Overview

This unit explores the rising importance of social innovation and social enterprise in developing solutions to persistent social and environmental challenges. On a global scale, both social innovation and social enterprise have become prominent in inspiring individuals, organisations and communities to act on social change. There are many components to the social innovation ‘ecosystem’, and students will explore, discuss and critique the different aspects of the ecosystem in this unit. Students will engage in both the practice and theoretical foundations of social innovation and enterprise, participating in engaging on-line and class-based learning activities.

Requisites

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Term 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
15-April-2024
26-May-2024
Last self-enrolment date
15-April-2024
Census date
03-May-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
10-May-2024
Results released date
02-July-2024

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of trends and drivers re-shaping the dynamics of the social economy
  • Critically analyse key issues in the social economy framed by knowledge of multi-stakeholder influences on the creation of social impact
  • Apply problem solving methodologies to select appropriate governance, management and value sets in social enterprises
  • Critically evaluate concepts such as social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social investment, social innovation and collaborative governance
  • Communicate proficiently in a professional context with a wide variety of audiences and work within groups

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class
2.00 12 weeks 24
Online
Lecture
1.00 12 weeks 12
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning
9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment 1Individual 40 - 50% 1,2,4 
Assignment 2Group 30 - 50% 2,3,4,5 
Assignment 3Individual 10 - 20% 2,3,4 

Content

  • The ecosystem view of social innovation.
  • Assessing different approaches to social innovation.
  • Social entrepreneurship and social enterprise in a global context.
  • Policy and supporting impact through social enterprise in Australia.
  • The impact of social finance & investment on developing social entrepreneurship.
  • Strategic approaches to social innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Organisational factors in developing a social enterprise
  • Business needs for social enterprise
  • Collaboration and collective impact
  • Measuring, evaluating and engaging with social impact
  • Critiquing social innovation and entrepreneurship for social change

Study resources

Reading materials

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