This blog explains how law becomes part of a myriad of endeavours aimed at empowering local communities.… Read more
The impact of law on social innovation efforts
Social entrepreneurship after the Arab Spring
In 2011, hopes of a “new Egypt” inspired mass protests in Cairo which led to the resignation of President Mubarak. Seven years later, the regime change did not bring the social change people hoped for. Egypt is facing a number of straggling social problems, including 34.4 per cent youth unemployment, 27.8 per cent of the population living… Read more
Sparking creativity: social innovation drives a better world and better business
Creativity, or ‘the production of novel and useful ideas in any domain’[1] is widely recognised as a source of competitive advantage when delivered as innovation in business. Many businesses try to encourage lateral thinking, in the knowledge that exposure to new, different and interesting provocation can enhance creativity. But are there particular types of stimulus… Read more
How senior leaders sustain social and business objectives simultaneously
To achieve social and business objectives, leaders need to build guardrails and adopt paradoxical frames, argue Wendy Smith and Marya Besharov in this blog based on their research on a leading social enterprise. As our world cries out for repair, organisations have responded. For-profit businesses are adopting socially responsible programs and practices. Nonprofit organisations are… Read more
Five lessons learned in entrepreneurship for development
This blog explores an interesting, yet contentious example of an organisation promoting an entrepreneurship-initiative for rural development. It highlights the difficulties of introducing a set of Western market-practices into a non-Western context – namely Tanzania. Economic development in rural Tanzania may be key to alleviating the negative consequences of rapid urbanisation and to addressing the… Read more
Reclaiming symbols and spaces: social innovation made in (Southern) Italy
Students of social innovation[1] know only too well the power of symbols and stories. Those who look for innovative solutions to complex, wicked social problems face, first, the challenge of conceptualising and clearly explaining to others the very social evil they are trying to address. This is usually no trivial matter: the way we consider… Read more
Owning the future of work
A lot is written about the millennial generation in the press. Maybe that they are narcissists and buy too much avocado on toast, or that they have the attention span of a goldfish and are addicted to social media. Invariably these opinions are put forward by people with a very selective knowledge of the issues… Read more
Want to become a social entrepreneur? The University of Cambridge has you covered!
You are bold, ambitious and determined. As a student at the University of Cambridge you also dream of becoming a social entrepreneur, someone who innovates to create economic as well as social and/or environmental benefits. Fear not, Cambridge has many resources available to support you in this entrepreneurial journey. Just one year ago I commenced my… Read more
Building ethical cultures by hiring those who voice
In today’s business, it is crucial that companies are known as having the right values and the willingness to pursue them no matter what the cost is. Being a determined value-driven organisation makes customers and other stakeholders trust you. Unfortunately, like people, organisations do not always act in rational ways and mistakes are made that… Read more
Gender as we know it: rethinking (in)equality in the workplace
It is no mystery that the private sector can be an extremely gendered working environment. From glass ceilings (invisible barriers preventing women from achieving high profile positions) to the perhaps lesser-known glass cliffs (leadership positions becoming available only when attached to great risks and high chances of failure), gender inequality is a very tangible,… Read more