Response (2)

Social Entrepreneurship: The Case for a Definition, by Roger L. Martin and Sally Osberg

Matin and Osberg's definition of social entrepreneurship is watertight. Beginning with their definition of entrepreneurship, its roots and how it comes to define social endeavors with the same innate drive, Martin and Osberg have literally drawn lines through the fields of "social engagement" and boxed in a very good definition for social entrepreneurship. However, their case for why a definition must exist is extremely weak. In fact, after reading their essay I feel more than ever that a definition between social services, social activism and social entrepreneurship need not be so black and white! Beyond Martin and Osberg's pragmatic definition of what would encompass entrepreneurship versus social entrepreneurship their argument for why a definition should exist is because without a Webster definition it "would leave the term social entrepreneurship so wide open as to be meaningless." (Martin & Osberg, 36) The meaning of social entrepreneurship or any other social endeavor lies in its purpose and its impact, not how well we can label it. Surely whether we call an independently operated school for AIDS orphans "social entrepreneurship" or a social service its impact, its value does not change! So why (literally) draw lines between people and organizations with the same aims are striving for the same positive change. It seems very counterproductive to divide any two organizations with words when so much social progress it achieved through the uniting of people and ideas. There are distinctions to be made between entrepreneurship and activism but they should not come at the expense of the social catalyst of collaboration.

Martin and Osberg also seem to suggest that entrepreneurs are only given the title once they are successful, without success "we call them a business failure." (Martin & Osbreg, 36) But since when does the size or perceived success of any professional define what his or her proper title should be. We do not strip a actor or actress of their title because they are not famous or noteworthy... Definitions and titles can be very useful in understanding what something is and how to distinguish it but in the case of social entrepreneurship I can see no need for divisive definitions and titles.