Social Entrepreneurship: Rise of a New Hybrid Sector

Abstract

In recent times, two interrelated fields of research have emerged: social entrepreneurship and social innovation. Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation are the new “buzz words” when it comes to both the business and non-profit sectors.Many people consider social enterprises to be a combination of both worlds, incorporating the social impact focus of non-profits, with the financial stability, or financial returns, of a business. So far most of the literature has adopted the term social entrepreneurship, while other authors make no distinction and yet others prefer to focus on social innovation. There is agreement, however, that the fields are just emerging with ample of fragmented contributions and a lack of well-defined theoretical body. One example is the rather weak problematization (treatment) of widely used concepts, for instance: hybrids.This paper seeks to contribute to the understanding of social innovation and entrepreneurship, with particular reference to the issue of hybridity. It builds on insights accumulated in the existing literature on social innovation and social entrepreneurship.