Social entrepreneurship and sense-making: evidence from the Global Social Benefit Institute
ISSN: 1750-8614
Article publication date: 22 June 2018
Issue publication date: 31 August 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to provide an empirical investigation of social enterprises in the context of experiential learning. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the interplay between faith-based principles and the processes of opportunity recognition and exploitation through an in-depth, qualitative study of social enterprises offered through the Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI).
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, student experiences with social entrepreneurship are examined and their subsequent reflections are analyzed. Applying the Gioia methodology to the sample of student reflection data, this study enriches the growing literature on sense-making by looking closely at how student entrepreneurs engage their own faith-based education in helping their teams, beneficiaries and stakeholders “make sense” of a social change opportunity.
Findings
This study finds evidence of variability in the elaboration of the faith-based principles when sampling on the social needs of affection, behavioral confirmation and status.
Originality/value
The results suggest a role for faith-based sense-making when confronting the realities of social change opportunities.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank participants at the Colleagues in Jesuit Business Education Annual Conference (San Francisco, CA, 10-12 July 2014) for useful comments and discussions. In addition, the authors would like to thank Oana Branzei, Juna Kotori, James McGivney, S.J. and Phil Cooke, S.J., for useful comments and discussions. The authors are grateful for useful comments and suggestions provided by the anonymous referees.
Citation
Sabbaghi, O. and Cavanagh, S.J., G.F. (2018), "Social entrepreneurship and sense-making: evidence from the Global Social Benefit Institute", Social Enterprise Journal, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 289-311. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-01-2018-0009
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited