In efforts to develop the theoretical underpinnings for social entrepreneurship, many authors have sought to understand the drivers behind the growth in numbers and popularity of social entrepreneurs and their social enterprises. What they determined is that the factors influencing social entrepreneurship activity are highly contextual, which means that social enterprises in different regions develop unique relationships with their socio-political, economic and cultural environments. The activities of the market, government and the community sectors all have a role to play in the need for, and emergence of social entrepreneurship.In Lecture 4, we delve into a number of the influences that these sectors have upon socially entrepreneurial activity, along with other environmental factors such as changes in cultural values and technological advancements.

Lecture 4 – Slides: Socio-political, economic, cultural and technological factors related to the growth of social entrepreneurship

Readings:
Reading 1: Hoogendoorn 2016 – The Prevalence and Determinants of Social Entrepreneurship at the Macro Level
Reading 2 (optional): Kemp et al., 2016 – : The Humanization of the Economy Through Social Innovation