Social Entrepreneurship

“Social entrepreneurship” focuses entrepreneurial attention on the launch and growth of businesses that address social problems and social needs. Evidence of widespread moral decay in firms in many nations has fostered a greater emphasis on business ethics and social responsibility. Indeed recent economic challenges have widened the divide between “haves” and “have-nots”. The need for innovative solutions to such social problems is stark. As a field of inquiry, social entrepreneurship offers practical solutions to pressing social problems. In turn, a new generation of social entrepreneurs is gaining the knowledge and skills needed to make a difference. Social entrepreneurship, as an emerging field and as a force for social change, draws from several disciplines, including business, sociology, public administration, and social work. Theory and research have been limited and have largely not provided sufficient answers regarding the best mix and sequence of factors within a social entrepreneurship program to bring about the greatest impact. In order to design and implement effective social entrepreneurship programs that will provide the best possible educational experience to students, we need stronger theory and more convincing research evidence on the many cause-effect relationships in a successful social entrepreneurship program.

Objectives of the Book: We invite chapter proposals across all business and social disciplines that address both theoretical and empirical aspects of social entrepreneurship. We are especially interested in chapters that offer practical solutions and suggestions for the social entrepreneur; for example, in the meaning, measurement, and mission of this growing field. We also invite case studies and review papers. Overall, the goal of the book is to engage scholars and practitioners across disciplines in an examination and debate about various approaches of enacting programs of social change.

Suggested Themes: include, but are not limited to, the following:

- An examination of social entrepreneurship throughout history
- Definition and boundary issues of social entrepreneurship
- Research methodology and measurement issues in social entrepreneurship
- Ethics and social entrepreneurship
- Decision making in social entrepreneurial ventures
- Cultural differences in social entrepreneurship
- Gender differences in social entrepreneurship
- Personality (and other) traits of social entrepreneurs
- The impact of age and experience on social entrepreneurial ventures
- Psychological vs. financial profit in social entrepreneurship
- Social entrepreneurship in academia
- Technology as a driver for social entrepreneurship
- Politics, government, and social entrepreneurship
- Healthcare and social entrepreneurship
- The media and social entrepreneurship
- Social media as a vehicle for social entrepreneurship
- Social entrepreneurship and the sustainable organization
- Leadership and management issues in social entrepreneurial organizations
- Social entrepreneurship at individual, community, and societal levels
- Examination and analysis of successful social entrepreneurial organizations
- Social entrepreneurship on the local or community level
- The development of social entrepreneurship in children and teens
- Financing and funding social entrepreneurial ventures
- Social entrepreneurship and special interest groups
- Social entrepreneurship and the environment
- Conflict management and negotiation in social entrepreneurship
- Structuring the social entrepreneurial organization – is hierarchy necessary?
- Recognizing and rewarding social entrepreneurs and their employees
- Social entrepreneurial ventures, charities, and nonprofits – boundary issues?
- Opportunity recognition in social entrepreneurial ventures
- The future of social entrepreneurship

The above themes are only examples. We encourage authors to generate thoughtful chapter proposals that address any relevant aspect of social entrepreneurship.

Submission Procedure:
Submit a one- to three-page chapter proposal on or before June 15, 2012, explaining the basis and approach of the proposed chapter. Also, include for each of the coauthors a brief biography including full name, terminal degree, current institutional affiliation and position, and a listing of any related publications. For each coauthor include contact information, so we can readily contact you, to include: email address, mobile phone, work phone, home phone, Skype user name, and complete postal mailing address. Authors will be notified by June 30, 2012, if their chapter has been accepted, and will at that time receive further information about the format and additional guidelines to follow in the preparation of the full chapter.

Send proposals and inquiries to both:
Larry Pate at larry.pate@gmail.com and Charles Wankel wankelc@verizon.net as either as a PDF or Word file.

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE:
Book chapter proposals received: June 15, 2012
Notification of accepted chapter proposals:  June 30, 2012
Receipt of full book chapters: November 15, 2012
Chapter authors receive reviews with feedback:  January 5, 2013
Final revisions due:  February 15, 2013
Book release:  August 2013