4. Go beyond the assignment and find, read or learn something that stimulates your own passions and interests. Share this with others. 5. Inspire someone else with something youre learning. MGMT 245 (Social Entrepreneurship) is a 4 credit hour course offering, and as such, requires additional academic performance beyond which is typically expected in a 3 credit hour course. The added effort requirements for this class includes the conceptualization of a unique social enterprise, the development of a formal feasibility plan denoting your proposed organizations social impact theory, resource strategy, and operating model, and a formal (video taped) presentation of your feasibility plan before a panel consisting of your classroom peers and invited Clark University faculty and administrators. Class attendance is critically important, however, in the event you need to miss a class, please contact Dr. Jordan ([e-mail]) by email or phone [phone], ext 230) prior to the class with your reason for missing. You are expected to fulfill the readings and any in-class assignments, even if you are not able to attend a class.
Assignments 1& 2: Case Analysis& Presentation:
1. Working in small groups, your student team will select a social entrepreneurship initiative you find particularly interesting; locally, nationally, or globally situated. 2. Drawing on readings and classroom discussion, describe how that organization applied one or more of the central concepts discussed in class to the development of their social entrepreneurship initiative. 3. In your written analysis, be sure to include: a. Background information on the social venture and the leader(s) who created it (i.e. mission/goals, vision, etc.) b. A brief history of the social entrepreneurial organization or social enterprise initiative c. A central challenge, or challenges, faced by the entrepreneur and/or organization during its initial planning and start-up.
Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good ~ Seminar, Fall 2008
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d. A description of how the challenge(s) was addressed. e. Any necessary appendices (financial statements, documents, etc.) f. A SWOT Analysis, Future Trends Analysis, and Value Chain Analysis of the initiative as it currently exists, and g. Your perspective on the likely sustainability of the social venture and recommendations you would offer to enhance the initiatives social return on investment. Refer to course reading or other materials to support your analysis. 4. Contact the social entrepreneur or initiative representatives and conduct an in-depth interview with one or more stakeholders for the purpose addressing 3(a-f). You will need to draft an Interview Guide which will be included as part of your final report. 5. This assignment should be 10-15 double spaced pages, excluding appendices. 6. You will be asked to make a formal presentation in class on your case analysis which should include a PowerPoint presentation of your findings and recommendations. Presentations are expected to take approximately 20 minutes.
Assignments 3 & 4: Feasibility Study & Presentation:
Working in small groups, your student team will craft a feasibility plan for a social oriented business venture of your choosing. The prospective social venture could be a new start-up nonprofit or profit making venture whose intent is to pursue social value creation, or a business venture within an existing nonprofit or profit entity. Use your imagination, creativity, and lessons drawn from class readings and discussions. Your social venture proposal can be local, national, or global in scope and will include: 1. A thorough description of the social issue you are attempting to address, and why (i.e. scope/scale of the problem, why it remains an unmet etc.). need, 2. A risk assessment of your proposal. 3. Establish the mission and desired outcomes of your proposed social venture. 4. A complete Feasibility Study (preliminary and final). 5. Proposed marketing materials for your social venture (be creative). It is anticipated that this assignment will be between 10-20 double spaced pages in length. Your team will be asked to make a formal presentation in class at the end of the term. Be bold in your thinkingbe creative in your presentation. Presentations should be between 2030 minutes.
Assignment 5: Short Case Review & Presentation:
Throughout the term, each student-team will be required to research one (1) global social entrepreneurial organization and make a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation to the class on the organization. Student-teams will be assigned a specific SE organization to research. Other than the PowerPoint presentation, no written paper or analysis for Assignment 5 is required.
Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good ~ Seminar, Fall 2008
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Required Readings: 1. Nicholls, A. (2008). Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change. New York: Oxford University Press. 2. Bornstein, D. (2004). How To Change The World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Relevant link: www.HowToChangeTheWorld.org] 3. Various articles distributed in advance of each class session by the Instructor. Optional Reading: 1. Brinckerhoff, P.C. (2000). Social Entrepreneurship: The Art of Mission-Based Venture Development. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
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Grading Method_________________________________________________
The individual student performance will be determined as follows: Assignment 1. Written Case Assignment 2. Case Analysis Presentation 3. Feasibility Plan 4. Feasibility Plan Presentation 5. Short Case Review/Presentation 6. Participation (Class Attendance & Engagement and Discussion Board Engagement) TOTAL Assignment of Grades: Final letter grades are calculated on the following basis: A+ A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF 98-100% 93-98 90-92 87-89 83-86 80-82 77-79 73-76 70-72 67-69 63-66 60-62 <60% % of Grade 20 (.20) 10 (.10) 20 (.20) 10 (.10) 10 (.10) 30 (.30) Due Date October 23 October 23 & 30 December 4 December 4 & December 11 TBD Ongoing
100 (1.0)
Please note that in 2007 the Clark Universitys Graduate School of Management ( GSOM) and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship program adopted the following policy and wording on syllabi for courses that have written assignments:
Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good ~ Seminar, Fall 2008 The first five grammatical or spelling errors will be circled. The grade is automatically reduced by a partial grade (i.e. from a B to a B- or a B+ to a B) if there are five or more grammatical or spelling errors. The mission of GSOM and I&E is stated as follows: The mission of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship program is to provide a set of rigorous entrepreneurial experiences for undergraduate liberal arts and science students, shaping graduates who are economically literate, and have explored and participated in the process of starting something new. Clark University's Graduate School of Management is a diverse community of learners, researchers, and business professionals that prepares future leaders to think critically, manage collaboratively, and contribute to their organizations and society.
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Written Assignments: All written assignments should be representative of your best professional effort with attention given to writing style, format, presentation, and content. Students must cite works properly and consistently. The APA (American Psychological Association) style is preferred (http://www.apastyle.org/index.html).
Topics & Assignment_____________________________________________
Week 1 Date 9/4/08 Topic Introduction and Review of Course Syllabus Video: The New Heroes: Muhammad Yunus A Beginning Discussion on the Emerging Phenomenon of Social Entrepreneurship What would you like to explore concerning social entrepreneurship? Video: Nothing More Powerful: How Social Entrepreneurship Works (Ashoka-Bill Drayton) Reading Due Assignment Due Assign studentteams (Teams 1-10)
Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good ~ Seminar, Fall 2008 2 9/11/08 Business Entrepreneurs (BE) vs. Social Entrepreneurs (SE): What are the differences/ similarities? Case Examination: ApproTec (Appropriate Technology for Enterprise Creation) Video: The New Heroes: Nick Moon & Martin Fisher Nicholls (2008) Bornstein Chapter 1 Distributed Course Pac Discussion Board Postings
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Social Entrepreneurship: The Art and Science of Business Development for the Public Good ~ Seminar, Fall 2008
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9/18/08 The Dimensions of Social Entrepreneurship: Sociality, Disruptive Creation, & Market Orientation Case Examination: One World Health (www.oneworldhealth.org) Video: Uncommon Heroes: Victoria Hale
Nicholls Chapters 2 & 3 Bornstein Chapters 3 & 4 Distributed Course Pac
Team #1: 15 minute case presentation on One World Health Discussion Board Postings Team #2: 15 minute case presentation on IDEAIndia Discussion Board Postings
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9/25/08 The United Nations Millennium Development Goals Case Examination: IDE-India (www.ede-india.o...