Department of Finance, NSYSU

Instructor: Yih Jeng

Fall term, 3 credits

One- Description of important issues

For years, non-profit organizations and the government have been working together to solve social issues. Social problems, however, have been growing incrementally over the years, leaving the government incapable of fully dealing with them. For all their good intentions, non-profit organizations have also encountered difficulties in their attempts to alleviate societal problems, mostly related to their inability to attract sufficient capital and streamline their operations. For-profit enterprises have stepped in to contribute to society, but they too are facing multiple financial challenges that hamper their ability to help solve social issues. This course investigates to what extent the construction of social enterprise business models could offer an additional avenue toward the solution of social issues and the achievement of sustainability in business operation.

Two- Core concepts of the course

Recent years have seen a remarkable rise in social enterprises and the notion of social entrepreneurship to the extent that we have witnessed the formation of a new civic self-awareness. Not only have the boundaries between society and corporations been blurred, but the concept of the non-profit organization has been transformed as well. Governments have amended their public policies in light of these developments. Social enterprises are now an internationally expanding and sustainable business model in places such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Hong Kong. As social benefit organizations have gained prominence, they have also been able to increase their financial independence. This course will deal with the concept of social enterprises and related ideas of start-up management. As such it will help students to develop their career ideas, search for start-up opportunities, form their start-up teams, and plan their start-ups. The theoretical knowledge this course offers is geared toward the practical aim of allowing students to acquire skills to start up their own businesses.

Three- Course syllabus

The course syllabus of BUSINESS MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICE OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES includes:

Introductions to social enterprises, business models, start-up innovation and practices, project practices, project design, presentation design, case studies, project speeches, and social enterprises business proposals.

Four- Teaching methods

Instructor’s lectures, group discussions, project practices, guest speakers’ lectures, company visits, creativity and special design campaigns. This course encourages students to discuss social issues from innovative view points, and to understand and undertake the process of starting up businesses. During the course, instructors will provide assistance and guidance toward creating social enterprises and solving social issues. Case studies and site visits to communities in Kaohsiung will give true insight into actual social issues needing attention. Students will work in groups; at the end of the semester they need to propose a business plan they have created that concentrates on a particular issue.

Five- Assignment design

All aspects of starting up a business will be covered, including research, financial reporting and recording, personnel arrangements, collaboration with companies, sales, and creating marketing events.