What Is Different about the Profile of the Social Entrepreneur?

Abstract

In recent years, the term social entrepreneur has become increasingly common in academic and business circles. Social entrepreneurs engage in a variety of activities, but always with the intention of solving social problems. Social entrepreneurs are not merely people who perform acts of charity; they have an evident desire to improve social well-being and develop projects with long-term vision. The creation of sustainable social value is a key characteristic that differentiates them from well-meaning individuals who simply engage in charitable works. There are, however, significant gaps in our understanding of social entrepreneurs and few empirical studies on the subject. This present study attempts to identify the characteristics of more socially oriented entrepreneurs, using sociodemographic variables and the theory of universal values toward work. Analysis of a sample of approximately 400 people shows that more than half of entrepreneurial orientation can be explained through the possession of the values of self-enhancement (with an inverse relationship in this case), self-transcendence, and conservation. The theory of universal values has proved extraordinarily useful for studying the characteristics of social entrepreneurs.

An examination of certain antecedents of social entrepreneurial intentions among Mexico residentes

“…Hence, one recommendation is to put more emphasis on the examination of values in entrepreneurial intention , and the development of models that increase our knowledge of this topic (Liñán, Santos, & Fernández, 2011). For example, recent studies (Sastre-Castillo, Peris-Ortiz, & Danvila-Del Valle, 2015) have found that values influence social entrepreneurial orientation. However, one research suggestion is to examine values in relation to the theory of planned behavior to increase our understanding of the formation of attitudes and how intentions are influenced.…”

“…We found support for the indirect influence of social vision and financial returns on social entrepreneurial attitude, but we did not find support for the indirect influence of sustainable values. Entrepreneurial attitude in social entrepreneurs is based on finding opportunities in social needs and in critical situations (Sastre-Castillo et al, 2015). This kind of attitude could be driven indirectly by how potential entrepreneurs appropriate and commit to a social mission and by the pursuit profit objectives.…”

Entrepreneurship among Nonprofit Arts Organizations: Substituting between Wage and Flexible Labor

“…For example, in studying nascent nonprofit organizations, Andersson () identifies a common set of capacities among entrepreneurs necessary for organizational survival, including well‐developed venture concepts and a good understanding of the market to be served. Other work has identified the motivations of nonprofit founders for electing to form new organizations (Carman and Nesbit ) and attributes of individual founders associated with nonprofit start‐ups' success, including education, experience (Dollhopf and Scheitle ), and attitudes such as openness to change (Sastre‐Castillo, Peris‐Ortiz, and Danvila‐Del Valle ). In examining the broader literature on social entrepreneurship, Guo and Bielefeld distilled the traits of social entrepreneurs as being opportunistic, virtuous, having balanced judgment, and risk endurance (Guo and Bielefeld ).…”

Common Agency in Nonprofit Advocacy Organizations

“…Some researchers have suggested that leaders of organizations have an important role in recruiting and maintaining the organization's membership base by offering adequate “benefits” (Browne ; Chong ; Hansen ; Moe ; Olson ; Rosenstone and Hansen ; Wilson ; Young ), defined as material (tangible benefits that have monetary value, like the benefits that accrue to members of homeowners’ associations), solidary (or social), and purposive (such as policy outcomes) (Clark and Wilson ). Additionally, scholars have suggested that a leader's preferences and values may have implications for his or her organization's behavior overall (Mitchell ; Sastre‐Castillo, Peris‐Ortiz, and Danvila‐Del Valle ).…”