Social Enterprises

Social enterprises have been a growing phenomenon around the world in the past decade. Theauthors of this volume argue that they represent a unique type of organization. By combiningsocial goals with a business orientation, both critical for their mission and survival, they represent abreed of organization with two kinds of logic that in the past were not perceived as belongingunder the same organizational roof. The business logic, with its focus on competition and privateownership, did not seem a fitting context in which to deal with social issues or problems. These aretraditionally dealt with by a service logic that emphasizes a charitable, empathetic orientation.Putting these two orientations together calls for creative organizational solutions, especially ifthese organizations are to be stable and sustainable. Social Enterprises presents a first attempt todo that. An organizational perspective of social enterprises allows us to analyze issues such as theirgoverning structure, their modes of operation and their marketing strategies, and begins toformulate some theoretical constructs on how these entities can survive and thrive. This volume provides not only a theoretical and empirical basis to examine these issues, but an internationalperspective as well.