Problems Faced By Social Entrepreneurs - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theProblems Faced By Social Entrepreneurs for Capitalism. Answer: Introduction In the recent times, there has been a growing focus on organization's and individual business owners impact on the on the society and the environment. The focus has substantially shifted towards the realization of maximum profits by business entities while at the same time promoting sustainability. Many people in the modern world have become so concerned with engaging in profiteering ventures using their skills while at the same time impacting the world positively. This has seen the rise in Social entrepreneurship as the new business model because of its ability to combine a do-good mentality and Capitalism (Teufel,2007). Social entrepreneurship is the use of techniques to pursue innovative ideas which have the potential of providing solutions to cultural, environmental and social issues such as climate change, poor education standards, and hunger. Social entrepreneurs offer these solutions through partnerships, donation models as well as local and international collaborations (Hocke rts, Mair Robinson,2010) This research project proposal aims at identifying and analyzing problems that are faced by social entrepreneurs in the course of establishing and running social enterprises. The proposal begins with a statement of the problem, research aims, objectives and research questions, justification of the project and potential output, conceptual framework, methodology and finally concludes with an organization of the study, project budget, and schedule. Problem Statement Social entrepreneurs establish social enterprises with the main aim of addressing perceived social, environmental and cultural challenges. The process of social entrepreneurship should, therefore, achieve a balance between offering solutions to perceived challenges and obtaining profits. Social entrepreneurs, therefore, should focus on positively impacting the environment and the society. However, with the gradual shift from other business models to the social entrepreneurship model have come various challenges which have continued to have an impact on social entrepreneurs and their ability to achieve their objectives. By affecting the operations of social entrepreneurs, these challenges have made it difficult for social entrepreneurs to remain sustainable while at the same time generating profits (Dagnino, 2012). The inefficiency caused by these challenges presents a significant burden both regarding wasted opportunities and wasted time. The time and opportunities wasted as a result of these challenges translate to lump sum amounts of money per year. Remaining focused on the part of social entrepreneurs and having in place policies to facilitate the acquisition of sufficient funding by the relevant authorities can help in mitigating these challenges. This can result in several benefits such as saving costs and time which can facilitate the establishment of new ventures and translate to increased productivity. Establishment of solutions to the numerous challenges facing social entrepreneurs in the modern times can help in facilitating the crucial roles played by social enterprises and in the realization of an increase in the number of social enterprises (Lyons, 2013). This proposal will analyze the viability of the various solutions to the problems faced by social entrepreneurs and suggest steps for effective implementation. Research Aims And Objectives To identify the meaning of Social entrepreneurship To identify the role played by social entrepreneurship in the economy To establish the differences between other forms of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship To study the problems faced by social entrepreneurs Research Questions The Study is intended to provide answers to the following questions Primary Question What are the problems faced by social entrepreneurs? Secondary Questions What is meant by social Entrepreneurship? What role do social entrepreneurs play in the economy? What are the differences between social Entrepreneurship and other Forms of entrepreneurship? Justification Of The Project Unlike other forms of entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship has remained to be a concept that is that is little known by many people. Lack of a clear-cut definition of the word social has been viewed as the main reason for this trend. Failure of social entrepreneurship to compete effectively with other forms of business in several parts of the world has made many people have a negative perception about social entrepreneurship and the subsequent reluctance by many potential social entrepreneurs to engage in social entrepreneurship (Jafta, 2013). The failure to understand the concept of social entrepreneurship has also resulted to the succeeding of only a few of the social enterprises out of many that have been established. Unlike other forms of businesses shutting down of a social enterprise affect not only the social entrepreneur but also the people or the ecosystems which the venture initially targeted to offer their services to. Failure of a social enterprise, therefore, leads to real world-consequences unlike failure of normal startups which only affect the owner, customers, and employees. In normal ventures, the profit-making acts as main motive behind their establishment. However, for social enterprises, the motive for providing solutions to existing problems is usually considered innate in which a social entrepreneur seeks to achieve personal fulfillment by offering services that meet ethical and moral standards. Social enterprises are therefore referred to as Non-profit organizations. As a result of these reasons, failure of a social enterprise is therefore considered to be more sensitive than the failure of other kinds of ventures. For this reason, it becomes significant to have an understanding of the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs which ultimately leads to the failure of social enterprises (Gilliss,2011). Research Output The research will help in identifying reasons that make people establish social enterprises. Evaluate the differences that exist between social enterprises and other forms of entrepreneurship. It is also expected that the research will help in identifying the roles played by social entrepreneurs socially and economically. Different social entrepreneurs establish social enterprises to offer different kinds of products and services to identified segments with the aim of providing a solution to an existing need or problem. Challenges faced by social entrepreneurs are varied, but in some instances, most social enterprises fail for similar reasons. The research will also help in identifying the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs and the possible inputs of social entrepreneurs into these challenges as well as the possible solutions to these problems (Lyons,2013). The research will also help in identifying why Social entrepreneurship is considered as the new business model. This resea rch is also expected to give the researcher a deeper understanding of What is meant by social entrepreneurship and the role played by social entrepreneurs in building successful social enterprises. Conceptual Framework The descriptive conceptual framework will be used for analyzing data collected from this research. After it has been collected, data will be grouped in order of similarity. Selected Successful enterprises both small and large will be used as the case study for this research .data collected will then be analyzed to establish the relationships existing between variables. The research will also involve the use of questionnaires and surveys where it will be deemed necessary (Haag,2010). The research will also involve the use of technology to study the various life cycles of and stages of social enterprises. Various indicators to be considered will include ethical practices and sustainability measures, the levels of efficiency of operations, level of satisfaction on targets segments, financial performance as well as the level of satisfaction on the part of the social entrepreneur. Different types of social enterprises will be compared to establish whether they are all guided by similar pr inciples. Literature Review Many scholars have engaged in in-depth research on the area of social research which has led to the rise of many scholarly works on the topic. Literature review gives an analysis of the various points of view and arguments given by scholars on a particular topic. This particular section of this proposal will, therefore, present an analysis of literature relating to the topic of social Entrepreneurship and compare their ideas, findings, thoughts, and recommendations. This literature review will be used as a basis for further research through the identification of the existing gaps that need to be filled Defining social entrepreneurship Zahra et al.,(2009) views social entrepreneurship as involving activities and processes that are carried out with the aim of discovering, defining and exploiting opportunities or incorporate technology in existing ventures to create wealth.(Sharir and Lener,2007) defined Social entrepreneurship as the application of business strategies to confront complex social challenges (Mair and mart,2007) view social entrepreneurship as a process involving the use of different resources innovatively in pursuing opportunities aimed at addressing social problems and catalyzing social change Roles played by social entrepreneurs Social entrepreneurs play many different roles that may differ from one geographical location to another. (Thomas, 2013) ,Identifies creation and sustenance of social value, engaging continuously in an innovative process, pursuing new opportunities relentlessly and acting without being limited to the scarcity of resources as the main roles played by social entrepreneurs. According to Jafta (2013), the role of social entrepreneurs is centered on creating social cohesion and equality in the world. He also observes that Social entrepreneurship help in providing solutions to developmental problems. (Deshi, 2010) states that the ability of social entrepreneurs to mobilize community resources makes them a very important component of community development Differences between Social entrepreneurship and other forms of entrepreneurship There are differences that exist between social entrepreneurship and commercial entrepreneurship (Austin, Stevenson Wei-Skillern, 2012).Bright,(2013) notes that while for social entrepreneurs the main focus is on solving a problem that their solution is intended to address, commercial entrepreneurs do not care about any solution so long as there is a monetary output. He continues to state that social entrepreneurs are more focused on understanding problems in their political, social economic and cultural contexts.(Robbie,2012) observes that social entrepreneurs know the exact problem and only struggle to create a solution for the problem, commercial entrepreneurs struggle with problems and build solutions aimed at looking for problems to solve. Problems faced by social Entrepreneurs Although there exist several success stories concerning social entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurs are faced with many challenges. Walter et al. (2012) note that lack of a legislative framework is among the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs. Lack of this legislative framework denies social entrepreneurs a chance to blend socially while at the same time generating maximum profits (Dees, 2007). According to (Gilliss, 2011) however, lack of Funding, lack of a plan, lack of focus by the social entrepreneur, lack of skilled workforce, lack of structure and central agenda are the main challenges facing social entrepreneurs. Methodology Data for this research will be collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods Qualitative research Qualitative data which will be collected in descriptive form will be used in developing research questions and ideas. Data collected through qualitative method will be analyzed to help understand the concept of social entrepreneurship as well as its challenges. After qualitative data has been collected, it will then be classified into different strata according to the existing relationships. Qualitative data will be majorly collected from secondary sources such as literature reviews, magazines, books, journal articles and other secondary sources (Kumar, 2011). Some of the tools that will be used in qualitative research include online forums and surveys. The research will require physical visits to selected organizations and other social enterprises to understand different perceptions, opinions, and challenges faced by social entrepreneurs. Data collected through this method will be used in establishing challenges faced by social entrepreneurs. The data will be presented in report for mat. The qualitative method will be the main method for the study because of the nature of this study (Khan, 2011). Apart from secondary data, primary data will also be collected from some selected social entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. This will be majorly collected through the use of face to face interviews and questionnaires to facilitate acquisition of first-hand information Organization Of The Study The following will be the organization of the study Chapter one: Title and introduction to the research subject Chapter two: Justification of the research and potential output Chapter three: Literature review Chapter Four: Research Methodology Chapter Five: Analysis and discussion and summarizing of findings from the research Project Budget The Figures shown below are the budget estimates estimate required to successfully conduct the research. Budget item Cost($) Travel 1280 Printing cost 2860 Consultation fees 1,370 Material and supplies Printing cost 450 Accommodation meals during research 3,070 Total cost 9030 Project cost justification Travel The research will involve a lot of traveling to gather as much information from different organizations Material fee A number of materials will be required facilitate the research including a computer for analyzing the data that will be collected and stationery and other equipment to be used in collecting data Consultation fee A considerable amount of money is also expected to be spent on various experts whose will be needed for the successful completion of the research Printing cost Materials to be used in the collection and analysis of data will also need. Some cost will be incurred in acquiring sufficient materials. Meals and accommodation With the anticipated travelling, it is also expected that some considerable amount of money will be spent on accommodation and meals for the researcher and his/her team. High cost of food and accommodation is expected since the research will be conducted mostly in urban areas. Project Schedule Activity Start Date Duration(Days) End Date Identifying research subject 12/10/2017 12 24/10/2017 Formulation of research questions and setting research objectives 25/10/2017 2 26/10/2017 Identification and formulation of research design and strategy 27/10/2017 7 02/10/2017 Preparation of research proposal 03/10/2017 14 17/10/2017 Review of past literature 18/10/2017 21 07/11/2017 Collection of primary data 08/11/2017 7 15/11/2017 Analysis of data 16/11/2017 15 21/11/2017 Preparation and submission of final report 22/11/2017 3 25/11/2017 References Austin, J., Stevenson, H., Wei-Skillern, J. (2012). Social and commercial entrepreneurship: same, different, or both?. Revista de Administrao (So Paulo), 47(3), 370-384. Bright,B.S (2013).What Makes Social Entrepreneurs Different. Harvard Business School Dees, J. G. (2007). Taking social entrepreneurship seriously, Society, 44(3), pp.2431. doi:10.1007/BF02819936 Dagnino, G. B. (2012). Handbook of research on competitive strategy. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Dhesi, A. S. (2010). Diaspora, social entrepreneurs and community development. International Journal of Social Economics, 37(9), 703-716. Haag, H. (2010). Research methodology for sport and exercise science: A comprehensive introduction for study and research. Berlin: Logos-Verl. Hockerts, K., Mair, J., Robinson, J. (2010). Values and opportunities in social entrepreneurship. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Jafta, R. (2013). Social entrepreneurship can boost development in SA. Khan, J. A. (2011). Research methodology. New Delhi: APH Publishing Corporation. New Delhi : APH Publishing Corporation Kumar, R. (2011). 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N., Bhawe, N., Neubaum, D. O., Hayton, J. C. (2008). Globalization of social entrepreneurship opportunities. Strategic entrepreneurship journal, 2(2), 117-131. Watters, K, Willington, L, Shutte, T Kruh, R. (2012). Social Entrepreneurship individuals with vision hold unlimited potential to alleviate poverty: The UnLtd South Africa model. https://www.carnegie3.org.za/docs/papers/290_Watters_social%20entrepreunership%