The entrepreneurial process of Schumpeterian social entrepreneurs - a qualitative study

This empirical research focuses on social entrepreneurs who challenge the equilibrium by providing new services to beneficiaries in multiple locations. We have termed these entrepreneurs “Schumpeterian social entrepreneurs“, echoing Joseph Schumpeter’s definition of a commercial entrepreneur. This research aimed to understand the entrepreneurial process followed by Schumpeterian social entrepreneurs, emphasizing their objectives, points of entry into the process, connections to the fields of their endeavors, and strategies deployed to change the equilibrium. Ten Israeli social entrepreneurs were interviewed using the life story method. The key findings were as follows. The research highlighted two types of entrepreneurs according to their objectives and way of entry. These first comprised entrepreneurs who sought to capture social value and were opportunity-focused. In contrast, the second category comprised those who focused on solving social problems having responded to "a call to action". There were many "outsiders" among the entrepreneurs. There is a possible correlation between a personal history of volunteering and a willingness to become a social entrepreneur. There is a predominance of two factors that enhanced the scaling up of the organizations' services: the mobilization of large numbers of committed volunteers and the use of platforms to operate the organization's services.