The Search for Social Entrepreneurship

Paul C. Light

2008, 295 pages. Brookings Institution Press, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., 20036, 202-797-6000, www.brookings.edu

http://www.brookings.edu/press/Books/2008/
searchforsocialentrepreneurship.aspx

This book explores this surge of interest to establish the state of knowledge on the growing phenomenon of social entrepreneurship and to suggest directions for future research. Light begins by outlining the debate on how to define social entrepreneurship, a concept often cited and lauded but not necessarily understood. A very elemental definition would note that it involves individuals, groups, networks, or organizations seeking sustainable change via new ideas on how governments, nonprofits, and businesses can address significant social problems. That leaves plenty of gaps, however, and without adequate agreement on what the term means, we cannot measure it effectively. The unsatisfying results are apple-to-orange comparisons that make replication and further research difficult.

The subsequent section examines the four main components of social entrepreneurship: ideas, opportunities, organizations, and the entrepreneurs themselves. The copious information available about each has yet to be mined for lessons on making social entrepreneurship a success. The third section draws on the author's original survey research on 131 high-performing nonprofits, exploring how they differ across the four key components. The fourth and final section offers recommendations for future action and research in this field.