Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Entrepreneurship, Conscience, and the Common Good

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Caring Management in the New Economy

Abstract

The paper argues that a relational understanding of conscience, discernment, and common good can provide basic guidelines for ethical decision-making for social entrepreneurs. It challenges the widespread individualistic vision of an entrepreneur as a natural-born hero who has been called to transform society for others. On the contrary, an entrepreneur can support communication, understanding, and solidarity between social entrepreneurs and the communities they work in. It is these relationships that can make social entrepreneurship truly social and caring. One important illustrative example of genuine social entrepreneurship is the Mondragon Corporation, founded as a co-operative in 1956 in the Basque region in Spain. It is today a network of over 260 companies with more than 80,000 employees in fields such as finance, industry, education, and retail. Despite its size, its values still retain its original co-operative spirit: it does not define itself simply as “a business,” but as a “business-based socio-economic initiative” which values—among other things—democratic organization, the subordination of capital to labor, participatory management, and wage solidarity. Mondragon challenges existing management theories by showing that cooperation and solidarity can be the basis of a successful enterprise.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bassi, A. (2011). The Social Added Value of Third Sector Organizations. EMES Conferences Selected Papers Series. EMES European Research Network. Liége: University of Liége.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bassi, A. (2012). How to Measure Intangibles? Towards a System of Indicators (S.A.V.E.) for the Measurement of the Performance of Social Enterprises. In H.-W. Franz (Ed.), Challenge Social Innovation. Berling: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouckaert, L. (2012). Business and the Tragedy of the Commons. In C. Bonanni, F. Lépineux, & J. Roloff (Eds.), Social Responsibility, Entrepreneurship and the Common Good: International and Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bretos, I., & Errasti, A. (2016). Challenges and Opportunities for the Regeneration of Multinational Worker Cooperatives: Lessons from the Mondragon Corporation. Organization, 24(2), 154–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruni, L., & Uelmen, A. J. (2006). The Economy of Communion Project. Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law, 645, 645–680.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church. (n.d.). http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm. Accessed 3 March 2018.

  • Chalupnicek, P. (2014). From an Individual to a Person: What Economics Can Learn from Theology About Human Beings. Econ Journal Watch, 11(2), 120–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chell, E., Spence, L. J., Perrini, F., & Harris, J. D. (2016). Social Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics: Does Social Equal Ethical? Journal of Business Ethics, 133, 619–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, A. H. (2006). Politics, Values and Social Entrepreneurship. In J. Mair, J. Robinson, & K. Hockerts (Eds.), Social Entrepreneurship. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. A. (2010). Wealth Creation, Social Virtues, and Sociality: Social Capital’s Role in Creating and Sustaining Wealth. In D. K. Finn (Ed.), The True Wealth of Nations: Catholic Social Thought and Economic Life. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cullenberg, S., Amariglio, J., & Ruccio, D. F. (Eds.). (2001). Postmodernism, Economics and Knowledge. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curran, C. M. (1999). The Catholic Moral Tradition Today: A Synthesis. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, A. (2000). The Social and Communal Aspects of Urban Spirituality: See-Judge-Act and the Urban Context. Journal of Beliefs and Values, 21(1), 51–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dey, P., & Steyaert, C. (2012). Social Entrepreneurship: Critique and the Radical Enactment of the Social. Social Enterprise Journal, 8(2), 90–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dey, P., & Steyaert, C. (2016). Rethinking the Space of Ethics in Social Entrepreneurship: Power, Subjectivity, and Practices of Freedom. Journal of Business Ethics, 133, 627–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eikenberry, A. M., & Kluver, J. D. (2004). The Marketization of the Nonprofit Sector: Civil Society at Risk? Public Administration Review, 64(2), 132–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flecha, R., & Santa Cruz, I. (2011). Cooperation for Economic Success: The Mondragon Case. Analyse & Kritik, 1, 157–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, T. M. (2005). The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living. New York, NY: Crossroad Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, J. A., & Goodstein, J. (2002). Fulfilling Institutional Responsibilities in Health Care: Organizational Ethics and the Role of Mission Discernment. Business Ethics Quarterly, 12(4), 433–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudium et Spes. (1965). Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html. Accessed 3 March 2018.

  • Greenberg, M. T., & Mitra, J. L. (2015). From Mindfulness to Right Mindfulness: The Intersection of Awareness and Ethics. Mindfulness, 6, 74–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrera, D. (2004). Mondragon: A For-Profit Organization That Embodies Catholic Social Thought. Review of Business, 25(1), 56–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogan, L. (2000). Confronting the Truth: Conscience in the Catholic Tradition. New York: Paulist Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollenbach, D. (2004). The Common Good & Christian Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huybrechts, B., & Nicholls, A. (2012). Social Entrepreneurship: Definitions, Drivers and Challenges. In C. K. Volkmann, K. O. Tokarski, & K. Ernst (Eds.), Social Entrepreneurship and Social Business: An Introduction and Discussion with Case Studies. Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeurissen, R. (1997). Integrating Micro, Meso and Macro Levels in Business Ethics. Ethical Perspectives, 4(2), 246–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karnani, A. (2007). The Mirage of Marketing at the Bottom of the Pyramid: How the Private Sector Can Help Alleviate Poverty. California Management Review, 49(4), 90–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Langston, D. C. (2001). Conscience and Other Virtues: From Bonaventure to MacIntyre. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laudato Si’. (2015). Encyclical Letter of the Holy Father Francis on Care for Our Common Home. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html. Accessed 3 March 2018.

  • Lusvardi, A. R. (2012). The Law of Conscience: Catholic Teaching on Conscience from Leo XIII to John Paul II. Logos, 15(2), 13–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R. M., & Osberg, S. (2007). Social Entrepreneurship: The Case for Definition. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 5(2), 28–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melé, D. (2002). Not Only Stakeholder Interests: The Firm Oriented Toward the Common Good. In S. A. Cortright & M. J. Naughton (Eds.), Rethinking the Purpose of Business: Interdisciplinary Essays from the Catholic Social Tradition. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melé, D. (2009). The View and Purpose of the Firm in Freeman’s Stakeholder Theory. Philosophy of Management, 8(3), 3–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melé, D. (2013). Scholastic Thought and Business Ethics: An Overview. In C. Luetge (Ed.), Handbook of the Philosophical Foundations of Business Ethics. Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peredo, A. M., & McLean, M. (2006). Social Entrepreneurship: A Critical Review of the Concept. Journal of World Business, 41, 56–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope, S. J. (1993). Proper and Improper Partiality and the Preferential Option for the Poor. Theological Studies, 54, 242–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos, F. M. (2012). A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics, 111, 335–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tronto, J. (2005). An Ethics of Care. In A. E. Cudd & R. O. Andreasen (Eds.), Feminist Theory: A Philosophical Antology. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venkataraman, S. (2002). Stakeholder Value Equilibration and the Entrepreneurial Process. The Ruffin Series of the Society for Business Ethics, 3, 45–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verstraeten, J. (2005). Catholic Social Thought as Discernment. Logos, 8(3), 94–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vischer, R. K. (2010). Conscience and the Common Good: Reclaiming the Space Between Person and State. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voegtlin, C., Patzer, M., & Scherer, A. G. (2012). Responsible Leadership in Global Business: A New Approach to Leadership and Its Multi-Level Outcomes. Journal of Business Ethics, 105, 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Pavel Chalupnicek

Authors
  1. Pavel Chalupnicek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pavel Chalupnicek .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel

    Ora Setter

  2. Business Ethics Center, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

    László Zsolnai

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Chalupnicek, P. (2019). Social Entrepreneurship, Conscience, and the Common Good. In: Setter, O., Zsolnai, L. (eds) Caring Management in the New Economy. Palgrave Studies in Sustainable Business In Association with Future Earth. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14199-8_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation