ABSTRACT
Why do some people engage in social entrepreneurial activities while others do not? Why do some people devote their time, lives, and even financial resources to pursuing ventures that address social needs rather than seeking profit for themselves and their families? Are these people motivated by altruism or a type of enlightened self-interest? This chapter addresses those questions. In so doing, it focuses on the motivations of individual social entrepreneurs. It does not consider the effect of external factors on the creation of social ventures, as that is the subject of Chapter 4. The construct of social entrepreneurial motivation (SEM) is used to explain why some people decide to become social entrepreneurs. This construct is embedded in the concept of entrepreneurial motivation, which focuses on the reasons why people start business ventures.
