TOWARDS A CONCEPTUALIZATION OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The paper explores multiple meanings and definitions of social entrepreneurship in nonprofit, business and government sector using an exploratory analysis of the recent literature in the field and official reports. In the paper, the dimensions and characteristics of university entrepreneurship are investigated and the driving forces that determine the social entrepreneurial behavior of academic community members are discussed. The paper argues that a university with an entrepreneurial culture embedded in all organizational processes and institutionalized at all managerial levels tends to be more concerned with addressing current society problems or unsolved market needs. Our findings suggest that universities which are society-oriented and driven by a social mission are more likely to transform into social entrepreneurial institutions than the others.