Course Syllabus

This seminar briefly summarizes the evolution of social entrepreneurship as a method of organizing change: the application of entrepreneurial theory to the founding of non-profit and for-profit organizations, which seek to build 'social capital'. Given political and economic uncertainty, the anticipated exit from nuclear energy sources in an era of scarce resources on the one hand and the social implications of the IT and financial revolutions on the other, the focus will be upon ”ecopreneurship” and ”frugal or reverse innovation.” Students will create their own sustainable 'green designs' in the fields of their choice (in groups of not more than 3).

Learning Objectives:

To understand how innovative ideas and practical business models can achieve major social impact, how social entrepreneurs can build sustainable organizations, and why social entrepreneurship has become a contagious global movement.

Lecturer:

Professor Dr. Robert Isaak (guest professor)

Registration 2016:

Please register via the Student Portal during the central registration period (September 5-11). Make sure to login with Portal² before you click on the link. In case of excess demand for a class, there will be a central lottery/ spot allocation conducted by the Dean's Office of the Business School of the University of Mannheim. We cannot influence the outcome of this student allocation. Please do not ask us for exceptions or waiting list positions before the course allocation has been completed. Participation is binding as of session 1 or your spot will be given to a student on the (potential) waiting list! Course decisions are final. 

Reading:

• Alexander Brem & Pierre Wolfram, ‘Research & Development from the Bottom up’ Journal of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, 2014:3:9 (available on-line via Google)
• Arthur Brooks, Social Entrepreneurship: A Modern Approach to Social Value Creation (Pearson)
• David Bornstein, How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas (Oxford) (IF YOU BUY JUST ONE BOOK, BUY THIS ONE)
• Malcolm Gladwell, The Outliers • Robert Isaak, Green Logic: Ecopreneurship, Theory and Ethics (Kumarian)
• ’The Making of the Ecopreneur’, in M. Schaper, ed., Making Ecopreneurs (Greenleaf)
• Peter Dacin et al, “Social Entrepreneurship: Why We Don’t Need a New Theory & How We Move Forward from Here”, Academy of Management Perspectives, Aug. 20 2010, Vo. 24, Issue 3, pp. 37-57.
• ”The Charms of Frugal Innovation”, The Economist, April 18, 2010
• M. Porter & M. Kramer,“Creating Shared Value”, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb., 2011
• Yunus, M., B. Moingeon, L. Lehman-Ortega, ‚Building Social Business Models: Lessons from the Grameen Experience,’ Long Range Planning Vol. 43, Issues 2-3, April-June 2010, pp.308-325
• Youtube:
  • A Liter of Light: Official Version (by playwiththejunglegym), and
  • Liter of Light@Night (by Jason Magbanua), and
  • Brilliant Newfoundlander Invents the Solution (also:www.cansolair.com)

Most of the required readings for the seminar will be available online: The readings are split between two places:

(1) the MCEI course materials

(2) Google ‘reserves.pace.edu’ then go to ‘electronic reserves’, then to ‘course pages by instructor’, then to ‘Isaak’, then to course title regardless of date (or recent other course titles in some cases,(i.e. look under ‘by title’ for ‘Small is Beautiful’ and ‘frugal management’), then use ‘global’ as password, click on ‘agree’, click on correct file, and then on ‘download as zipfile’

Evaluation:

• Oral report on green design: 20%
• Sustainable business plan: 60%

Active Attendance and participation in discussion of required reading: 20%

Place and time:

The sessions will take place as mentioned in the schedule below in Room 210 (IfM, L9 1-2).

Time slot: 13.45-17.15

Schedule (subject to change)