The Rise of the Social in Entrepreneurial Activities in National and International Contexts: A Clarification of Terms in the Development of a New Conceptual Framework

In examining the ‘social’ in entrepreneurial activities in national and international contexts our focus is on social innovation and business enterprise. Attention is given to what we understand by ‘social’ in entrepreneurial behaviours, innovation and change and the importance of social capital and social networks to understanding the dynamics that drive social innovation within the enterprise. Our social focus takes us on a conceptual journey in examining the meaning and import of social innovation, social capital, social networks and social enterprise. The rise in the import and media attention to social business within the international arena and the growing call for a social-orientation among business practitioners from small to medium enterprises to larger multi-national enterprises has promoted dialogue and debate about social processes that have also brought in its wake a certain amount of confusion and obfuscation. We set out to clarify this growing range of socially-oriented terms and identify the relationships between these concepts with the aim of extending knowledge in this emergent field. A key objective is to build a robust conceptual framework that informs our understanding of these complex relationships and provides a platform for further debate and research.