Ethical decision-making and grassroots diplomacy for social entrepreneurs: concepts, methodologies and cases

Abstract

Social entrepreneurs striving to commercialise products and services in developing communities must understand the cultural context, develop trust-based partnerships across multiple sectors, and work proactively with those partners to achieve the desired social and economic outcomes. This article discusses the importance of reflection, ethical decision-making, and the praxis of grassroots diplomacy in the quest for educating conscientious entrepreneurs who can navigate complex social challenges to create win-win situations for all stakeholders. A concept inventory for ethical decision-making and grassroots diplomacy, as it relates to the education of social entrepreneurs, is presented along with analysis methodologies, real-world cases and practical academic exercises. These cases can be used individually to explore the complexities of entrepreneurial engagement in developing world contexts, or collectively, they can serve as building blocks of a rigorous academic course offering.