A variety of disciplines contribute to the study of entrepreneurship including economics (incentives and markets) as well as management (opportunity, process), sociology (influence, norms), psychology (motivation, biases) and anthrology (history, culture) and law. This span of disciplines reveals that entrepreneurialism is both a process and an event.
The concept of entrepreneurship isn’t clear and this ambiguity has been evident in the definitions researchers have come up with for it. Many have embraced Schumpeterian entrepreneurial theories that are dynamic which define it as an individual’s ability to take advantage of new opportunities and develop new companies. Others have stressed the importance of entrepreneurial activities within larger communities or organizations. Still others have confined the definition to small business owners and self-employed individuals who operate independent businesses.
Whichever definition you pick there is a consensus that entrepreneurship is crucial to the development of our economy and well-being, as it is associated with job creation and productivity growth. It can also boost economic growth. Social entrepreneurs are also vital contributing members of society, as they provide solutions to social issues.
There is an increasing interest in incorporating social entrepreneurship into the entrepreneurship education and several researchers have started to explore this idea. There is a dearth of research that is empirically based on social entrepreneurship and higher education and it is crucial to know the lessons students are taking from this type of course. This article focuses on this topic through an investigation of students’ experience in a course on Social Enterprise at an University in Pakistan.