Social Change and Well-Being: Perspectives of Women Entrepreneurs in a Social Entrepreneurship Program

This dissertation emphasizes the social value creation mission of social entrepreneurship, and redirects attention to the pivotal role of social entrepreneurs in tackling grand challenges and resolving societal problems, such as that of gender inequality. Recognizing the urgency of empowering women, this dissertation focuses on social entrepreneurship programs aimed at encouraging women’s entrepreneurship. While previous studies have explored macro level structures and policies related to social change initiatives, this study foregrounds the lived experiences and voices of women entrepreneurs, and examines the drivers and outcomes of initiatives at the micro level.

This dissertation comprises three articles that address different stages of the social change process. Article 1 considers the interpretation of the issue from the perspective of the individual embedded in the community. Drawing on the literature on social movements and framing, this conceptual article asks, how do social entrepreneurs frame social change, secure community support, and motivate action? Article 2 explores ways of shifting values in a manner that is non-violent and sensitive to the local culture. Accordingly, the research questions are, how do social enterprises work with and around entrenched cultural values to create positive social change? How can practices shift values without alienating members? Article 3 attempts to understand the effects of social change at the individual level and asks the question, how does entrepreneurship training and venture creation impact the well-being of women entrepreneurs at the BOP?

In accordance with the inductive nature of the research and the aim of uncovering strategies and tactics, an inductive, qualitative method was adopted. While article 1 is a conceptual analysis, articles 2 and 3 use the qualitative case study method. Taken together, the three articles in this dissertation.

Taken together, the three articles in this dissertation offer creative approaches for social entrepreneurs tackling grand challenges at the community level. The articles reveal strategies of: (1) framing issues in ways that appeal to both emotions and cognitions, thereby garnering commitment for social change; (2) introducing value-laden practices to subtly reorient and augment values; and (3) developing the psychological capacity of women entrepreneurs and supporting their personal well-being needs. Advocating for a more holistic view of social change processes, this dissertation shows that incremental changes and local solutions bode well for scalable and sustainable change efforts, and tend to be less disruptive and violent than radical changes.