| CODE | SWP2650 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Social Enterprise: Concepts and Methods | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit introduces the subject of social enterprise and delves into the skills needed to start up, design, administer and maintain an organisation whose mission aims to meet social needs and pursue social justice while retaining financial sustainability. It seeks to combine theoretical and practical aspects and will give the opportunity to students to develop their own ideas and aspirations through creating a new venture as a model of social enterprise. In the process key theories and ideas will be presented and discussed. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to familiarise students with the concept of social enterprise, drawing on different theoretical perspectives and definitions. It explores the notion of social and ethical capital, the impact of globalisation and further focuses on the opportunities and challenges facing social entrepreneurs as they seek to create, support and develop their social enterprises. These include the influences of policy (governance and regulation) and markets on social enterprises, the role of creativity and innovation and issues of management, leadership and measurement of performance and outcomes. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate an understanding of the different organisational and legal forms of social enterprises; - Explain the relevance of debates about different definitions of social enterprise; - Describe theories of social capital and critically appraise the roles of social networks in developing social enterprises; - Examine the variety of ways that social enterprises generate income, seek funds and engage in financial investment strategies; - Demonstrate an understanding of how social enterprises adopt various forms of leadership and management strategies; - Demonstrate an understanding of the multi-faceted nature of performance and the rise of 'social accounting' as a measure of impact; - Discuss the concept of globalisation through exploring ''fair-trade'' as an example of a social enterprise that emerged as both an outcome and a reaction to globalisation. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Produce initial ideas for a social enterprse in the format of a draft 'business plan' within the context of a group project; - Use the relevant literature and theory to reflect on specific aspects of social enterprise as related to their projects; - Present in a clear, structured and engaging manner. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Ridley-Duff, R. & Bull, M. (2011). Understanding Social Enterprise. Theory and practice. Sage Publications. Supplementary texts: Martin Frank and Thompson Marcus (2010). Social Enterprise. UK, Palgrave. Doherty, B. et. al. (2009). Management for social enterprise. UK, Sage Publications. Gunn, R. & Durkins, C. (2010). Social entrepreneurship: A skills approach. Bristol: The policy press. Lynch, K. (2009). Mission, Inc.: The practitioners' guide to social enterprise. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study and Project | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Elaine Compagno Andreana Dibben (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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