Networked forms of organizing in the field of social entrepreneurship.

• Main Author: Wegmann, Ruben.
• Other Authors: Nanyang Business School
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Business
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/19323
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The thesis studies networked forms of organizing in the field of social entrepreneurship. The qualitative research concept follows a two-step approach. First, the definition of social entre¬preneurship is revised. The section shows the primacy of the social mission. In order to inter¬pret the broad body of network theories from a social entrepreneurship perspective, a guiding framework is derived that summarizes the similarities and differences between commercial and social entrepreneurship. The subsequent analysis identifies four core issues: governance model, social mission alignment, deal structure, and social impact assessment. The second part presents two empirical studies to illustrate the findings from the previous analysis. The case study research is conducted in Georgia, a country where social enterprises fill in the gap arising from a weak social welfare system. The first case deals with a social enterprise and its network ties in the health sector. The second explores network activities in the microfinance sector. Although the cases do not reveal best practices to address the cur¬rent network management challenges, they show at least that the four identified core issues are indeed relevant. Moreover, the empirical part reveals that networked forms of organizing in the field of social entrepreneurship are depended on personal relationships and contacts.