Understanding Social Entrepreneurship is the leading textbook that provides students with a comprehensive overview of the field. It brings the mindset, principles, strategies, tools, and techniques of entrepreneurship into the social sector to present innovative solutions to today's vexing social issues. Kickul and Lyons cover all the key topics relevant to social entrepreneurship, including a detailed examination of each of the steps in the entrepreneurial process. This third edition includes several new features: A process-oriented format, taking students through discovery, design, development, and delivery Two new chapters: one on lean start-up and design thinking for social entrepreneurship, and another on unconventional approaches from developing countries Updated and new case studies, with improved global coverage "Voices from the Field" sections that explore evidence-based research from the field. Bringing together a rigorous theoretical foundation and a strong practical focus, this is the go-to resource for students of social entrepreneurship at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A companion website includes an instructor's manual, PowerPoint slides, a test bank, and other tools to provide additional support for students and instructors.

This timely Handbook offers a unique opportunity to consider the performance and national context of microcredit initiatives within the European Union.Drawing together authors from a multi-disciplinary background and including complementary perspectives and interpretative analysis, this original Handbook examines which strategies and policies may affect how a particular country initiative fights against social and financial exclusion or fosters entrepreneurial behaviour with the use of microcredit. It explores the development of an Eastern/Western Europe practical divide in institutional practices and business models, whilst analysing the state of European microcredit and how the continent is adopting and adapting this developing world model for economic development.This book will be an influential tool helping government and policymakers to target a new set of microcredit initiatives and programmes. It will also be an invaluable read for students and academics in economics, business, development issues and political science.

The editors of this book have put together a volume that advances research on and deepens the understanding of social entrepreneurship in a number of ways. First, the volume offers a model of social entrepreneurship that bridges economics and sociology. Second, the approach taken expands our understanding of the broader phenomenon without compromising attention to detail. Third, the book also illustrates the usefulness of action research as a means of simultaneously intervening to create social and economic value and collecting data to test theory. All in all, this book represents an excellent resource for scholars; the literature review alone is worth acquiring it, let alone the other sections on social exchange theory, action research methodology, and philanthropic finance. Because of its practice orientation, this book is also a good resource for policy makers who want fresh thinking and evidence-based approaches to policy.' - Gideon D. Markman, Colorado State University, US'Social entrepreneurship has emerged as an academic field, due to growing interest among students, academics, and policymakers in understanding the antecedents and consequences of these activities. Unfortunately, there has been no comprehensive collection of state-of-the-art theoretical and empirical research on this topic. This timely and important book fills this gap, by effectively synthesizing the burgeoning interdisciplinary literature on social entrepreneurship. Given growing interest in social entrepreneurship, the usefulness of this book to academics, entrepreneurs, and policymakers will not diminish over time.' - Donald S. Siegel, University at Albany, SUNY, US Scholars and policy makers have long recognized entrepreneurship as a powerful engine of economic growth. There is clear evidence, however, that when it comes to social entrepreneurship, policy attention has not been matched by growth in scholarly research. This volume illustrates the type of empirical effort that must take place for the field to advance. The authors review the latest research in the field and then address the many challenges - heterogeneous institutions, geographies and cultures, fast evolving practices, the lack of reliable large datasets, and fragmented theory building that have hampered the development of this research. In many ways, the fundamental questions relating to the rationale and definitions of social entrepreneurship are still very much a work in progress. The main characteristics emerging from the theoretical and empirical discussions in this volume exemplify such complexity. This volume will inspire future researchers to pursue cross-disciplinary theory building, with the aim of building on what we already know and resolving what remains controversial. It will also help researchers think creatively about how their work can inform practice and policy making through the initial design of the research model. This book offers an empirical approach to social entrepreneurship, that researchers, students and policy makers will find invaluable. Contributors: A.-K. Achleitner, N. Auch, H. Aygoeren, S. Bacq, A.V. Bruno, J.F.G. Bunders, E.D. Carlson, J.E. Clarkin, P. Heister, J.R. Kickul, A. Kroeger, K. Lambrich, S.H. Lee, J. Maas, M. Meyskens, M. Nordqvist, P.H. Phan, A.A. Seferiadis, W. Spiess-Knafl, C. Weber, J.L. Woolley, M.B.M. Zweekhorst

The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Announce America's Top-Ranking Schools for Entrepreneurship. DePaul University made the top three on the graduate side. The Ryan Creativity Center at DePaul received recognition for its Idea Clinic as one of the top ten business programs in universities that are "entrepreneurial hot spots" programs. Lisa Gundry has been awarded the Innovation in Business Education Award in 1997, by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Mid-Continent East Association. She has also received the DePaul University Excellence in Teaching Award. Jill Kickul received the 2000 Management Department Teaching Innovation and Assessment Award. In this engaging and practical book, authors Lisa K. Gundry and Jill R. Kickul uniquely approach entrepreneurship across the life cycle of business growth-offering entrepreneurial strategies for the emerging venture, for the growing venture, and for sustaining growth in the established venture. Written from the point of view of the founder or the entrepreneurial team, the book offers powerful and practical tools to increase a venture's potential for success and growth. Key Features: Presents the changing pattern of strategic needs faced by the new venture: The theories, practices, and tools in this book help enhance a venture's creativity in the early days of business start-up and maintain the innovative edge throughout the life of the business. The authors emphasize the key strategic roles of creativity, opportunity identification, opportunity evaluation, and innovation in the emergence and growth of entrepreneurial firms. Offers real-world examples and contemporary cases: Each chapter contains up-to-date cases, Strategy in Action vignettes, Speaking of Strategy interviews with real-life entrepreneurs, and a Failures and Foibles segment to help readers learn from others' experiences and missteps. Promotes innovative thinking: The Innovator's Toolkit and Strategic Reflection Points give students the opportunity to reflect on the material presented. In addition, Research in Practice sections provide a summary of recent research on the chapter topic. Includes instructor resources on CD available upon request: This supportive CD contains PowerPoint slides, lecture outlines, sample syllabi, a guide to using the Special Elements in each chapter, and a listing of additional resources. Intended Audience: This is an ideal core textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management, Entrepreneurship Strategy, Strategic Management, Entrepreneurial Growth, Management of Innovation, Entrepreneurial Marketing, and Global Entrepreneurship in the fields of Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Organizational Behavior.

Understanding Social Entrepreneurship is the leading textbook that provides students with a comprehensive overview of the field. It brings the mindset, principles, strategies, tools, and techniques of entrepreneurship into the social sector to present innovative solutions to today's vexing social issues. Kickul and Lyons cover all the key topics relevant to social entrepreneurship, including a detailed examination of each of the steps in the entrepreneurial process. This third edition includes several new features: A process-oriented format, taking students through discovery, design, development, and delivery Two new chapters: one on lean start-up and design thinking for social entrepreneurship, and another on unconventional approaches from developing countries Updated and new case studies, with improved global coverage "Voices from the Field" sections that explore evidence-based research from the field. Bringing together a rigorous theoretical foundation and a strong practical focus, this is the go-to resource for students of social entrepreneurship at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. A companion website includes an instructor's manual, PowerPoint slides, a test bank, and other tools to provide additional support for students and instructors.

This impressive book outlines the complexities peculiar to the field of social entrepreneurship. Such complexities manifest at different moments in the development of a social entrepreneurial venture. It ties together many of the pressing issues and questions often encountered by social entrepreneurs and innovators as they identify, create, develop and sustain their own solutions throughout the life-cycle of their ventures.The contributors expertly focus on the individual, organizational and institutional levels of social entrepreneurship. They address the role of personal values and leadership in the conduct of social entrepreneurial initiatives while stressing the importance of stakeholders in relation to human resource management, innovation or opportunity discovery. Finally, they analyze the role of institutions in legitimating social entrepreneurs' actions. Social entrepreneurship, as a multi-disciplinary field, presents a unique opportunity and environment for researchers to contribute to academic-focused knowledge on both theoretical frameworks and practical skills on a holistic level. This volume offers a comprehensive foundation for this endeavor. Contributors: S. Bacq, E. Bennett, D. Bhutiani, B. Bird, R. Bissola, J.E. Clarkin, M. Conger, D.D. Deardurff, M. Fakhreddin, K. Flicker, A. Gallagher, D. Gregory, A. Groen, B. Imperatori, A. Katre, J.A. Kerlin, J. Kickul, R. Leaver, M. Meyskens, S.J. Mezias, T.W. Moss, P. Nair, S. Perelli, F. Perrini, K. Ramirez, P. Salipante, J.-I. Soh, S. Teasdale, C. Vurro, D.R. Young