What are the specific personality traits that come together to create a social entrepreneur? How can we empower future social entrepreneurs? What skills and potentials should be awakened and cultivated? Dees provides one of the classic definitions of social entrepreneurship. According to him, social entrepreneurs are change agents with a mission. They focus not only on personal value but also on social value. They recognise opportunities based on this mission, and they use continuous innovation, adaptation and learning in this recognition process. They also act courageously and are responsible at the same time. In addition to Dees' basic description, Tracey and Phillips define social entrepreneurship as creating a business with a social purpose.
Thus, it involves both the pursuit of the economic principle and social construction. There are three critical challenges for educating social entrepreneurs in achieving these dual goals. First, managing accountability to respond appropriately to all stakeholders; secondly, managing the double bottom line to balance commercial and social goals; and third, managing identity with a clear stance on social and economic goals. Looking at current world events, the need for the action described above seems almost obvious. Despite the enormous progress in the quality of life that humanity has made over the last two centuries, many problems remain, and new ones have arisen. Despite steady economic growth, much of the world lives in poverty. Access to education, as well as quality, varies widely around the world. Violence and conflict exist at all levels, from the personal to the global.
The earth is warming, the polar ice caps are melting, and biodiversity is declining at an unusually rapid rate, raising serious questions about the impact on future generations, whatever the cause. We may not all agree on our visions of an ideal world, but we can generally agree that the gap between reality and our excellent ideas is still enormous. Dees cites the concept of social entrepreneurship as a promising strategy to address this challenge. The world offers already examples of its success. Numerous renowned universities, including Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and Oxford, already support social entrepreneurs implementing innovative business models. In addition, numerous foundations exist worldwide to provide financial support for these types of enterprises.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Problem definition
1.1.1 Indispensability of social entrepreneurship
1.1.2 Causes of socially entrepreneurial action
1.2 Aim of the work
1.3 Structure of the work
2 Social entrepreneurship: theory and practice
2.1 Background
2.2 Conceptual overview
2.2.1 Defining social entrepreneurship
2.2.2 Reflection on definitions
2.2.3 Dimensions of social entrepreneurship
2.3 Social entrepreneurs – personality
2.3.1 Creativity
2.3.2 The entrepreneurial spirit
2.3.3 Other personality traits
3 The personality trait: mindfulness
3.1 Background
3.2 Definitions & conceptual overview
3.2.1 Individuel mindfulness
3.2.2 Collective mindfulness
3.3 Empirical recording and measurement
3.3.1 Measuring individual mindfulness
3.3.2 Measuring collective mindfulness
3.4 Developing mindfulness
3.4.1 Antecedents of individual mindfulness
3.4.2 Antecedents of collective mindfulness
4 Applied mindfulness in business
4.1 Individual and organisational impact
4.1.1 Worker well-being
4.1.2 Overall performance
4.1.3 Task performance
4.2 Social entrepreneurship and mindfulness
4.2.1 The dual-task
4.2.2 Identifying opportunities
4.2.3 Continuous innovation
4.2.4 Acting courageously and responsible
4.3 Overview of characteristics and object of research
5 Methodology
5.1 Quantitative and qualitative research methods
5.2 Definition of the object of research
5.3 Description and explanation of the research method
5.4 Critical review of the methodology
6 Mindfulness in social entrepreneurship – an empirical study
6.1 Selection of the sample
6.2 Creation and structure of the interview guide
6.3 Organisation and implementation of the interviews
7 Category system and evaluation
7.1 Derivation of categories and coding
7.2 Evaluation of the data
7.2.1 Main category 1 – personality traits of social entrepreneurs
7.2.2 Main category 2 – Effects of mindfulness at work
7.2.3 Main category 3 – Connections between mindfulness social entrepreneurs
7.2.4 Main category 4 – Challenges through mindfulness
7.2.5 Main category 5 – Companions of mindfulness
7.2.6 Main category 6 – Work-induced impacts on social entrepreneurs
8 Interpretation of the results
8.1 Effects of mindfulness in social entrepreneurship
8.1.1 Change agents in the social sector
8.1.2 Act boldly
8.1.3 Adopting a mission to create and sustain social and private value
8.1.4 Continuous adaptation
8.1.5 Continuous innovation
8.1.6 Continuous learning
8.1.7 High sense of accountability
8.1.8 Recognizing and following new opportunities
8.2 Further effects of mindfulness in social entrepreneurship
8.2.1 Being collaborative
8.2.2 Being curious
8.2.3 Questioning the status quo
8.2.4 Stress reduction
8.3 Summary of the interpretation
9 Critical review of the research
9.1 The objectivity and transparency of the research project
9.2 Significance of the results
10 Summary and conclusion
Objectives & Topics
This master's thesis explores the potential influence of mindfulness as a personality trait on the founding and continuation of social enterprises, specifically within the German context. It aims to investigate how mindfulness intersects with the unique challenges of social entrepreneurship and contributes to effective leadership and organizational performance.
- Theoretical foundations of social entrepreneurship and mindfulness
- The role of individual and collective mindfulness in organizational success
- Empirical qualitative analysis through expert interviews
- Relationship between mindfulness and core social entrepreneurial traits
Excerpt from the Book
1.1.1 Indispensability of social entrepreneurship
Dees provides one of the classic definitions of social entrepreneurship. According to him, social entrepreneurs are change agents with a mission. They focus not only on personal value but also on social value. They recognise opportunities based on this mission, and they use continuous innovation, adaptation and learning in this recognition process. They also act courageously and are responsible at the same time.
In addition to Dees' basic description, Tracey and Phillips define social entrepreneurship as creating a business with a social purpose. Thus, it involves both the pursuit of the economic principle and social construction. There are three critical challenges for educating social entrepreneurs in achieving these dual goals. First, managing accountability to respond appropriately to all stakeholders; secondly, managing the double bottom line to balance commercial and social goals; and third, managing identity with a clear stance on social and economic goals.
Looking at current world events, the need for the action described above seems almost obvious. Despite the enormous progress in the quality of life that humanity has made over the last two centuries, many problems remain, and new ones have arisen. Despite steady economic growth, much of the world lives in poverty. Access to education, as well as quality, varies widely around the world. Violence and conflict exist at all levels, from the personal to the global. The earth is warming, the polar ice caps are melting, and biodiversity is declining at an unusually rapid rate, raising serious questions about the impact on future generations, whatever the cause. We may not all agree on our visions of an ideal world, but we can generally agree that the gap between reality and our excellent ideas is still enormous.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the problem of social entrepreneurship, defines the aim of the work, and outlines the overall thesis structure.
2 Social entrepreneurship: theory and practice: This chapter explores the history, influential personalities, and core theoretical dimensions of social entrepreneurship, including the personality traits of social entrepreneurs.
3 The personality trait: mindfulness: This chapter defines mindfulness, differentiates between individual and collective mindfulness, and discusses its empirical measurement and antecedents.
4 Applied mindfulness in business: This chapter analyzes the impact of mindfulness on individual well-being, organizational performance, and task performance, specifically within the context of social entrepreneurship.
5 Methodology: This chapter explains the qualitative research approach, specifically the use of expert interviews and content-structuring content analysis to investigate the research question.
6 Mindfulness in social entrepreneurship – an empirical study: This chapter details the sample selection, the interview guide structure, and the implementation process of the empirical study.
7 Category system and evaluation: This chapter describes the derivation of categories and coding processes, and evaluates the data based on the identified personality traits and mindfulness impacts.
8 Interpretation of the results: This chapter analyzes the connections between mindfulness and specific social entrepreneurial characteristics and discusses further identified effects.
9 Critical review of the research: This chapter reflects on the objectivity, transparency, and significance of the qualitative study conducted.
10 Summary and conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the main research findings and provides prospects for future scientific inquiry.
Keywords
Social Entrepreneurship, Mindfulness, Entrepreneurial Personality, Collective Mindfulness, Organizational Performance, Social Mission, Innovation, Qualitative Research, Expert Interviews, Content Analysis, Leadership, Well-being, Stress Reduction, Social Change, Dual-task.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
This thesis examines the role and influence of mindfulness (as both an individual trait and collective practice) on the behavior, decision-making, and organizational success of social entrepreneurs.
What are the central thematic fields covered in the work?
The work integrates literature on social entrepreneurship and mindfulness research to explore their intersection in a business context, particularly for social enterprises.
What is the core research question?
The research aims to identify what potential influences the effects of mindfulness can have on social entrepreneurship.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The study employs a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured expert interviews with eight individuals and performing a content-structuring content analysis.
What topics are discussed in the main part?
The main part covers the historical and conceptual foundations of social entrepreneurship, the definition and measurement of mindfulness, its impact on business outcomes, and the specific connection to social enterprise goals.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include social entrepreneurship, mindfulness, social mission, innovation, organizational behavior, and qualitative methodology.
How does mindfulness relate to the "dual-task" concept?
The thesis argues that mindfulness helps social entrepreneurs navigate the tension between economic goals and social missions, allowing for better focus and ethical decision-making.
Does mindfulness lead to specific personality traits in social entrepreneurs?
Yes, the empirical evaluation suggests that mindfulness supports traits like self-reflection, sense of responsibility, and the ability to navigate complex tensions effectively.
What are the findings regarding the impact on stress?
The study identifies that mindfulness is a powerful tool for stress reduction, which is crucial given the high-pressure environment of "improving the world."
- Quote paper
- Felix-Sebastian Ament (Author), 2021, The potential Influence of applied Mindfulness in Social Entrepreneurship, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1168779
