Creating Social Change Through Entrepreneurship Education: An Effectuation Model at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, India

This chapter presents a descriptive analysis of the effectuation model of social entrepreneurship programme at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). This innovative post graduate programme was pioneered in 2007. The main objective of the TISS’s Masters of Arts in Social Entrepreneurship Programme is to train a cadre of entrepreneurs who can create employment, assets, and wealth for the poor in innovative ways. It is expected that the graduates of this programme will become instrumental in filling the gap left by the withdrawal of States from supporting social programmes and the failure of markets to meet the needs of marginalized communities in both rural and urban India. This pioneering programme is an instrument for social change in communities where financially sustainable ways of solving problems, creating employment opportunities, and improving lives of locals is most in need. The 2-year programme uses Sarasvathy’s (2008) elements of entrepreneurial expertise. The TISS model assumes that social entrepreneurs use effectual reasoning as they begin their search for a solution to a problem or an opportunity. Execution of idea takes both strategic and causal reasoning by the entrepreneur. The educational model at TISS incorporates pedagogy that integrates these forms of logical thinking in its curriculum. TISS’s program design is based on the ‘life cycle approach’ of entrepreneurial process, i.e. idea phase, venture creation phase, and growth phase primarily targeted toward developing entrepreneurial skills. Reflecting these life cycle stages, the program has three major dimensions: context (social), skills (entrepreneurial), and tools (management). Any entrepreneurial idea begins with a cause, purpose, or idea and this is the context for the activity and the driving force of the social entrepreneur. In the venture creation phase, the entrepreneur uses certain skills to transform the idea into action. In order to sustain the action and for long-term growth, the entrepreneur needs certain management tools. The effectual reasoning is the strongest at the creative phase as they begin to develop the idea and test it. Causal reasoning is used in the execution and growth phases of the enterprise. These three components: social, entrepreneurial, and management, are embedded in the coursework at varying degrees of focus throughout the programme to help students build skills necessary to create, test, execute, and grow the venture. Each semester also includes fieldwork and practice-oriented internships to allow students to engage in hands-on learning. The Institute’s incubation centre provides support for the social entrepreneurs during the course as well as after their graduation. Other financial support is also available through the institute. Promising student projects are incubated in this centre for 3 years after their graduation. These projects are chosen based on selected criteria. Selected students receive a 3-year fellowship, mentoring support, and office space in the incubation centre. The success stories are documented in case studies for evaluation purposes. Systematic analyses of these case studies are work in progress for the purpose of assessing TISS’s programme outcomes.