Corporations and Social Enterprises

Abstract

This chapter describes how corporations and social enterprises in Asia can co-create social value. The traditional role of corporate philanthropy is transactional in nature, where the donation of resources from a corporation allows a non-profit organisation to create social value through its mission. The rise of social entrepreneurship as an alternative for creating social value through hybrid business models has given rise to novel opportunities for corporate philanthropy. Corporations can use their discretionary finances to support social enterprises across the spectrum of their organisational development from ideation and early stage ventures to later stages of maturity. The chapter offers case studies from Singapore, India, and Hong Kong that exemplify the co-creation of social value through small enterprise acceleration, angel investing, corporate venture capital, and business process outsourcing.