The Relationship Between Entrepreneurship and the Social Sciences
The study of entrepreneurship is influenced by a broad range of disciplines including sociology (influence and norms) psychology, anthropology, psychology as well as history, culture and law. This broad range of disciplines shows that entrepreneurship is an event and a practice.
The concept of entrepreneurship is elusive and this is evident in the definitions researchers have created for it. Many have embraced Schumpeterian innovative views of entrepreneurship which define it as the capacity of an individual to seize new opportunities and create new enterprises. Others have emphasized the importance of entrepreneurial activity within larger communities or organizations. Others have restricted the definition to self-employed people and small-scale business owners.
Regardless of the definition that one decides to accept, it is widely recognized that entrepreneurship is essential to economic development and well-being. This is because it has been linked to job creation, productivity gains and economic growth. Social entrepreneurs are also vital social actors by providing solutions to social problems.
There is a growing interest in incorporating this concept into the entrepreneurship education. Many researchers have begun to investigate it. There is a dearth of research that is empirically based on social entrepreneurship and higher education and it’s important to understand the lessons students are taking from this type course. This article addresses this gap through an examination of students’ learning experiences in a Social Entrepreneurship course that is offered at the University in Pakistan.