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

Authors: Khanjan Mehta; Rachel Dzombak

Addresses: Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program, College of Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA ' Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) Program, College of Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA

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.

Keywords: humanitarian engineering; social entrepreneurship; development ethics; ethical decision making; grassroots diplomacy; conflict resolution; entrepreneurial engagement; developing countries; entrepreneurship education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEI.2013.056997

International Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2013 Vol.2 No.3, pp.203 - 224

Received: 16 Jan 2013
Accepted: 16 Feb 2013
Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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