Studying social entrepreneurship

The study of social entrepreneurship as an academic course has recently been gaining popularity in European and North American universities. Leading schools like Harvard and Oxford have even established social entrepreneurship centres. This interest is especially encouraging considering that in 1989 a proposed course on social entrepreneurship was rejected at the Harvard Business School. The change in mindset can perhaps be attributed to the realization that notwithstanding advances in scientific, social, political, and economic systems, the gap between rich and poor seems to be widening. With many social problems continuing to plague societies, and some even worsening, concern regarding the effectiveness and sustainability of governmental and welfare based approaches to social problems has increased. This in turn has directed greater attention to the work of social entrepreneurs.

The increasing number of entrepreneurial people entering and innovating within the social sector is influencing how communities and societies view public resources, services and their use. From adapting market based approaches to experimenting with for-profit income generating ventures to employing modern management methods to developing indicators for measuring social impact, social entrepreneurs are making the social sector more efficient. These experiences are not lost among academics, private sector, government and others; and are reflected in the growing recognition that valuable lessons can be drawn from studying and documenting the work of social entrepreneurs.

Justification for a course
A 1986 study suggests that there is empirical evidence pointing to entrepreneurship courses as influencing more students to become entrepreneurs. It is also acknowledged that motivating individuals to engage in entrepreneurial activities can contribute to economic development. This may explain why various governments around the world have promoted small businesses as a strategy for generating employment. The study of entrepreneurship in educational institutions can therefore have a direct positive impact on a country's economy.

An increasing number of organizations and individuals are using entrepreneurial skills and strategies to tackle different social problems. Some of these have been transplanted from and to business enterprises. This cross sector learning and exchange is said to be "blurring the boundaries" between the social and private sector. A course on social entrepreneurship would thus be able to cut across both social and business studies and hopefully spur the creation of new ventures.

The academic study of entrepreneurship in Bangladesh is primarily limited to professional degree programs such as the MBA or BBA. These courses tend to focus on the economics and management of the entrepreneurial process and venture and not as much, if at all, on the entrepreneur driving the idea. Generally speaking, this has been a trait fairly common to entrepreneurship courses across the world. In countries where the study of entrepreneurship is more advanced, there is now greater attention paid to the entrepreneur and in integrating his/her experiences within the course curriculum.

In terms of Bangladesh's experience with entrepreneurship, it would be difficult to challenge the assertion that Bangladeshi social entrepreneurs have made a stronger mark globally or regionally than their business counterparts. A number of them have gained international recognition including the replication of their strategies in different countries. It therefore makes greater sense to tap this knowledge base in designing any course on entrepreneurship than merely borrowing materials and cases from elsewhere.

Safi Rahman Khan works in social development.