MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

ASSIGNMENT

Topic: Social Entrepreneurship

Submitted To: Dr. (Mrs.) Chandana Goswami

Professor, Department of Business Administration

Submitted By: Debojit Chauhan, BAM10030

INTRODUCTION:

Social entrepreneurship is the buzz word of these days, but to understand this
term better we need to first know the meaning of the term “entrepreneurship and
entrepreneurs”.

The term “entrepreneurship” refers to the special, innate ability to sense and
act on opportunity, combining out of the box thinking, with a unique brand of determination
to create or bring about something new to the world. The persons involved in this process are
called “entrepreneurs”. The term “entrepreneur” is a French word which basically means “to
undertake was first used in the French economies in the 17 th and the 18th century, but it did
not have any fixed meaning.

A French economist by the name of Jean Baptiste Say is credited to be the

person who first defined this term. He defined an entrepreneur as “the person who shifts
economic resources out of an area of lower into an area of higher productivity and greater
yield” i.e. entrepreneurs create value

SOCIAL ENTREPRENUERSHIP

The term “Social Entrepreneurship” does not have a fixed definition that has
been universally accepted by the experts. It is a very dynamic term and its definition varies
according to the perspective of the person who is defining it and the region from where it is
being defined.

For example in India “Social Entrepreneurship” is considered to be the work of

non governmental organisations and no others; whereas in the European countries like the
United Kingdom business ventures with a profit motive but with an intention to work for the
societal welfare also come under the purview of social entrepreneurship.

In simple words Social Entrepreneurship can be defined as the employment of

entrepreneurial techniques and capacities to solve the varied social problems in our midst, be
it social, political, educational or others that associated with long term poverty.

The persons who bring about that change are known as change makers or
social entrepreneurs.

“Social Entrepreneurs” are those exceptional individuals who dream up and

take responsibility for an innovative and untested idea for a positive social change, and usher
that idea from dream to reality.

Ashoka foundation, a leading organisation in promotion of social

entrepreneurship defines Social entrepreneurs as individuals with innovative solutions to
society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major
social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change. They rather than leaving the
social problems for the government or the business sectors take initiative to find out what the
problems are, and then they try to find a solution to the problem, and then spread the solution
among the affected groups”.

Social Entrepreneurs by their tireless efforts have contributed immensely for

the betterment of the society.

For e.g.

In context of India, the name of Vinoba Bhave tops the list of social
entrepreneurs. He was the Founder and leader of the Land Gift Movement, or the “Bhoomi
Dhan Movement” by which he caused the redistribution of more than 7,000,000 acres of land
to aid India's untouchables and landless.

Florence Nightingale of the U.K. is also recognised as a social entrepreneur for her invaluable
contribution in improving the health care facilities. In fact she was the founder of the first
nursing school and the developer of modern nursing practices

Muhammad Yunus, founder and manager of Grameen Bank, is also an eminent social
entrepreneur from our neighbouring country of Bangladesh who by his untiring efforts has
brought about a positive change in the lives of the poor oppressed women groups.

Another name that deserves special mention here is that of Jay Vikas Sutaria
who through his website Bhook.com is trying to fight the hunger problem of India.

The list of social entrepreneurs is exhaustive as there are many individuals

from various countries of the world who have contributed greatly towards this movement and
brought about a change in the life of millions

CONCLUSION:

Social entrepreneurship is the work of a social entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur recognizes

a social problem and uses his entrepreneurial principles and skills to organize, create and
manage a venture to achieve social change.

To be an social entrepreneur one in addition to possessing qualities of

creativity and determination, must possess the essential quality of empathy, as only when a
person is empathic to the needs of the society, can he be expected to try and change that
situation.