Manifestation of Entrepreneurial Mindset Attributes in a Social Entrepreneurship Context: an International Perspective
Manifestation of Entrepreneurial Mindset Attributes in a Social Entrepreneurship Context: an International Perspective

Summary/Abstract: Social entrepreneurs, regardless the geographical context or legal forms adapted, share a number of specific characteristics which differentiate them from their commercial counterparts. However, entrepreneurial mindset (EM) research does not address these particularities thus far; the EM attributes have been investigated mainly in a commercial entrepreneurship context. This paper aims to explore whether social entrepreneurs exhibit the same EM attributes as commercial entrepreneurs and whether some attributes are stronger or weaker. The empirical research was pursued through seven interpretative phenomenological interviews carried out in five countries. The results indicate that social entrepreneurs do exhibit all seven attributes of EM identified by prior literature, but also a new attribute emerged: empathy. Our findings suggest that three EM attributes lie at the core of social entrepreneurs cognitive patterns: social interaction, cognitive tuning and empathy. The main contribution of this paper lies in extending the existing state of the art research on EM by linking it with social entrepreneurship stream of research and thus gaining a deeper understanding of entrepreneurial decision making in a social entrepreneurship context.

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