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Conceptualizing Social Entrepreneurship

Where We Are and How to Move Forward

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Assessing Social Impact of Social Enterprises

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Business ((BRIEFSBUSINESS))

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to outline the concept of social entrepreneurship, describing its origins within the whole phenomenon of social economy. Particular attention is paid to providing an overall vision of the features of this complex concept, and illustrating those elements that are mostly debated in the attempts to draft a generally accepted definition. The differences emerging across countries concerning the concept of social entrepreneurship will also be touched upon. This chapter provides an overview of what social enterprises are and the reason why assessing social impact is highly beneficial for them.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    An important example in recent years is the rise of crowdfunding as a way of directly mobilizing financial resources for the most disparate ventures. The term refers to the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet.

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  1. Libera Università Maria Ss. Assunta (LUMSA), Rome, Italy

    Cecilia Grieco

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Grieco, C. (2015). Conceptualizing Social Entrepreneurship. In: Assessing Social Impact of Social Enterprises. SpringerBriefs in Business. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15314-8_2

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