Download From Opportunity To Entrepreneurship

From Opportunity To Entrepreneurship: Exploring Dynamic Processes Of Social
Entrepreneurship
Huang, Chang-Yu, Department of Business Management, National Sun Yat-Sen University; Kao,
Ming-Rea Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages - Graduate Institute of International
Business and Cultural; Wei-Ting Huang, Wendy, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages;
Chen, Vivian Yu-Wen, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages
Haugh (2005) has identified eight themes as a research agenda for social entrepreneurship. In
this paper, we focus on the theme of opportunity recognition and innovation, especially
considering how and why different modes of organization incorporating social entrepreneurship in
their operation for organizational transition (Shie 2013) and/or for their original missions.
According to Hockerts (2006), three main sources of social entrepreneurial opportunity for social
purpose business ventures are identified. That is, activism, self-help, and philanthropy. Social
purpose business ventures are a kind of third sector organizations and are hybrid enterprises in
nature (Hockerts 2006: 145-146). Furthermore, three sources of social entrepreneurial
opportunity are driven by different motives and provide distinctive economic and social value
propositions (Mair, Robinson and Hockerts 2006: 9). And what makes these different sources of
social entrepreneurial opportunity turn into distinctive modes of organization with specific social
and economic values is the focal point of the study.
In definition, social entrepreneurship involves three processes: firstly, identifying the unjust
equilibrium in the society; secondly, identifying opportunities and developing a new idea to
challenge the status quo; and thirdly, making efforts to establish a new equilibrium which alleviate
the unjust and enhance the well-being of the members in the affiliated groups and even extend its
benefit to the society as large as possible (Martin and Osberg 2007: 37). Taken together, we
consider social entrepreneurship as a means and processes to alleviate social problems and
catalyze social transformation through opportunity identification and innovation.
To explore the dynamic processes of social entrepreneurship, six third sector organizations are
selected as research cases and classified into three groups. The first group is advocacy and
activism-based groups, including two cases, that is, Wetlands Taiwan and Community University
Kaohsiung. The second group is self-help groups, including two cases, that is, Shin-Lu Social
Welfare Foundation and Sunlight Txiaolin Community Development Association. The third group
is philanthropy-based foundations, including two cases, that is, Sinyi Foundation and Advantech
Foundation. Qualitative Data is collected through interviews, organizational publications, and
website information.
With the emphasis on how and why different modes of organization incorporating social
entrepreneurship in their operation for organizational transition and/or for their original missions,
the characteristics and three dynamic processes of social entrepreneurship are explored based
on three sources of social entrepreneurial opportunity. Finally, these findings are compared and
discussed in relation to the balance between social value creation and economic value creation
as well as to the relationships among four sectors: state, market, nonprofit organization, and
community.
Keywords: social entrepreneurship, opportunity, activism, self-help, philanthropy
References
Haugh, H. 2005. A research agenda for social entrepreneurship. Social Enterprise Journal, 1(1):
1-12.
Hockerts, K. 2006. Entrepreneurial opportunity in social purpose business ventures. In J. Mair, J.
Robinson & K. Hockerts (Eds.), Social Entrepreneurship: 142-154. New York: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Mair, J., Robinson, J. & Hockerts, K. 2006. Introduction. In J. Mair, J. Robinson & K. Hockerts
(Eds.), Social Entrepreneurship: 1-13. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Martin, R. L. & Osberg, S. 2007. Social entrepreneurship: The case for definition. Stanford Social
Innovation Review, spring: 29-39.
Shie, Yi-Jen. 2013. A transition from advocacy group, government partnership to social
enterprise: Wetlands Taiwan as an Example. 2013 ISEEUCH Conference, Taipei, Taiwan.