Motivating factors of social entrepreneurs: Evidences from Gujarat, India

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new academic subject and, despite the growing interest it generates in the literature, there is a diversity of definitions and approaches. The theoretical understanding of the concept based on different schools of thought of these actors is compared in this paper. The objective of this paper is to examine the motivation factors that have influenced social entrepreneurs to launch their social ventures. We study the entrepreneurial motivation of fifty social entrepreneurs collected by using a survey method with the help of a questionnaire. Findings revealed that respondents are motivated not only at an individual level (personal needs) but also at a social level through the recognition of social needs. The contributions of the study not only adds value to the theory with regard to motivation factors that influence social entrepreneurial action, but also helps the academicians, practitioners and also impact investors to strengthen the field. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.