Key Information
About the content
How do we create innovative and effective solutions to social problems around the world ? This course was designed for individuals and organizations who want to identify and bring about transformative societal change. Professors Jim Thompson and Ian “Mac” MacMillan help you develop both a strategy and a framework for your social enterprise based on their years of experience and expertise teaching social entrepreneurship and advising entrepreneurs. You’ll learn how to define a social problem, understand contextual realities, develop a solution, and plan for effective deployment. By the end of this course, you’ll have a deep understanding of the realities of launching an enterprise, be prepared for every step of the process, and put your social entrepreneurial venture on the path to success.
Syllabus
Week 1 - What is Social Enterprise?
Topics
- Introduction & Course Overview
- Social Enterprise Planning
- Design Thinking for Social Innovation
Homework
- Mind Map
- Problem/Solution Statement
- Logistics Quiz
Week 2 - Deciding Who to Help and How
Topics
- Performance Criteria
- Segmentation
- Introduction to Logic Models
- How to Build a Logic Model
Homework
- Performance Criteria: Unit of Revenue & Unit of Social Impact
- Segmentation: Market Segments
- Logic Model
Week 3 - Understanding Your Beneficiaries and their Alternatives
Topics
- Understanding the Beneficiary
- Operations Realities
- Operations Requirements
- Competitive Analysis
Homework
- Beneficiary Experience Table
- Deliverables Table
- Competitive Analysis Matrix
Week 4 - Testing Assumptions and Measuring Performance
Topics
- Test of Concept Plausibility
- Performance Measurement
- Framing and Scoping
- Cost Table
Homework
- Test of Concept Plausibility
- Framing and Scoping (Social Impact & Financial Goals)
- Cost Table
Week 5 - Organizational Form and Stakeholder Management
Topics
- Perspective on Organizational Form: I
- Perspective on Organizational Form: II
- Stakeholder Analysis
- Sociopolitics
- Summary & Next Steps
Homework
- Organizational Form
- Stakeholder Analysis
Instructors
James D. Thompson
Director, Wharton Social Entrepreneurship Program
Entrepreneurship
Ian "Mac" MacMillan
Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Management
Content Designer
Platform
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