Social Impact Entrepreneurship

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 3	Alfred Vernis Domènech	Dirección General y Estrategia	ENG

Group	Teacher	Department	Language
Year 4	Alfred Vernis Domènech	Dirección General y Estrategia	ENG

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

It is widely accepted that contemporary democratic societies are built around three sectors: public administrations, business companies, and nonprofit organizations. Like a three-legged stool, these three sectors have to work together to drive societies towards a state of equilibrium. However, specific organizations seem to blur the limits between these sectors: social enterprises. In an ever-changing, fast-paced environment, social enterprise organizations (for-profit and nonprofit) need the appropriate skills to face new challenges and continue to help improve the lives of people and communities. In other words, these organizations must be truly capable of leading the complex world of social intervention. The new demands placed upon social enterprises are the results of deep-rooted changes that are shaping contemporary societies.

Though social entrepreneurship has gained popularity and is now being taught in many universities, it is still a very young field intellectually. The theory is in very elementary stages of development, and empirical research has been severely limited. The concept is inherently appealing to many, but we do not have the kinds of intellectual frameworks that would help social entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers make wise decisions about using it to the most significant benefit. This requires looking at the limits and weaknesses of popular approaches to social entrepreneurship with the same intensity as we trumpet their strengths.

The course is designed for a broad range of participants, including those who, during their professional careers, are considering a leadership position in a social enterprise; interested in understanding the specifics of managing social enterprises; interested in consulting to social enterprises; planning to serve as board members or volunteers; become funders of nonprofit organizations, or interested in leveraging business to help social transformation. "Social" is understood here in the broadest sense of benefitting society, including environmental improvements.

Course Learning Objectives

The main goal of this course is to introduce and explore how social entrepreneurship can help find, implement and scale solutions to the significant social challenges facing our society. And how impact investing can fund and support such solutions. The course aims to foster a positive attitude and affinity toward the possibility of becoming personally involved in a social enterprise or impact investing initiative in the future. We also explore how to generate social impact in any career path by applying the principles and practices acquired in the course.

Hence participants will acquire the basic knowledge necessary to build and lead high-performing initiatives which help generate economic and social values simultaneously and are economically viable in the long term.

The course also places a strong focus on methodologies and skills. We will practice creativity and innovation skills, analytical skills, negotiation skills, group work, presentations... and become acquainted with the main innovation and start-up methodologies of the time. We will also sharpen our critical thinking ability and strive to develop our own opinions about controversial issues and question our assumptions. Hence this course is exciting and suitable for students who want to explore entrepreneurship or simply an alternative view to business and economics.

The course strives to be eminently practical and applicable to a variety of contexts. For this reason, students will analyze cases referring to different types of social enterprises in other sectors and continents, addressing varied challenges in various ways, and displaying the main challenges faced by social entrepreneurs in different development phases.

Methodology

This course emphasizes both individual and teamwork equally, and evaluation will match the spirit of social entrepreneurship promoted in the class. Hence collaboration is encouraged.

Each student has to join a group of 5 students (a separate document will be handed in class and groups posted on moodle) to carry out several assignments. Group work is the basis of this course, both in class and outside class.

A ) Group assignments, there are two types:

- A.1. Case reports. For the two cases: Batec Mobility and Worldcoo we will discuss in class, every group has to submit a short report before the class. As in other classes, all cases require you to prepare carefully before class and participate fully in class. Please, when analyzing a case, place yourself in the management position and ask yourself what you would do and what decisions you would make based on the information provided. As we always said, there is no one way to analyze a case effectively, but the following pointers may help:

- Check to see if there is a text assignment for the class. Reading assignments are designed to provide a foundation of knowledge and insight into any particular issue. Reading prepares you to see some of the issues in the case.
- Read the case as a story without stopping to underline or take notes. This will give you a holistic understanding of the situation before you become embedded in any judgments.
- Read the case a second time. Underline key case facts and critical issues. Make a note in the margin or on another piece of paper, explaining why you underlined. Having a command of the case facts and key points is expected.
- Categorize the issues and facts.
- Listen carefully in class, allowing well-articulated positions to influence your thinking.
- Remember that quality is more important than quantity in-class participation.

-A.2. Exercises/Final Exam. This class has a final project.
For the Final Project, each group will have to deliver:
- A report-presentation (only one document) based on the social enterprise that the group has chosen and has been working through several class exercises (aprox.10 minutes and 5 minutes for Q&A). The final report is the same class presentation (plus any additional information that you would like to put in the annexes).

B) Class Participation: Every student will be expected to attend class, come prepared, and participate actively in the discussion. Before class, you should have read the assigned cases and readings critically about the concepts they present and their application to the day's case or topic and prepared to answer the posted study questions. The best contributions are those that are relevant to the question at hand. They often build on or respond to the observations of others, make links to prior classes, or draw on materials and lessons from other courses. Debates and disagreements can be powerful learning opportunities. You are encouraged to challenge the views of your classmates and the instructor - provided that you do it constructively and with civility.

Type:	OPT	Curs:	3,4	Period:	S semester
ECTS Credits:	4 ECTS

Social Impact Entrepreneurship (2235.YR.015147.2)

General information

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Workload distribution

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM

Course Learning Objectives

Methodology

Assessment criteria

Bibliography

Timetable and sections

Timetable Year 3

Timetable Year 4