Jeffrey A. Robinson

The intergovernmental network of world trade : IGO connectedness, governance, and embeddedness

Membership in certain intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), such as the World Trade Organization, has long been argued to stimulate trade. Yet, evidence linking IGOs to trade is mixed. The authors argue that identifying the influence of IGOs requires attention not only to the institutions IGOs enact, but also to the network through which they enact them. This approach allows them to demonstrate that trade between two countries increases by an average of 58% with every doubling of the strength of IGO connection between the countries. They also contribute to debates regarding the mechanisms through which structural relationships influence economic behavior by showing that substantial trade benefits occur not only through economic IGOs, but also through IGOs that were formed for social and cultural purposes, and that connections through IGOs that are organizationally strong have more impact than those through minimalist IGOs.

Exploring the Motivation of Nascent Social Entrepreneurs

Abstract Social entrepreneurship (SE) is an increasingly popular practice in which business solutions are applied to social problems. While empirical study of the various facets of SE is on the rise, the motivation of social entrepreneurs – a key antecedent of SE – has received little attention. In contrast, substantial theoretical and empirical work exists on the motivation of commercial entrepreneurs as well as the motivation for public–social sector work. Seeking to fill a gap in the SE literature, this paper presents qualitative findings from in-person, in-depth interviews with self-identified nascent social entrepreneurs that participated in an SE training program in the USA. The findings provide an empirical foundation for further theory development and research on SE motivation.

Values and opportunities in social entrepreneurship

Introduction PART I: VALUES IN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP Vision and Values: the Relationship between the Visions and Actions of Social Entrepreneurs P.Grenier Religion and Social Entrepreneurship R.Spear Divergent Orientations in Social Entrepreneurship Irganizations H.Douglas PART II: RESOURCES FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP Towards a Theory of Social Entrepreneurship J.P.Eshun & J.A.Robinson Is It Ever Better To Lend Than To Give?: A Social Embeddedness View of Alternative Approaches to Poverty Alleviation B.Victor & W.Lucas PART III: DISCOVERY AND EXPLOITATION OF SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES Developing an Interactive Model of Social Entrepreneurship C.Vurro & F.Perrini Social Entrepreneurship: A Study on the Source and Discovery of Social Opportunities J.Monllor Entrepreneurial Opportunity Evaluation: A Discrete Choice Analysis of Financial and Social Entrepreneurial Opportunity Attributes B.R.Smit, J.Kickul & F.Wilson PART IV: STRATEGIC SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP The Function of Metrics in Social Entrepreneurship: Control, Accountability, or Innovation? A.Nicholls Strategic Partnerships: Results from a Survey of Development Trusts in the UK H.Haugh, M.Di Domenico & P.Tracey The Thread of Inchoate Demand in Social Entrepreneurship J.G.York, S.D.Sarasvathy & A.Larson Social Entrepreneurship: Snapshots of a Research Field in Emergence G. Desa PART V: A Resource-based View of Value Creation in Social Purpose Business Ventures N.Moray & R.Stevens Cases in Grassroots of Social Entrepreneurship S.Maase & K.Dorst

What's Holding Back Social Entrepreneurship? Removing the Impediments to Theoretical Advancement

Abstract This article summarizes four contributions that were presented in a professional development workshop at the 2013 Academy of Management conference. The goal of the workshop was to discuss impediments to the theoretical advancement of social entrepreneurship. This papers first two contributors discuss assumptions and boundaries of social entrepreneurship, exhibiting contrasting views of whether theory should be aggregated or disaggregated. The other two scholars focus on specific topics that advance social entrepreneurship research, specifically, studying the implicit normative underpinning of social entrepreneurship and social innovation processes. This is part three of a three-part series dealing with the future of social entrepreneurship research and theory.

Unlearned Lessons From Letter From Birmingham Jail The Work Begun, the Progress Made, and the Task Ahead

A major tenet of Martin Luther King, Jr.s civil rights agenda involved dismantling legal segregation in the United States. King viewed social isolation of the races as a barrier to the American ideals of democracy, freedom, and equality. Despite many advances, racial isolation remains a feature of daily life in America, and the authors report the results of a study that illustrates how it supports and anneals segregation in the workplace. The authors draw from Letter From Birmingham Jail to gain insights into Kings notions about segregation, our responsibility to diminish it, and whether the arguments put forth in it have relevance for contemporary business thought leaders.