OEKT

Here’s a somewhat UK-centric perspective on the origins around the term “Social Enterprise” (link to full article). The author, Dr Rory Ridley-Duff lists different audiences (see below) that should be aware of the history and evolution of this space. I see the third audience type, referring to the public sector being asked to craft out bills and create systems to nurture the field of social enterprises, as being most influenced by the legacy around this term, as well as needing a strong case for definition around what constitutes a social enterprise.

1. Those in the private sector wondering if social enterprises are a threat or an opportunity for them (and how they might alter their own practice to remain competitive).

2. Those in the voluntary sector trying to work out their medium/long-term future (whether they should engage or resist the notion of social enterprise).

3. Those in the public sector being asked to develop, support or commission work from social enterprises.

4. Those who self-define as part of the social enterprise sector, wondering how to understand themselves and describe the value of their approach to others.
For another interesting read on why we should care about what social entrepreneurship really means, please refer to “Social Entrepreneurship: The Case for Definition” by Sally Osberg and Roger Martin.

Interesting article from Bridgestar group on how best to assess a fit when bridging from a for-profit to a non-profit career: article here. This article takes the perspective of a possible match being in play between non-profit organization and candidate, and provides tips on how to assess the move to the next step in the process, which is accepting the offer.

On a related note, the anecdotal feedback I’ve received is that transitioning from the for-profit sector to the social enterprise realm presents its own set of challenges.  Firstly, the market for such talent-matching is highly ineffective; headhunting firms don’t see the financial payoff in targeting social enterprises towards their usual clientele of senior executives, and fresh MBA grads find themselves ahead of their time when knocking on the doors of social enterprises that prefer to promote managerial talent internally and recruit for only specialized skills.  Looking for a job in the social enterprise space?  Please share your feedback.

John Chambers, in front of a live audience in Bangalore, presents Cisco’s On-Stage telepresence offering with executives “beamed in” from Silicon Valley. Check out the video here.

Cisco is also running an Innovation Prize competition where the finalists will pitch their ideas through the On-Stage service. The winning team will be hired by Cisco, receive a $250k signing bonus and other goodies like internal resources and funding to take their idea to market. Updates on the competition, which is currently at the finalist stage, can be found on the I-Prize blog.