Genesis of Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurship has indeed become an important global phenomenon yet there are no comprehensive theories that can clarify what the phenomenon is, and describe its role in the economic system, despite a number of distinct case studies of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises that have been undertaken so far (Mair, 2010). This book makes a contribution to social entrepreneurship theory by exploring the genesis of social entrepreneurship in specific contexts by studying the emergence of social entrepreneurship in collective settings, in the formative phases of three social enterprises – in the UK and Denmark. Trying to seek how and why social entrepreneurship emerges in specific social settings, it explores the interaction between social actors who initiate the formation of social enterprises and their environment, with the structures around - organisations, institutions, policies, traditions and groupings. The book will be of significant interest and use for academics, policy makers, students of entrepreneurship and management as well as activists who are trying to transform the lives of marginalised groups for the better, in innovative and entrepreneurial ways.