NGO Education Survey

CONTEMPORARY THEORY AND PRACTICE OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Social Enterprise is a growing global phenomenon and social enterprises are increasingly seen as potential solutions to market and state failure as well as new models for equitable and fair business practice. Social enterprise is about meeting double and triple bottom lines rather than a mere financial bottom line as the benchmark of success. This module offers students insight to the social entrepreneurial process, the motivation for social entrepreneurs and the complex challenges that establishing and managing social enterprises entail. Students will study issues of social mission, governance, legal forms, attitudes to profit, relationship to the public and private sectors, business planning and resource management. This module develops knowledge and skills for critical analysis, conceptual criticism, business analysis, opportunity identification and recognition. Students are required to apply critical thinking as they critically evaluate conceptual frameworks, examine case study evidence, critique different development approaches and philosophies and analyse the sustainability of social enterprise practice. PRME-related issues This module is consistent with the GCU/GSBS approach to adopting the PRME Principles. In particular, students will be studying issues of sustainable value for society, ethical approaches to socio- economic development and, through experiential learning methods, will be engaged with practising social entrepreneurs through guest lectures, case study analysis and site visits. A particular focus of this course is an analysis of the practical application of the social mission of social enterprises as it relates to equality, inclusion, double and triple bottom lines, governance practices and the balancing of commercial and ethical/mission imperatives.