Overview

This unit of study is to help students develop a better understanding of the role of the social enterprise and social innovation in creating business opportunities within a sustainable society. The unit explores how social entrepreneurs apply lean start up entrepreneurship focus on innovation, risk taking and large scale transformation to social problem solving with the potential to generate rapid and sustained social impact. Besides learning about theory and practice of social entrepreneurs, Corporate Social Responsibility and social innovation, students will engage in active learning by applying practical (online) interactive tools for starting a social venture.

Requisites

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply the principles of social entrepreneurship and social innovation in relation to sustainability in a range of contexts
  • Generate and communicate creative solutions in order to achieve product-market fit and find an efficient business model
  • Work collaboratively in groups in order to articulate a line of reasoning demonstrating cultural/social sensitivity and a framework for ethical reasoning
  • Exercise intellectual independence to be critical and reflective learners

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Lecture
2.00 12 weeks 24
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial
1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Class ExercisesIndividual 10 - 20% 1,2 
ReportIndividual 40 - 60% 1,2,4 
Report and PresentationGroup 30 - 40% 2,3,4 

Content

  • Concepts of social entrepreneurship and social innovation
  • Impact of social entrepreneurship on economies and markets
  • Why become a social entrepreneur
  • Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Social Innovation: Frugal innovation and disruptive innovation for social change
  • Business Model and Product-Market Fit
  • Social Business Plan: How social enterprises scale up in order to pursue growth
  • Funding the social entrepreneurial venture
  • How do social ventures measure success: social and business

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.