Entrepreneurial mindset

Social innovation is not only a collective process: in Chalmers's (2013) reading it is also entrepreneurial behaviour that combines resources and knowledge in new ways. This short summary shows what an entrepreneurial mindset means in social value creation.

1. Social innovation as entrepreneurial behaviour

Chalmers (2013) approaches the concept of social innovation from the perspective of entrepreneurship and management theory. He places the emphasis on the proactivity, risk-taking and creative thinking of individual and organisational actors. In this view, social innovation is not merely a collective process, but entrepreneurial behaviour that creates social value by combining resources and knowledge in new ways.

2. The social entrepreneur: impact instead of profit

In the social entrepreneurship mindset, the innovator maximises not profit but social impact. At the same time, economic rationality is indispensable: the key to sustainability is the balance between market and community logic. Chalmers describes the innovator as a “social entrepreneur” who is able to discover new market and institutional niches and put them to use for community goals.

3. Theoretical framework and significance

The approach provides a theoretical foundation for the “social entrepreneurship” and “hybrid organization” strands, which today form one of the defining research areas of social innovation. The paradigm is especially important for institutions that seek creative solutions with limited resources while striving to create community value.