I read “Time to put the entrepreneurship record straight” by Hamid Bouchikhi and found it quite thought provoking. Whilst I agree with some of what Hamid says I disagree that we should “look for a label other than ‘social’ to help us sort the good from the ugly”. He says that “the ideal responsible entrepreneur does no harm and does not produce negative results” but for me this fails to take into account the fact that social entrepreneurship is about creating positive social impact, progress and change – very different to simply not having a negative impact.
Yes, a shift towards more responsible commercial business would be welcomed by all (as is the shift towards more sustainable social interventions) but it is important to distinguish the difference between social entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs; their primary motivation. A commercial entrepreneur’s primary motivation is to make profit, so naturally their decision making is guided by the bottom line. Whereas a social entrepreneur’s primary motivation is to provide a solution to a complex social issue.
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