This open access book offers unique and novel views on the social innovation landscape, tools, practices, pedagogies, and research in the context of higher education. International, multi-disciplinary academics and industry leaders present new developments, research evidence, and practice expertise on social innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs), across academic and professional disciplines. The book includes a selected set of peer-reviewed chapters presenting different perspectives against which relevant actors can identify and analyse social innovation in HEIs. The volume demonstrates how HEIs can respond to societal challenges, support positive social change, and contribute to the development of international public policy discourse. It answers the question ‘how does the present higher education system, in different countries, promote social innovation and create social change and impact’. In answering this question, the book identifies factors driving success as well as obstacles. Furthermore, it examines how higher education innovation assists societal challenges and investigates the benefits of effective social innovation engagement by HEIs. The interdisciplinary approach of the volume makes it a must-read for scholars, students, policy-makers, and practitioners of economics, education, business and management, political science, and sociology interested in a better understanding of social innovation.

Social Entrepreneurship in Education chronicles the twenty-five-year history of entrepreneurs who responded to the call of A Nation at Risk and helped launch an education industry. It tells the story of these 'education entrepreneurs' and the lessons they learned, using entrepreneurial skills to tackle public problems and improve outcomes for millions of students. This book demonstrates, firsthand, the importance of mentorship and profiles the individuals behind the businesses, highlighting the skills and characteristics that one must possess to successfully execute and operate enterprises in education. It reflects on the development of a burgeoning industry and illuminates the possibilities for applying a private sector mind-set to education. This book is fundamental for understanding the ins and outs of utilizing social entrepreneurship to improve education for American students.

Research on social entrepreneurship is finally catching up to its rapidly growing potential. In The Search for Social Entrepreneurship, Paul Light explores this surge of interest to establish the state of knowledge on this growing phenomenon and suggest directions for future research. Light begins by outlining the debate on how to define social entrepreneurship, a concept often cited and lauded but not necessarily understood. A very elemental definition would note that it involves individuals, groups, networks, or organizations seeking sustainable change via new ideas on how governments, nonprofits, and businesses can address significant social problems. That leaves plenty of gaps, however, and without adequate agreement on what the term means, we cannot measure it effectively. The unsatisfying results are apple-to-orange comparisons that make replication and further research difficult. The subsequent section examines the four main components of social entrepreneurship: ideas, opportunities, organizations, and the entrepreneurs themselves. The copious information available about each has yet to be mined for lessons on making social entrepreneurship a success. The third section draws on Light's original survey research on 131 high-performing nonprofits, exploring how they differ across the four key components. The fourth and final section offers recommendations for future action and research in this burgeoning field.

"This book seeks to provide graduate-level and upper-division or honors undergraduate students with a comprehensive understanding of the emerging and rapidly growing field of social entrepreneurship. It is the most complete text on the subject available, exploring both the theory and practice of social entrepreneurship and blending these seamlessly through examples, case studies, the voices of practicing social entrepreneurs, and special features that put students in a position that requires creative thinking and strategic problem solving"--

An expert’s inside look into the ways social entrepreneurship is changing the world Whether you’re a policymaker, investor, or involved in a nonprofit, Social Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century gives you the knowledge you need to make the best possible decisions for the future. A former McKinsey consultant reveals how social entrepreneurship has filtered into the workings of government and private enterprise, where social sector values are now shaping “social impact” capitalism. Georgia Levenson Keohane is a Roosevelt Institute fellow, foundation executive, and former McKinsey consultant. She advises a range of poverty-fighting organizations, including philanthropies (Robin Hood Foundation), educational entities (New York City Charter School Center), community development organizations (Civic Builders), and think tanks (The Aspen Institute). She is an adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School.

Social Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Social Change contains twenty chapters on the impact of social entrepreneurial ventures within a variety of cultural and national contexts. From Brazil to Croatia, from Thailand to Greenland, this book is rare in that it provides a rich landscape in which to imagine additional efforts to bring about positive social change. The case studies cover a broad range of topics with one common theme—how can we learn from what others are doing in the emerging field of social entrepreneurship? The various cases will inspire budding entrepreneurs to new heights of awareness to support the alleviation of poverty in many contexts. Part Two, Lessons from the Field: How Social Entrepreneurial Companies are Succeeding, discusses the similarities and differences that social entrepreneurial ventures and other businesses must face to be successful. Other topics covered include Entrepreneur Bootcamp for Veterans, microfinance, social entrepreneurship education, and development of a culture of social entrepreneurship. Part Three, Going from Local to Global, explores the challenges of a social enterprise as it transitions from a national venture to an international one. The relationship between social entrepreneurship and local business development in places such as Sicily is discussed through case studies. A stage theory of social venture internationalization is put forth. Research connecting social media and social entrepreneurship is used to illustrate the importance of social networks in creating positive social change. Part four, Challenges in Social Entrepreneurship, explores the challenges that social entrepreneurial ventures face. Ethics of intellectual property rights in social enterprises is a focal topic in this section. Social franchising as an approach to social entrepreneurship is illustrated.

'This readable and modestly priced text will appeal to academics researching and teaching entrepreneurship, policy-makers, and students studying entrepreneurship at all levels in higher education, especially those studying final year specialist electives or at Master's level.' - David W. Taylor, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research