A typology of social entrepreneurs: Motives, search processes and ethical challenges

Shaker A. Zahra, Eric Gedajlovic, Donald O. Neubaum, Joel M. Shulman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1831 Scopus citations

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has been the subject of considerable interest in the literature. This stems from its importance in addressing social problems and enriching communities and societies. In this article, we define social entrepreneurship; discuss its contributions to creating social wealth; offer a typology of entrepreneurs' search processes that lead to the discovery of opportunities for creating social ventures; and articulate the major ethical concerns social entrepreneurs might encounter. We conclude by outlining implications for entrepreneurs and advancing an agenda for future research, especially the ethics of social entrepreneurship.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)519-532
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Business Venturing
Volume24
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2009

Bibliographical note

Copyright:
Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Entrepreneurial search process
  • Ethics
  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Social wealth
  • Typologies

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