Issues in Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurship

Social enterprise and social entrepreneurship are topics of growing interest among academics and practitioners. This paper discusses the background and current configuration of discussions on these subjects. Issues related to social enterprise have been debated for some time, but questions remain about the impact of earned income on nonprofit organizations and corresponding sectors. Considerations of social entrepreneurship are relatively more recent. Topics of interest include appropriate definitions, the degree to which entrepreneurship may differ between nonprofits and for-profits, and the potential of social entrepreneurship to address significant social problems.