Debating Social Entrepreneurship

Extract from Stanford Social Innovation Review online forum on social entrepreneurship...

Social entrepreneurs need to focus primarily on their social mission which is at the heart of their actions. All what is being done has to be measured against the advancement to realize a social goal. Business is only a tool to fuel, or to simplify, the accomplishment of a far-reaching social innovation. Yet when we are committed to a social mission we need to know how far and how well we are treading on this path. the degree to which a social goal has been fulifilled depends on the capacity to effectively allocate the scarce resources being available to the vast target population. In this matter, we are facing complex business-like problems such as logistics and organizational problems. That is why Social entrepreneurs need to be equipped with business skills. Nevertheless the vision to change the patterns of society stems from a global understanding of political and international relations, at least. This understanding should be confronted to the constraints and opportunities of the local reality. I think social entrepreneurs are visionary people, that's why a wide set of skills, not only business ones, are mandatory. (Posted by: Nayim Khemaies at September 2, 2004)