Social enterprises, like all enterprises tell stories about what is possible by engaging in exchanges of value. They promote the Good. In particular, John McVea and Michael Norton argue, social enterprises promote, through their exchanges, good Goods, good Work, and good Wealth.
Good Goods
A growing number of social enterprises are very careful and deliberate about where they source the products and services they sell. These social enterprises situate themselves in a virtuous vertical value chain and go to great lengths to make sure that, as much as possible, they buy products and services that do not harm people or planet.
Good Work
Many social enterprises work in a way that empowers their workers through co-operative structures, flat organisations, and collaborative decision-making. Social enterprises also typically do work that promotes healthy lifestyles, wellness, and human flourishing.
Good Wealth
Social enterprises are often formed and legally structured to promote the Commons, the common Good, and living wages. The use of various legal forms that contain an asset lock, go some way to ensuring surpluses and profits are not paid into the pockets of individual citizens but rather reinvested in the local social ecosystem.
If you want to learn more about how to be more deliberate in producing good Good, good Work and, good Wealth, check out the social entrepreneur’s ethics playbook
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