Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
Nil
Incompatible
MGMT211 Social Entrepreneurship
Teaching organisation
150 hours over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period
Unit rationale, description and aim
Entrepreneurship does not take place only in for-profit businesses but also occurs when serious social and practical problems emerge in local and global communities. Social entrepreneurship is a rapidly developing and changing business field in which business and non-profit leaders design, grow, and lead enterprises with social and ethical missions. As the traditional lines blur between non-profit enterprises, government, and business, it is critical that business students understand the opportunities and challenges in this new landscape. Students in this unit will develop knowledge of social enterprise models, appreciate the role of social entrepreneurs in creating social and ethical change, making a social impact and deepen their understanding of the world around them.
This unit helps students effectively apply their skills and knowledge in business management to address complex social and ethical challenges. Its major aim is to develop a holistic understanding of the role of social enterprises and their associated entrepreneurial activities in creating value for local and global communities and societies and enhancing their sustainability.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Explain the key concepts underpinning social entrepreneurship and social start-ups with the purpose of making a social impact |
| LO2 | Illustrate the opportunities, challenges, and issues facing social entrepreneurs and social start-ups |
| LO3 | Apply business skills to the effective and ethical operation and standards of social enterprises and social start-ups |
| LO4 | Examine the importance of respect and responsibility to multicultural communities, investors, donors, and beneficiaries in a social start-up project. |
| LO5 | Develop an effective ‘elevator pitch’ along with a short proposal report to ‘sell’ a social innovation concept |
Content
Topics will include:
- The ecosystem for social entrepreneurship
- Characteristics of social entrepreneurs
- Social value creation
- Social enterprise business models
- Stakeholder engagement in social entrepreneurship
- Funding social ventures
- Challenges and opportunities for social entrepreneurs
- Managing social enterprise staff, volunteers and investors relationships
- Governance of social enterprises
- Social innovation models
- Making a social and ethical impact
- Communicating in the social entrepreneurship context
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit adopts active, case study, problem-based and experiential (expert keynote speakers) learning approaches simultaneously to help students in acquiring and integration of knowledge and skills related to identifying and solving social problems by applying an entrepreneurial lens. Students will be able to learn the application of theories and concepts underpinning social entrepreneurship processes in a series of workshops or equivalent along with the materials (videos, texts, exercises, and cases) provided through the online learning platform. Each workshop or equivalent activities includes mini-seminars focusing on the core theories and followed by practical exercises. Few social entrepreneur experts will be invited throughout the semester as keynote speakers to share their practical experiences with students. In this multimodal delivery, students- through individual and group activities- will be able to develop and accumulate practical knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship theories/concepts.
Mode of delivery: This unit is offered in different modes. These are: "Attendance" mode, "Multi" mode and "Online" mode. This unit is offered in three modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants and maximise effective participation for isolated and/or marginalised groups.
Attendance Mode
In an attendance mode, students will require face-to-face attendance in specific physical location/s. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops, most students report that they spend an average of one hour preparing before the workshop and one or more hours after the workshop practicing and revising what was covered. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for students to prepare and revise.
Multi-Mode
In a multi-mode, students will require intermittent face-to-face attendance determined by the School. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for students to prepare and revise.
Online Mode
In an online mode, students engage in asynchronous learning and participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge, while developing their knowledge. Students are required to participate in a series of online interactive activities to enhance their learning including knowledge checks, discussion boards and self-paced exercises. This approach allows flexibility for students and facilitates learning and participation for students with a preference for virtual learning.
Assessment strategy and rationale
To pass this unit, students are required to achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be by a rubric specifically developed to measure student level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will also be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the Unit. The assessment strategy for this unit helps students develop their knowledge and skills in social entrepreneurship to the point where they can propose a solution to social problems from a social entrepreneur’s perspective. To accumulate this level of aptitude, students will participate in the application of social entrepreneurship concepts and theories in a context of a real-world situation (Assessment 1), analyse and explain the key issues in social entrepreneurship and managing entrepreneurial enterprises (Assessment 2), and finally put themselves in a position of a social entrepreneur to innovatively offer a solution to a critical social issue (Assessment 3).
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Portfolio of Engagement From weeks 4-9, students will actively participate in online discussion forums and online activities. The online discussion forum and online activities will constitute 30% of total marks. Students will be evaluated on a combination of engagement in the unit via discussion board questions, responses to postings and evidence of successful engagement in online asynchronous activities. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Online engagement and completion of regular learning tasks Artefact: Portfolio evidencing engagement | 30% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Assessment Task 2: Case Study Analysis This assessment task consists of a 1500-word written case study analysis. This task requires students to apply social entrepreneurship concepts and theories in the context of a real-world situation Also, in completing this case analysis students need to pay attention to managing the relationships with communities, investors and all the involved stakeholders. Where needed students have to conduct research and use recent papers and other sources. Submission Type: Individual Assessment Method: Case Study Analysis Artefact: Written analytical report | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO4 |
Assessment Task 3: Social Entrepreneurship Project (verbal presentation and competition): This task consists of a verbal pitch/presentation along with slides. This task requires students to apply social entrepreneurship and social innovation theories in a context of a real-world situation (a social problem faced by multicultural communities) and assess ‘capstone knowledge of unit content and understanding of the application of the theories learned throughout the semester. These concepts and theories provide a range of perspectives, competing and collaborative solutions to stakeholders of a social enterprise. Students need to allocate responsibilities within groups and share the information with the lecturer. After completing the presentations group members have to review each other’s performance and contribution. Submission Type: Group Assessment Method: verbal presentation Artefact: presentation notes and slides | 30% | LO3, LO4, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Recommended references
Kickul, J., & Lyons, T. S. (2020). Understanding social entrepreneurship: The relentless pursuit of mission in an ever changing world. Routledge.
Bandinelli, C. (2019). Social Entrepreneurship and Neoliberalism: Making Money while Doing Good. Rowman & Littlefield International.
Cuta, N. (2019). Dey, Pascal & Steyaert, Chris (Ed.): Social Entrepreneurship. An Affirmative Critique. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd., 2018, pp. 328).
Beugre (2017), Social Entrepreneurship: Managing the creation of Social Value, Routledge.
Samson, D & Gloet, M 2015, Innovation and entrepreneurship: creating new value, Oxford University Press Australia, Melbourne.
Drucker, P 2015, Innovation and entrepreneurship, Routledge Classics, London.
Breuer, H & Ldeke-Freund, F 2016, Values-based innovation: innovating by what we care about, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingtstoke, England.
Journals
Social Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
Strategic Entrepreneurship
Journal of Business Venturing
Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research
Small Business Economics
Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies
The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance
Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice