Social Entrepreneurs to the Rescue When Government Can’t

There was an international survey on the environment of social entrepreneurs covering 45 countries recently. And ironically Ireland was at 43rd place. That is in spite of the fact that during the last 12 years, the social entrepreneurs pumped in 6.7 million Euros in over 200 social ventures. This will translate to 520,000 people by creating job opportunities of over 1,230. This trend endorses the fact that with the right encouragement and support, Ireland can flourish to greater heights.

That, of course, is the hypothetical situation if Ireland can adapt to the social entrepreneurship in the right earnest. The attitude towards social entrepreneurs should be on par with that of commercial entrepreneurs.

Ireland boast of social equality, tax rebates, tax cuts and spending patterns every year but the solution for better results eludes. The World over significant changes in existing social structures, technological innovations and economic growth is taking place. But the problems of the economic slump, migration, illiteracy and inequality cannot be brushed aside. The answer is the new breed social entrepreneurship designed to tackle the situations. But the old concept that such ventures should be free from profit motive is changing for good. The social entrepreneurship is rewriting the future of Ireland as such.

One typical example is that of FoodCloud which advocates the need to avoid wastage of food. The retailers are encouraged to connect to their app, to divert the excess food to the needy. In just three years over four million meals were disbursed to the underprivileged. The Irish Men’s Sheds Association, another social entrepreneurship is helping people to regain mental health.

These social entrepreneurs solve the societal problems efficiently where the Governments regularly fail. The problem and solution are within; that is what these social entrepreneurs have learned in a hard way in a small country like Ireland which has tremendous growth potential.

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/social-entrepreneurs-can-solve-the-problems-the-state-will-not-tackle-1.2828666

 

New Age of Acquisition in Social Entrepreneurship

The writing is on the wall; the concept of social entrepreneurship is out for a change. Neoliberal policies are dominating factor in the economic growth, acquisitions and GDP. Global meltdown, Brexit, US election and even the terrorist strikes have an impact on the whole scenario.

New approach

With new marketing techniques and innovative business models, few neoliberal starts ups with huge crowd funding resources are rewriting the element profit on social entrepreneurship, which was unknown till recent past. The new keyword on social ventures seems to be to create business tools on micro-scale in enhancing the business efficiency, especially in the economically weak sectors.

New business model

The enterprise capitalistic approach and crowd funding are a relatively new concept in the whole process. The old thinking that profit making is taboo in the charity-based social organisation is changing. The scalability these neoliberal ventures can attain is amazing. A social entrepreneurship with all the paraphernalia of a commercial establishment will slowly lose its sheen as the profit motive takes dominance leaving behind the apathy and humanity behind. But a social entrepreneur can instil the value of the clean environment, toilets, civic amenities, etc. at all levels of the society, especially the underprivileged. A typical example is garbage collection and disposal. The new segregation at source garbage collection could make better use of the pelleted garbage in landfilling, road laying, etc. Building up of infrastructure, covering of capital expenses, augmenting capacity, etc. could accelerate the growth of any enterprises and here iOS where the neoliberal approach gains importance.

The future

The very basics in amenities like water purification, sanitation services, including low-cost water, better garbage collection, and clean community toilets can be the starting point for a social revolution. The recovery of investment should be faster with the neoliberal model employed. Natural and organic agriculture venture is a classic example how neoliberal approach can alter the very fundamental approach to a cost-effective solution. Grameen Bank is another example.

Reference URL: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/a_neoliberal_takeover_of_social_entrepreneurship

Slide Rule for Social Entrepreneurship

So far no reliable scale to measure social entrepreneurship is available. So, Dr Shawn Carraher, the management Guru in Dallas, tried to fill the void. The scale he created typically has eleven graduations. On testing the scale of social entrepreneurship -which is radically different from traditional enterprise- he observed it’s the role on solving the social, economic issues. The prime motive is far from profit, and the social entrepreneurs take the burden from a broader perspective.

Creative solutions

NGOs follow the surgical procedures needed to solve a societal issue. This is not a problem solver as such but the way and means of improving awareness. Carraher asserts that the measuring mechanism is adequate to rely upon for further study. The standardised tool to measure the effectiveness can be used by individuals, organisations as well as employers. The ethical aspect of social entrepreneurship is another field which is being focussed upon.

Factors affecting

Further studies are of the personality factors/ cultural differences and its influence on the prospective social entrepreneur. When arriving at the unique slide rule in measuring the social entrepreneurship scale, Carraher and his co-authors analysed the effective as well as fading social entrepreneurs across the developing and developed countries

The 11 point graduation of a Social Entrepreneurship Scale can be summarised into the following points. Each of these points has its own significance:

• Creating social value priority so as to make the entrepreneurship in you to a greater height.

• Identifying new challenges in complying with the mission in totality.

• Dynamic approach in achieving the aim.

• In spite of handicaps, the will power to go ahead.

• Perseverance to new opportunities and challenges

• Analysing the outcomes and push the bar higher.

• Look to be the ‘world changer’ ability in you.

• Equip yourself for sustainability on the long run

• Continuous innovation

• Renewed accountability

• Continuous learning

Ref URL:  http://phys.org/news/2016-09-tool-social-entrepreneurship.html