Nigerian entrepreneurs face government barriers and lack the skills and awareness needed for successfully creating and scaling public value in resource-constrained environments. The concept of bricolage, which involves doing business by making do with resources at hand, has been addressed in the literature, but not as it occurs among Nigerian entrepreneurs. This study was conducted with the aim of narrowing this gap in knowledge by exploring how Nigerian entrepreneurs have successfully carried out their businesses. The research question addressed how Nigerian entrepreneurs overcame critical situations to successfully address the challenges of scaling and creating public value, and whether the theory of entrepreneurial bricolage can support their actions. A qualitative descriptive single case study with a purposeful sample of 22 interview respondents was employed. A total of 145 critical incidents were analyzed by fitting them into themes constructed a priori from the known behavioral patterns that emerged through the theoretical taxonomy of the concept of entrepreneurial bricolage. The results showed that Nigerian entrepreneurs made do with the resources at hand, improvised, and invoked stakeholder participation and persuasion to solve critical challenges of business continuity. The outcome of the research should help potential entrepreneurs determine strategies to scale their ideas or innovations to achieve positive social change. The results may be useful to any fledgling entrepreneur who needs encouragement when feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of doing business in Nigeria. Budding entrepreneurs can learn from the experiences of those who are deemed successful in their businesses, thereby avoiding challenges when they can and strategizing for those challenges that are unavoidable.

This dissertation aims to extend entrepreneurship theory to also comprise entrepreneurship in non-profit organizations in civil society. Entrepreneurship is claimed to be highly relevant also to this non-profit setting. Since entrepreneurship theory is highly embedded in an economic discourse and a business setting there is, however, a need to elaborate on the two different frameworks. The analysis of this study is grounded in an empirical study of the entrepreneurial process of Attac Sweden. The study has been conducted with a narrative approach. In this dissertation entrepreneurship theory is re-contextualized in the framework of non-profit organizations. The paradox of profit versus non-profit is elaborated on as well as the dilemmas of opportunities, legitimacy and the bounding of the new organization. The analysis of this study shows that the discussion on opportunities in entrepreneurship theory is highly relevant also in the case of Attac Sweden. However, this study suggests to supplement the discussion on opportunities with a discussion of ‘necessities’ to relate to perceived convictions to engage and to act. This study further shows and elaborates on the close connections between the process by which entrepreneurship becomes and other group formations in society. The organization created through the entrepreneurial process becomes an actor in civil society challenging established practices and norms. However, the entrepreneurial process also reaches beyond the creation of an organization. In this dissertation an alternative framework for entrepreneurship, based on a social process of organizing, is developed. This framework connects the entrepreneurial process to group dynamics as well as to social movements and articulation of disclosing stories in society.

La tesi è finalizzata a indagare l’efficacia dell’imprenditoria sociale quale strumento di contrasto a situazioni di grave povertà e disagio sociale nei paesi in via di sviluppo. Particolare attenzione è rivolta alle principali sfide derivanti dal molteplice sforzo di promuovere lo sviluppo socio-economico locale, garantire la sostenibilità economica delle iniziative e - talvolta - tutelare l’ambiente naturale. La prima parte della tesi fornisce un framework teorico sull’imprenditoria sociale, con specifico riferimento ad alcuni aspetti critici della sua stessa essenza, alle sue potenzialità nella lotta alla povertà e ai caratteri distintivi del suo processo di implementazione. La seconda parte presenta due analisi empiriche sviluppate con il metodo dei casi e afferenti, rispettivamente, gli ambiti del non-profit e del for-profit. La prima esamina i processi di identificazione delle opportunità e di costruzione del business model, al fine di mettere in luce le divergenze esistenti tra le prospettive sociale, economica ed ambientale, e di comprendere come coniugarle; la seconda identifica alcune cruciali variabili - interne ed esterne - che incidono sul processo di implementazione ed implicano la necessità di conciliare finalità, approcci e strumenti tipici degli ambiti filantropico e imprenditoriale, ai fini di una efficace creazione di valore socio-economico. / The thesis aims at investigating social entrepreneurship attitude to truly act as a crucial tool in the fight against deep poverty and social disadvantages in developing countries, with a particular focus on the main challenges faced by social entrepreneurial organizations in their attempt to promote local social-economic development, while ensuring their own economic viability, and (sometimes) preserving global environment. The first part of the thesis provides a theoretical framework about social entrepreneurship landscape, with specific attention to some crucial aspects of its essence, its potentiality against poverty, and some distinctive features of its implementation process. The second part presents two empirically-based analyses carried out by using case-study method, respectively from the for-profit and the not-for-profit domains. The former investigates the processes of opportunity recognition and business model design, with the aim to highlight the divergences among social, economic, and environmental perspectives, and to understand how to combine them; the latter identifies some crucial - internal and external -variables affecting the implementation process and implying the need for a mix between charitable and business aims, approaches, and tools, for a successful blended value creation.

Instead of asking why governments in developing countries are not doing what (Western) governments can (or at least in the past could) be expected to do we may need to ask the questions of how governance empirically is provided and by whom. While the involvement of non-public actors within processes of governance is far from new, the increased interest in social entrepreneurship, both as a practice and scholarly, is. The aim of the present study has been to explore and describe the interface between social entrepreneurship and governance within regions of India. The study has been inspired by a case study research design, including a set of qualitative methods: A generated sampling frame has facilitated the selection of analytical units; The collection of data has been conducted by semi-structured interviews; The data has been analyzed by a comparative approach. Based on a broad analytical governance framework provided by Kooiman et al (2005a) three research questions have guided the analysis: 1. What arguments are provided by the examined social entrepreneurs for their intentional action? 2. May action taken by the social entrepreneurs in this study be understood as an expression of hierarchical governance, self-governance and/or co-governance, and if so, how? 3. How may action taken by the social entrepreneurs in this study be related to first-order governance (day-to-day problem-solving and opportunity creation), second-order governance (institutions) and/or third-order governance (principles)? The result of the study reveals how the action taken by the studied social entrepreneurs interface with several aspects of governance. The arguments presented for intentional action, related to the provision of collective goods to marginalized citizens, may be understood in relation to two themes: perceived government failures (as well as failures by traditional NGOs) and the self-perception of being “value-driven”. The data reveals strands of hierarchical-, self- and co-governance. The studied social entrepreneurs are understood to contribute to first-order governance. Their action is further suggested to be challenging existing institutions in the long-run and perhaps also dominating principles guiding the “governance of governance”.

This thesis presents a tentative definition of the concept of sustainopreneurship - in the most simplified form described as entrepreneurship and innovation for sustainability - “Business with a Cause”. The concept takes its departure from generic entrepreneurship theory development, its extensions and further contextualization into the domains of sustainability, primarily through recent research. A literature review provides core references related to the conceptualization of sustainability entrepreneurship. A claim is made that there is a need for further conceptual development, especially viewed in contrast to the empirical material and experience, when digesting the literature that deals with concepts preceding sustainopreneurship. These concepts are eco-preneurship and social entrepreneurship, as well as current descriptions of sustainability entrepreneurship, including some sources where the word sustainopreneurship in itself is introduced for the first time. The methodological approach used when conducting the literature review is an analytical stance. Additional analysis, integrating and extending the reviewed sources, leads us to a performative definition of sustainopreneurship. This tentative definition is presented as an imagined prospective wordbook entry in a “future history” format. One of the key distinctions in between entrepreneurship in general and sustainopreneurship, is that sustainopreneurship is mission- and cause oriented - business activity is used as a means to solve sustainability-related problems. In short, to turn business activity from being a part of the problem to be a part of the solution. This world of ideas is set in contrast to the practical enaction of On a Mission Sweden – Inc. Ass, and the seven brands developed from this business platform – Club PuLS™, DJ Anders, SEEDS Sustainability Investment Fund, SEEDS Magazine, Ignition®, SLICE Services and Publishing™ and S*E*N*S*A. Three of these only reached conceptual stage for future potential launch. Four got established, and of these; one idle, two spun off in their own ventures, and one intended to spin off during 2007. Entrepreneurship as a concept to describe the nature of these ventures was experienced as insufficient, until 2003, when the concept of “sustainopreneurship” was found by serendipity. The conceptual dissatisfaction with “entrepreneurship-as-usual”, together with finding this new concept, made me instantly embrace this concept in the moment when stumbled upon. Another major driver for this work is a strong aspiration to take the abstract, general words and statements from world summits and conferences to the practical, hands on, down to earth, grass-root, local level with real world interaction to make possibilities of the problems related to the sustainability agenda. The ventures created from a time span of over seven years, forms a vast, deep, dense, intense and extremely rich “gross” empirical base from where the study collects its selective “net” material relevant for this study. The methodological approach to make sense and use of these serial and parallel self-initiated and self-experienced venturing processes is enactive research. The enactive research provides an opportunity to test the suggested formulation of sustainopreneurship – from the abstract idea to the concrete interaction. A special form of ethnography is used named self-ethnography. The ventures who have proven to perpetually evolve, develop and sustain are focused; On a Mission Sweden – Inc. Ass. and Ignition®. These ventures have provided the most significant change in both idea development, practice, and effect - both regards my inner world of insight breakthroughs and personal development, and the findings on a more abstract, conceptual, theoretical level. In order to highlight the three key dimensions of the concept, some key courses of events have been selected where they are considered to hold illustrative power: Firstly, the central events before the formalized venturing. Secondly, the milestones singled out during the venturing. Thirdly, some post-venture reflections around the process as such. The ethnographic style of the tales of the field is predominantly realist, with some degree impressionist. The final chapter summarizes and presents an intermediary conclusion whether the concept has met the test and also discusses the meaning of the exercise as a whole. My own function is examined and evaluated briefly. The promise of the conceptual introduction is contrasted towards the approaches-as-usual regards the sustainability agenda that introduced the thesis, and some key points are delivered. Venturing in the name of sustainability allows agents to “act outside the box” related to the institutional framework that governs the structures that is set to solve the problems today, equipped with an upgraded mindset, operating with an agility made possible by the flexibility offered by creative business organizing. The quest to make (business) opportunities from the agenda set by sustainability, and organizing upon them in itself creates a sustaining meaning internally within the team to be able to ride through the storms – the same force traditionally driving NGO’s “not-for profit”, now coupled with a good business sense operating “for-profit”, with profit as a means, not as an end in itself - in a new in-between-land named “for prosperity”. When properly understood from knowledge increasing among other stakeholders than the sustainopreneurial teams and their closest supporters and early adopters, the welcoming of sustainopreneurial ventures are destined to increase. Proliferation and diffusion of sustainopreneurship in idea, applied interaction and reflective practice beyond this point can turn sustainability to be the main driver for business activity, internalizing the external sustainability demands as the primary purpose of the business creation and idea, forming its strategic intent, and integrated in its “organizational DNA”. Sustainopreneurship holds the power to give even more leverage to forces emerging from the business world that contributes to sustainability. Throughout the process, a question has been emerging to serve as a new opening for further interaction, where the claim is that sustainopreneurship delivers a good part of the answer; How can we innovate and interact in order to reach a critical mass of people and energies to create a sustainable world?

<p>This thesis presents a tentative definition of the concept of sustainopreneurship - in the most simplified form described as entrepreneurship and innovation for sustainability - “Business with a Cause”. The concept takes its departure from generic entrepreneurship theory development, its extensions and further contextualization into the domains of sustainability, primarily through recent research. A literature review provides core references related to the conceptualization of sustainability entrepreneurship. A claim is made that there is a need for further conceptual development, especially viewed in contrast to the empirical material and experience, when digesting the literature that deals with concepts preceding sustainopreneurship. These concepts are eco-preneurship and social entrepreneurship, as well as current descriptions of sustainability entrepreneurship, including some sources where the word sustainopreneurship in itself is introduced for the first time. The methodological approach used when conducting the literature review is an analytical stance. Additional analysis, integrating and extending the reviewed sources, leads us to a performative definition of sustainopreneurship. This tentative definition is presented as an imagined prospective wordbook entry in a “future history” format. One of the key distinctions in between entrepreneurship in general and sustainopreneurship, is that sustainopreneurship is mission- and cause oriented - business activity is used as a means to solve sustainability-related problems. In short, to turn business activity from being a part of the problem to be a part of the solution.</p><p>This world of ideas is set in contrast to the practical enaction of On a Mission Sweden – Inc. Ass, and the seven brands developed from this business platform – Club PuLS™, DJ Anders, SEEDS Sustainability Investment Fund, SEEDS Magazine, Ignition®, SLICE Services and Publishing™ and S*E*N*S*A. Three of these only reached conceptual stage for future potential launch. Four got established, and of these; one idle, two spun off in their own ventures, and one intended to spin off during 2007. Entrepreneurship as a concept to describe the nature of these ventures was experienced as insufficient, until 2003, when the concept of “sustainopreneurship” was found by serendipity. The conceptual dissatisfaction with “entrepreneurship-as-usual”, together with finding this new concept, made me instantly embrace this concept in the moment when stumbled upon. Another major driver for this work is a strong aspiration to take the abstract, general words and statements from world summits and conferences to the practical, hands on, down to earth, grass-root, local level with real world interaction to make possibilities of the problems related to the sustainability agenda. The ventures created from a time span of over seven years, forms a vast, deep, dense, intense and extremely rich “gross” empirical base from where the study collects its selective “net” material relevant for this study. The methodological approach to make sense and use of these serial and parallel self-initiated and self-experienced venturing processes is enactive research. The enactive research provides an opportunity to test the suggested formulation of sustainopreneurship – from the abstract idea to the concrete interaction. A special form of ethnography is used named self-ethnography. The ventures who have proven to perpetually evolve, develop and sustain are focused; On a Mission Sweden – Inc. Ass. and Ignition®. These ventures have provided the most significant change in both idea development, practice, and effect - both regards my inner world of insight breakthroughs and personal development, and the findings on a more abstract, conceptual, theoretical level. In order to highlight the three key dimensions of the concept, some key courses of events have been selected where they are considered to hold illustrative power: Firstly, the central events before the formalized venturing. Secondly, the milestones singled out during the venturing. Thirdly, some post-venture reflections around the process as such. The ethnographic style of the tales of the field is predominantly realist, with some degree impressionist.</p><p>The final chapter summarizes and presents an intermediary conclusion whether the concept has met the test and also discusses the meaning of the exercise as a whole. My own function is examined and evaluated briefly. The promise of the conceptual introduction is contrasted towards the approaches-as-usual regards the sustainability agenda that introduced the thesis, and some key points are delivered. Venturing in the name of sustainability allows agents to “act outside the box” related to the institutional framework that governs the structures that is set to solve the problems today, equipped with an upgraded mindset, operating with an agility made possible by the flexibility offered by creative business organizing. The quest to make (business) opportunities from the agenda set by sustainability, and organizing upon them in itself creates a sustaining meaning internally within the team to be able to ride through the storms – the same force traditionally driving NGO’s “not-for profit”, now coupled with a good business sense operating “for-profit”, with profit as a means, not as an end in itself - in a new in-between-land named “for prosperity”. When properly understood from knowledge increasing among other stakeholders than the sustainopreneurial teams and their closest supporters and early adopters, the welcoming of sustainopreneurial ventures are destined to increase. Proliferation and diffusion of sustainopreneurship in idea, applied interaction and reflective practice beyond this point can turn sustainability to be the main driver for business activity, internalizing the external sustainability demands as the primary purpose of the business creation and idea, forming its strategic intent, and integrated in its “organizational DNA”. Sustainopreneurship holds the power to give even more leverage to forces emerging from the business world that contributes to sustainability. Throughout the process, a question has been emerging to serve as a new opening for further interaction, where the claim is that sustainopreneurship delivers a good part of the answer;</p><p>How can we innovate and interact in order to reach a critical mass of people and energies to create a sustainable world?</p>

The legacy of colonialism has left an impression on Brazil that is still strongly present today, particularly in the city of Salvador, Bahia, and the connection between race and class remains quite conspicuous throughout Brazil in politics, business, and social settings. The 20th century saw the rise blocos afro as part of an Afro-Brazilian diaspora seeking pride in black identity and positive social change through concrete community-driven projects. This paper focuses on a newer community group, Bagunçaço, that follows in the footsteps of the blocos afro with an increased emphasis on the role of media in the social development process, using music paired with various digital technologies to educate, empower, and connect participants. The report is an ethnographic study based on first person interviews and observation by the author in Salvador, as well on as a biography on Bagunçaço’s founder, Joselito Crispim. The primary findings of the paper are 1) Bagunçaço serves to mitigate crime and violence among youth, providing kids with skill-building music, art, and technology activities to engage in during free time. 2) The group also serves a spiritual need of Afro-Brazilians by empowering kids with the context of their situation as part of a diasporic community that can resist oppression and gain upward social traction in a society permeated by historic racial hierarchy. 3) Bagunçaço transcends national lines with its international partnerships and engages in a digital exchange that is not only technology skill building, but an expansion of kids’ perspectives of the world beyond the poor communities that many of them would otherwise only ever know. / text

Bakgrund: Impact investment är en ny finansieringsform, som med sitt ursprung och framväxt i både USA och Europa nu spridits till Sverige. Fenomenet beskrivs inom populärvetenskapen som investeringar med avsikten att generera en mätbar samhällsmässig och/eller miljömässig avkastning tillsammans med en finansiell avkastning. I Sverige har impact investment sedan bara några år tillbaka uppmärksammats av svenska aktörer som har börjat arbeta med investeringsformen. Fenomenet kan ses som en idé som överförts till ett nytt sammanhang, därden har uppmärksammats och blivit till verksamhetsaktiviteter. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för fenomenet impact investment i Sverige och att analysera på vilket sätt impact investment har formats av sitt sammanhang. Metod: Studien har en hermeneutisk forskningsansats och har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod. En intervjustudie har utförts med totalt sju nyckelpersoner inom det svenska organisationsfältet för impact investment. Internationella rapporter om fenomenet har även använts för att kartlägga de aktiviteter som genomförts i de länder som ingår i studien. Slutsats: Studien visar att impact investment har flera olika innebörder i Sverige. Impact investment har formats av sitt sammanhang vilket har resulterat i att impact investment har översatts av nya hybridorganisationer i samhället. / Background: Impact investment is a new funding that has its origin and growth in both the USA and Europe. It is now emerging to Sweden. The phenomenon is described in the popular science literature as investments with the intention to generate measurable social and/or environmental impact along with a financial return. In Sweden impact investment has been observed for only a few years. Swedish operators have started to use the funding and the phenomenon can be understood as an idea that has moved to a new context, where it has been noticed and used in operational activities. Aim: The aim of the study is to create an understanding of the phenomenon impact investment in Sweden and to analyse in what way impact investment has been formed by its context. Methodology: The study has a hermeneutic research approach and has been conducted with a qualitative approach. The study has been realized with a total of seven key figures in the Swedish organizational field of impact investment. International reports of the phenomenon have been used to track the activities conducted in the countries included in the study. Conclusion: The study shows that impact investment has many different meanings in Sweden. Impact investment has been formed by its context and has been translated by new hybrid organisations in the society.

The challenges we face as a nation are complex and recalcitrant; to address them, we need to be equipped with multifaceted and resilient solutions. Yet, substantial pressures – such as significant fiscal constraints, growing citizen expectations, and the rapid pace of technology – prevent the U.S. Government from efficiently and effectively solving the nation’s ills alone. The public, private, and nonprofit sectors must partner and collaborate to create lasting social change and the best solutions to address our nation’s most pressing social issues lie in the power of social innovation. Drawing from nearly thirty years of scholarship, the views of leading experts in the field of social innovation, and three case studies of social innovation offices in the United States, this paper addresses the case for social innovation in the United States by answering four key questions: what is social innovation; why does the U.S. need it; what has the U.S. government done to support social innovation; and what is the future of social innovation in this United States.

Pentecostalism has grown from its founding days in 1900 in Topeka, USA and has extended its reach to most parts the world including Africa where it took off in the 1970s and continues to grow with many mega churches being established. In addition to their main role of taking care of the spiritual development of their followers, many Pentecostal churches have begun to get involved in provision of social and economic goods and services. This has however attracted attention to the churches with some of them being labelled as businesses, their founders being considered as entrepreneurs hiding under the guise of churches and seen as exploiting their followers. The purpose of the thesis is to explore, through research questions, if entrepreneurial activities are carried out in the Pentecostal churches in Uganda and if so, whether such activities can be considered productive, unproductive or destructive entrepreneurship and what their implications are. This qualitative study employed qualitative methods of data collection and deductive approach with primary data collected through semi-structured interviews with 6 members of Pentecostal churches in Kampala and 1 non-member that regularly goes to Pentecostal churches to get a feel of their activities. The findings show that there the Pentecostal churches carryout a number of entrepreneurial activities that address spiritual, social and economic aspects of the church members and the community. The study further shows that some of these entrepreneurial activities have a positive impact on the church members and the community and by extension the state whereas some activities do not improve the church members and the community and others have a negative impact on the church members and the community. It is shown through this thesis that determining the implication of the entrepreneurial activities is complicated when such activities are lumped together and not considered individually since some of the activities in the Pentecostal may be productive while some may be unproductive or destructive. The contribution of this thesis is by proposing a matrix as an alternative tool for analysis of the various entrepreneurial activities in the Pentecostal churches by considering their effect on different stakeholders to determine if the activity achieved the reason for its establishment.