A process-based view of social entrepreneurship: From opportunity identification to scaling-up social change in the case of San Patrignano

The assumption of a strong connection between entrepreneurship and economic growth has led to the neglect of entrepreneurial processes in the social sectors. Based on the findings of an in-depth longitudinal case study, our article focuses on social entrepreneurship (SE) processes designed to exploit innovation that explicitly addresses complex social problems. We elaborate on the characteristics of the process and on the dimensions intervening on how social entrepreneurial opportunities are identified, evaluated, exploited and scaled up. We provide a process-based view of SE, suggesting the need for consistency between individual, organizational and contextual elements. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.