SEDA/SEDA301/Introduction to Key Concepts/Learning Activities

Learning pathway activities

Discussion board activities

Once you have watched our two case study videos, please share your thoughts as to the different types of issues that exist in your community that you think social enterprise could address. These issues might be something you or someone close to you has personally experienced, or maybe you are aware of certain needs in the community which aren’t currently being met by an existing product or service.

Please feel free to use the OERu Forums and this link to provide your insights.

Learning Pathway Quiz

To help guide your learning throughout this unit, we have developed self-assessment quizzes which cover the content provided for each Learning Pathway. The quizzes are not assessed, and you can attempt the questions as many times it takes to answer correctly.

• Social entrepreneurship is a field that is distinct from the broader field of entrepreneurship because:
  • social entrepreneurs aren't looking to set up an organisational form, whereas traditional entrepreneurs are
    • Try again: Social entrepreneurs may look to establish a social enterprise; a vehicle through which they can organise their activities to achieve their social and commercial objectives
  • innovation is inherent to social entrepreneurship, but not to entrepreneurship
    • Try again: Innovation is inherent to both entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship
  • social entrepreneurs don’t attempt to scale up their initiatives, but entrepreneurs typically attempt to scale up
    • Try again: This isn't necessarily true. Plenty of social enterprises have in fact designed their enterprise to scale
  • creating both social and economic value is a complex process that social entrepreneurs tackle, whereas entrepreneurs are typically driven to attain economic (profit-driven) outcomes
    • Correct: social enterprises juggle both value appropriation (financial sustainability) and a value creation (social sustainability) objectives
• Social innovation is significant within socially entrepreneurial activity because:
  • it makes a social enterprise viable, without it, a social enterprise will fail
    • Try again: there are many factors which support the viability of a social enterprise. Innovative practices is only one component
  • it minimises the impact that contextual factors may have on the socially entrepreneurial activity
    • Try again: regardless of how socially innovative socially entrepreneurial activity is, if it contextually inappropriate, or not supported by macro-level factors, the entrepreneur will struggle to achieve their goals
  • it is the one key component that leads to social entrepreneurship
    • Try again: many factors contribute to socially entrepreneurial behaviour, including entrepreneurial orientation, sustainability orientation and connections with networks of individuals
  • it is inherent to the processes by which social entrepreneurs use resources in new ways and ultimately can lead to system-level change
    • Well done! You understand how social innovation supports socially entrepreneurial behaviour.
• Which of the following statements best describe social enterprise?
  • Social enterprises do not strive to generate profits
    • Try again: as per the FASES definition, social enterprises do indeed strive to generate profits - and these are then reinvested back into the social enterprise
  • Social enterprises are driven by a primary desire to generate social impact, and they engage in trading activities to support their social mission
    • Well done! These are fundamental characteristics of social enterprise are inherent within most definitions of social enterprise
  • Social enterprises sell goods and services, these activities only take up a minor part of their overall business model
    • Try again: Please refer to the definition of social enterprise according to the FASES study (Lecture 2)
  • All social enterprises operate as a non-profit
    • Try again: Social enterprises may emerge across the community, private and government sectors. Whilst they are most commonly structured as a non-profit, they can also be a for-profit enterprise
• In order to be socially innovative, an idea must be totally original (not already thought of or applied elsewhere).
  • True
    • Please refer to the slide on innovation in Lecture 2
  • False
    • Correct: this was addressed in the slide on social innovation in Lecture 2

We would love to hear your feedback on questions above. How did you go? Did these help you consolidate some learning?

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