Social Capital, Social Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Education

Abstract

This paper integrates the concepts of "social capital" and "social entrepreneurship" into the study of entrepreneurship. It contends that understanding the role that social organizations play in the process of innovation is essential to fully understand how ideas become new ventures. Moreover the paper makes the case that solving the social problems of the day requires the same type of risk taking and innovative thinking which characterized the production of new products and services. It calls attention to the significant volume of research which illustrates how the formation of social capital is essential for economic growth and provides the framework in which entrepreneurship can take place. Closing the paper is a discussion of how the concepts of "social capital" and "social entrepreneurship" should be integrated into the entrepreneurship curriculum at all levels of instruction.