Social enterprise professionals: background, capacity building and concepts of entrepreneurship

Social enterprise has emerged in response to funding changes in the social services sector. The field represents an innovative approach to service delivery in Canada and internationally. The purpose of this research paper is to examine the capacity and management styles of people in leadership roles in employment-based social enterprises across Canada. Within the field of social enterprise, practitioners operate with both business and social skills, two skill sets that are rarely combined educationally and professionally. Through interviews, this research compares the background, skills and characteristics of social enterprise leaders with concepts of entrepreneurship drawn from the literature. The paper generates a greater understanding of the learning and culture shifts that occurred for individuals pursuing a career in social enterprise. Findings will be useful for informing educational and training programs for social enterprise development and for social enterprise professionals in determining and meeting their own learning needs.