Social entrepreneurs as creative social brokers
The underdevelopment of effective ecosystems at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) potentially opens up huge opportunities for social entrepreneurs to creatively manage networks in order to innovate and scale up. The aim of our research is to identify the success (and failure) patterns of (social) enterprises in emerging markets, with a particular focus on the dynamics of network development and change. As a project that is located on the interface of academia and practice, we aim to generate insights for both rigorous case studies and publications and practical recommendations/ toolsets for social entrepreneurs and their ecosystems.
Christian Busch A first qualitative project, started in May 2010, will focus on the healthcare sector (in Kenya and Ghana), arguably one of the most relevant sectors for promoting social change. 6-10 longitudinal case studies of social entrepreneurs will examine several stages in the ventures’ growth process to uncover the (social) mechanisms and processes that make some social entrepreneurs perform better than others. We draw on both extensive literature research (network theory, entrepreneurship theory, open innovation models), as well as our expertise at the ICCL. This first qualitative study will be followed by a quantitative study, which will include a large-scale survey of social entrepreneurs in different sectors and countries to enhance the generalizability of the findings, and to make it applicable to an even broader audience. We aim to finish these projects by December 2012.
Our project will be one of the first studies systematically examining the types and characteristics of networks that are needed to facilitate the performance of (social) entrepreneurs at the BoP. While our study is focused on the health sector in several African countries, the results will probably be valid in other settings as well. We aim to develop a business model innovation toolset for entrepreneurs, NGOs, and multinationals, which can be applied around the globe. Furthermore, the initiative is currently building up a global stakeholder network (including selective networks such as Sandbox, (social) entrepreneurs, NGOs, multinationals, governments, and academia), as well as an online community. This will leverage our outreach to diffuse these tools via physical workshops, online-toolsets, and multipliers in developing countries (especially social entrepreneurs).
Sandbox is an exclusive community that selects the most inspiring young achievers and innovators under 30 worldwide and connects them to each other. It offers a trusted environment (online and offline) where they can build meaningful relationships, learn from each other and get access to resources that help them realize their next big idea. Chris Busch, PhD Student with the Innovation Co-Creation Lab at the LSE, founded Sandbox in 2009.
More information about Sandbox is available at http://www.sandbox-network.com/.