Bornstein’s and Davis’ Social Entrepreneurship offers an outstanding introduction to social entrepreneurship. This enables the readers to contribute in creation of a social change. The authors explore the meaning of social entrepreneurship and its pioneers. The book differentiates social entrepreneurship from traditional entrepreneurship, activism and government.
It also prepares the readers on how to handle challenges in the society through entrepreneurship. In its conclusion, the authors discuss envisioning innovation in a society. Social Entrepreneurship is Bornstein’s and Davis’ masterpiece that should interest anyone willing to create a social change in the society (Bornstein & Davis, 2010).
The contemporary world has come into a common agreement that social entrepreneurship offers a better strategy for responding to societal needs. According to the authors, social entrepreneurs can easily keep pace with rather dynamic needs of the society. Bornstein and Davis enable the readers to know how to become a social entrepreneur. In addition, they explain how social entrepreneurship organizations operate, while identifying their underlying challenges.
A social entrepreneur does not follow an ordinary top-down strategy employed by huge organizations in solving problems. Instead, a social entrepreneur gets fully involved in the field. He follows the path of iterative learning by working together with their subjects. Through this involvement, social entrepreneurs are able to identify unique problems. After identifying the problems, they can then design local, specific and unique mechanisms of dealing with social problems (Bornstein & Davis, 2010).
This book explains how social entrepreneurs create social organizations. These organizations are then employed in creation of social changes in the society. Social entrepreneurs are also advised on how to attract, retain and cultivate talented workforce in their organizations.
The book also identifies the reasons that are acting as drawbacks in effecting change. Bornstein and Davis provide an important framework for future research on social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurship has acquired more appreciation in corporate practice than in theory.
The book is driven by this double line thinking which is partly practitioner-based and partly theoretical. It changes the perspective of the reader by highlighting significant instances where social entrepreneurship ideas have translated into working phenomena. The book has depicted how an entrepreneurial process can be used to achieve social goals (Bornstein & Davis, 2010).
The process of social entrepreneurship evaluates and solves a social problem. Social entrepreneurs are change agents in the society; they seize opportunities, invent and disseminate new strategies. Their approaches have the objective of creating social values that yield change in the society. In Social Entrepreneurship, Bornstein and Davis explain how to become a social entrepreneur. The authors assert that social entrepreneurs do not stop after setting up the industry; they ensure that it is revolutionized (Bornstein & Davis, 2010).
According to Bornstein and Davis social entrepreneurship is a process where social entrepreneurs are able to create organizations to provide solutions for social challenges. The book identifies illiteracy, abuse of human rights, and destruction of environment, poverty and illness as the major social problems.
The history of social entrepreneurship dates back in sixties and seventies. However, its usage spread in eighties and nineties when it was promoted by Drayton of Ashoka innovators. In 1990s, Michael Young highly promoted social entrepreneurship and was believed to be the most successful social enterprise entrepreneur. Other pioneers included Mawson Andrew, Owen Robert, Nightingale Florence and Bhave Vinoba.
Social entrepreneurship is all about creating a social change in the society. In essence, it is significantly different from business enterprise. The difference lies in the objective of starting the venture. Social entrepreneurship is set up primarily to create a social change, while business entrepreneurship focuses on profit maximization.
It is important to note that the objective does not limit a social entrepreneur from making a profit, or a business entrepreneur from creating a social change. However, the fundamental reason and objective of creating the venture does not alter (Bornstein & Davis, 2010).
The book identifies the major constraints and hindrances that affect social entrepreneurship. Bornstein and Davis assert that lack of appreciation deter entrepreneurs from effecting change. In contrast to business entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs are not well researched, or given credit.
Business entrepreneurs have been given credit for changing the economic atmosphere. However, social entrepreneurs are yet to be given credit for their contribution in changing the society. Technology, demographics, economics and political processes are considered as the major factors that drive the social change. The role of a social entrepreneur as a charismatic head is less appreciated, a factor considered by the authors as a setback to achieving change (Bornstein & Davis, 2010).
In conclusion, Bornstein and Davis have covered the most insightful information about “what needs to be known” in social entrepreneurship. According to the book, social entrepreneurship has indeed become a global phenomenon. The book identifies social entrepreneurship as an innovative approach of tackling social problems. In addition, the authors suggest social entrepreneurship adds economic value.
However, adding economic value is not its primary objective. Social entrepreneurship provides unique methodologies which are very effective when implemented properly. The book provides an all inclusive discussion of this phenomenon to turn its theoretical stance into practical application.
Reference
Bornstein, D., & Davis, S. (2010). social entrepreneurship: what everyone needs to know. New York: Oxford University Press.