Social innovation and entrepreneurial process: application of typologies in start-ups of Yunus Social Business Brazil

Abstract

This study applies the social entrepreneurs typology suggested by Zahra, Gedajlovic, Neubaum et al. (2009): Social Bricoleur, Social Builder, and Social Engineer in interviews with evaluators and start-ups supported by Yunus Social Business Brazil. A case study was conducted to identify similarities and divergences between the characteristics of these types of social entrepreneurs, exploring their profile and motivation, considering the reality of the social businesses. Each type concentrates features of innovation and utilization of resources as those proposed by Hayek (1945), Kirzner (1973) and Schumpeter (1942). Social businesses, according to Muhammad Yunus (Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for the creation of the Grameen Bank), unify in a single business model the positive socio-environmental impacts and economic-financial sustainability, without the distribution of dividends, which are intended to expand the businesses or fund new initiatives of the same nature. Thus, Social Business maximizes social wealth and restricts the concentration of individual income. The results showed that the start-ups researched have characteristics of the Social Builder type, as described in the work by Kirzner (1973). This study works as a starting point for empirical studies on entrepreneurship and social business, and helps entrepreneurs and investors guiding the first to align business models to receive funding, and investors to identify the best social business opportunity.

Keywords:
Social Innovation; Social Entrepreneurship; Yunus Social Business; Start-up; Typology