Changes are afoot in the nonprofit sector of the economy (James, 2003). Nonprofit leaders are adopting entrepreneurial business models to sustain or expand the scope of their mission work. This change is part of a counter-hegemonic shift toward a new economic paradigm in which blended business models create both social and financial value (Sabeti, 2009; Sahakian & Dunand, 2013). The current study explored how nonprofit leaders understand the shift toward a more enterprising and entrepreneurial nonprofit sector. Qualitative methods, along with a grounded theory framework were used to elicit leaders' perspectives on the emergence of social enterprise in nonprofits and the characteristics of successful nonprofit social enterprise. Findings include five themes of social enterprise understanding that offer structure for further research and professional discourse on the subject, including: 1) Social enterprise as a necessary and inevitable evolution of the nonprofit organization; 2) Social enterprise as a means of achieving a social mission; 3) Social enterprise as a true blending of business and social impact models; 4) Social enterprise as a business principle applied to a social mission context; and 5) Social enterprise as a market-driven approach to financial and social value creation. A secondary analysis points to the emergence of a social enterprise synergy effect in which the social and financial value generated by nonprofit social enterprises yield a third effect that is greater than the sum of the individual parts. The implications of these findings are limited to nonprofit social enterprises, but contribute to our understanding of this nascent field.

In this Masters Research Report I explore how South Africa, in reaction to the global economic crisis’s impact on national unemployment statistics, has embraced the social economy. As this is a recent undertaking of the state, this research covers the timeline of events pertinent to what I determine to be the tipping point of the social economy in South Africa between 2009-­‐2011. Based on documentary analysis and in-­‐depth interviews with key actors determined to be ‘experts’ in the field, this research attempts to gain an understanding of how the concept of the social economy and its organizations of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise are being transposed onto the South African landscape, specifically in the Gauteng province. By examining the trend of the social economy and how it is being conceptualized in the country, this research aims to understand the implications for the future of South Africa’s socioeconomic development path.

Students with intellectual and other disabilities who age out of transition programs or graduate from high school may experience marginalization as young adults. There exists scant literature on the perceptions of parents about access to employment and services for their adult children with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how parents perceived educational services, financial burdens, social isolation, and lack of access to employment for their children with intellectual and other disabilities. Critical disability theory and transformational theory constituted the study's conceptual framework. The research questions concerned how parents perceived access to services related to financial assistance, postsecondary education, employment, and vocational consultation. The design was a case study with a purposefully selected sample consisting of 5 parents from a Western U.S. state. Data sources included field notes, interviews, and artifacts. A field log, newspaper articles, and interview transcriptions were gathered, sorted, and categorized into themes. Results of the study revealed that employment gaps for adults with disabilities decreased with better knowledge about disability strengths, social capital, employer and employee diversity training, and competitive employment opportunities. A position paper was developed based on study findings, which was targeted to employers and included information on the reasons for a business to embrace diversity in the workplace. Business leaders' promotion of social enterprises that enable community inclusion and financial independence for people with disabilities may result in a positive paradigm shift towards equitable employment as a positive social change outcome.

O tema em discussão diz respeito ao atendimento, pelo direito comercial, de interesses que não exclusivamente o lucro, e guarda evidente relação com as bases principiológicas e legislativas já estabelecidas principalmente no Código Civil, na Lei de Sociedades por Ações e na Constituição Federal. Identifica-se espaço para o desenvolvimento de extensa gama de atividades econômicas lucrativas com intuito de geração de benefícios sociais, ambientais e econômicos para pessoas excluídas do circuito de consumo no país. Esse é o fundamento do instituto denominado principalmente de empresa social, negócio de impacto ou sociedade de benefícios, idealizado pelo economista bengalês Muhammad Yunus, ganhador do Prêmio Nobel da Paz, que tinha como intuito a erradicação da pobreza em seu país por meio do financiamento aos pobres de microcrédito, oferecido por um banco. A partir do entendimento da empresa como instrumento para que se alcance o desenvolvimento e a geração de impacto positivo na sociedade, o trabalho estuda os mais recentes debates sobre o contexto de surgimento e as diferenças dos conceitos atribuídos a essa modalidade empresarial nos diferentes países e regiões do mundo. Após, analisa a aplicabilidade dos conceitos e práticas de governança à empresa com atuação social, sobretudo em duas frentes: na própria estrutura societária, no que diz respeito à estabilização do compromisso dos sócios e acomodação de interesses entre partes relacionadas; e na organização dos órgãos administrativos da empresa, principalmente incumbidos da administração em si e da fiscalização da atividade social. / The subject under discussion relates to the attention, by corporate law, of interests not exclusively profitable, and is clearly linked to the principles and legislative bases already established mainly in the Civil Code, Companies Law and Brazilian Federal Constitution. One can identify a wide range of economic activities\' development space purposing to generate profits and social, environmental and economic benefits for people excluded from the consumption circuit. This is the main idea of the so-called social enterprise, positive impact business or Benefit Corporation, created by the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist whose goal was to eradicate poverty by a microcredit bank. Having the enterprise as a tool to achieve development and generate positive impact in society, the study relates the most recent debates about the context of emergence and the concepts\' differences in the different countries to the social enterprise or Benefit Corporations. Afterwards, it analyzes the governance concepts and practices\' applicability to the social enterprise, especially about the corporate structure itself, regarding the partners commitment stabilization and interests\' accommodation between related parties; and the business organization, mainly in charge of the administration itself and the social activity supervision.

<p>I arbetslivet har omfattande förändringar ägt rum, vilket har inneburit hårdare villkor för alla men kanske särskilt för dem som av olika anledningar står utanför arbetsmarknaden. Denna uppsats är en fallstudie av ett socialt arbetskooperativ som drivs av människor med psykiska funktionshinder. Studien syftar till att ge ökad förståelse för, och kunskap om, vilken betydelse det sociala arbetskooperativet har, och har haft, för den enskilde kooperatören och vidare för kooperatörernas livssituation i allmänhet, samt deras förhållande till arbetslivet i synnerhet.</p><p>Vi har gjort en kvalitativ studie grundad på djupgående intervjuer med sex kooperatörer samt med verksamhetens båda handledare. Slutsatserna av vår studie bygger på analyser av dessa</p><p>intervjuer. Den första och kanske viktigaste slutsats vi har dragit är att deltagandet i Solakoop är för kooperatörerna synonymt med ”det goda arbetet” och har givit dem ökat självförtroende,</p><p>initiativförmåga och ansvarskänsla. Dock uppbär kooperatörerna ersättning via socialförsäkringssystemet, vilket har flera negativa konsekvenser för den enskilde. Vidare har vi sett att de av Jahoda (1982) identifierade latenta bieffekterna av arbete är särskilt viktiga för människor med psykisk ohälsa och att samtliga uppfylls i det sociala arbetskooperativet, samt att arbetet i det sociala arbetskooperativet har en rehabiliterande effekt på kooperatörernas psykiska välbefinnande och deras sjukdom. Vi har även dragit</p><p>slutsatsen att arbetet i det sociala arbetskooperativet har fört kooperatörerna närmare den öppna arbetsmarknaden.</p> / <p>Within working life, large-scale changes have taken place which have implied rougher conditions for everyone, particularly for those that are excluded from the labour market for differrent reasons. This paper is a case study of a social enterprise run by people with a mental health handicap. The aim of this study is to gain understanding and knowledge about what the social enterprise has meant for the co-operative’s participants, for their situations in life in general and, more specific, their relationship to working life.</p><p>We have made a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with six participants and the two guiding mentors of the business. The conclusions of our study are based on analyses of the interviews. The first, and possibly the most important, conclusion we have drawn is that participating in Solakoop has given the co-operators a higher level of self-esteem, power of initiative and sense of responsibility. Dependence on sickness benefits and/or allowances,</p><p>however, produces large negative consequences for individuals.</p><p>Furthermore we have seen that the latent by-products of work, as described by Jahoda, are of particular importance for individuals with mental health handicaps and that all of them are</p><p>accomplished in the social enterprise. We have also come to the conclusion that work in the social enterprise has a rehabilitating effect on the participants’ mental well-being and their</p><p>diseases. Finally we have drawn the conclusion that working in the social enterprise has brought the co-operators closer to the open labour market.</p>

Service science is an emerging multidisciplinary field concerned with the study of service systems and value co-creation. In recent years, the field has expanded considerably, growing to encompass a community of researchers and practitioners from a range of backgrounds and knowledge domains. However, very little research has focused on the study of service systems within the context of social-purpose organizations (SPOs), such as a nonprofit charitable organization or academic institution. We contend that SPOs represent a class of service systems that are understudied in service science, and the goal of this thesis was to contribute to the ongoing development of the disciplines theoretical foundations through an empirical study of a special type of SPO, the social enterprise. Through case-study research we surveyed five social enterprise organizations across Canada. Our findings point to a number of areas that suggest a conceptual bias towards service systems that are economically motivated and profit driven.

Service science is an emerging multidisciplinary field concerned with the study of service systems and value co-creation. In recent years, the field has expanded considerably, growing to encompass a community of researchers and practitioners from a range of backgrounds and knowledge domains. However, very little research has focused on the study of service systems within the context of social-purpose organizations (SPOs), such as a nonprofit charitable organization or academic institution. We contend that SPOs represent a class of service systems that are understudied in service science, and the goal of this thesis was to contribute to the ongoing development of the disciplines theoretical foundations through an empirical study of a special type of SPO, the social enterprise. Through case-study research we surveyed five social enterprise organizations across Canada. Our findings point to a number of areas that suggest a conceptual bias towards service systems that are economically motivated and profit driven.

I arbetslivet har omfattande förändringar ägt rum, vilket har inneburit hårdare villkor för alla men kanske särskilt för dem som av olika anledningar står utanför arbetsmarknaden. Denna uppsats är en fallstudie av ett socialt arbetskooperativ som drivs av människor med psykiska funktionshinder. Studien syftar till att ge ökad förståelse för, och kunskap om, vilken betydelse det sociala arbetskooperativet har, och har haft, för den enskilde kooperatören och vidare för kooperatörernas livssituation i allmänhet, samt deras förhållande till arbetslivet i synnerhet. Vi har gjort en kvalitativ studie grundad på djupgående intervjuer med sex kooperatörer samt med verksamhetens båda handledare. Slutsatserna av vår studie bygger på analyser av dessa intervjuer. Den första och kanske viktigaste slutsats vi har dragit är att deltagandet i Solakoop är för kooperatörerna synonymt med ”det goda arbetet” och har givit dem ökat självförtroende, initiativförmåga och ansvarskänsla. Dock uppbär kooperatörerna ersättning via socialförsäkringssystemet, vilket har flera negativa konsekvenser för den enskilde. Vidare har vi sett att de av Jahoda (1982) identifierade latenta bieffekterna av arbete är särskilt viktiga för människor med psykisk ohälsa och att samtliga uppfylls i det sociala arbetskooperativet, samt att arbetet i det sociala arbetskooperativet har en rehabiliterande effekt på kooperatörernas psykiska välbefinnande och deras sjukdom. Vi har även dragit slutsatsen att arbetet i det sociala arbetskooperativet har fört kooperatörerna närmare den öppna arbetsmarknaden. / Within working life, large-scale changes have taken place which have implied rougher conditions for everyone, particularly for those that are excluded from the labour market for differrent reasons. This paper is a case study of a social enterprise run by people with a mental health handicap. The aim of this study is to gain understanding and knowledge about what the social enterprise has meant for the co-operative’s participants, for their situations in life in general and, more specific, their relationship to working life. We have made a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with six participants and the two guiding mentors of the business. The conclusions of our study are based on analyses of the interviews. The first, and possibly the most important, conclusion we have drawn is that participating in Solakoop has given the co-operators a higher level of self-esteem, power of initiative and sense of responsibility. Dependence on sickness benefits and/or allowances, however, produces large negative consequences for individuals. Furthermore we have seen that the latent by-products of work, as described by Jahoda, are of particular importance for individuals with mental health handicaps and that all of them are accomplished in the social enterprise. We have also come to the conclusion that work in the social enterprise has a rehabilitating effect on the participants’ mental well-being and their diseases. Finally we have drawn the conclusion that working in the social enterprise has brought the co-operators closer to the open labour market.

Sustainable business practices used to be seen as an oxymoron. How James Tansey is making corporate social responsibility business as usual.

This thesis articulates how the Kuh-Ke-Nah network (K-Net) shaped broadband development in remote indigenous communities. K-Net operates under the not-for-profit stewardship of Keewaytinook Okimanak (KO) Tribal Council. Located in Northwestern Ontario, KO brought K-Net to life amongst its six member First Nations in the mid 1990s. As K-Net evolved and expanded its membership, KO established a governance model that devolves network ownership and control to community networks in partner First Nations. This governance model reflects KO’s use of social enterprise to organize K-Net’s community-based broadband deployment amidst necessary partnerships with government programs and industry players. K-Net’s social enterprise has rapidly grown since 1997, when its core constituents fought for basic telephone service and internet access in Northern Ontario. In the space of less than a decade, K-Net communities have gone from a situation in which it was common for there to be but a single public payphone in a settlement, to a point where over thirty now have broadband internet services to households. Technologies now under K-Net control include a C-Band satellite transponder, IP videoconferencing and telephony, web and email server space, and a variety of terrestrial and wireless links that effectively connect small, scattered First Nations communities to each other and the wider world. K-Net’s governance model encourages member communities to own and control community local loops and internet services under the authority of a local enterprise. Community ownership and control over local loops allows First Nations to collaborate with KO to adapt broadband applications, such as telemedicine and an internet high school, to local challenges and priorities. K-Net’s aggregation of demand from disparate users, within and across member communities, creates economies of scale for the network’s social enterprise, and allows a dynamic reallocation of bandwidth to meet social priorities. Based on four years of research with K-Net stakeholders under the Canadian Research Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking (CRACIN), my thesis documents the evolution of K-Net’s governance model as a reflection of its social enterprise. Drawing from Community Informatics and the Ecology of Games, I trace K-Net’s history and organization to assess how KO, its partners, and K-Net’s constituents, cooperated to make social enterprise viable for member First Nations.