1st Edition
Asia's Social Entrepreneurs Do Well, Do Good... Do Sustainably
Social enterprises of all forms drive inclusive growth by creating social and economic networks, and a stable ecosystem, that enable societies to grow and prosper. This book presents a collection of ten case studies that demonstrate the important role played by social enterprises in driving inclusive growth in Asia’s economies.
Unlike the traditional models, such as NGOs and charities, that are donor dependent for funding, a social enterprise is a hybrid business model that includes both social mission and revenue generation goals to ensure sustainability and self-reliance. The ten case studies in the book provide a ringside view of how social enterprises operate and evolve to create, sustain, and scale up their social impact. Readers will gain a practical understanding of how social entrepreneurs struggle to maintain a balance between their two seemingly contradictory goals of creating social value and generating economic returns. The book carries the readers on the journey of each of these ten social enterprises, offering unique and valuable insights into the motivations, tribulations, successes, and even failures of these organisations—critical for continued learning, contribution, and innovation in the domain.
The book is appropriate for all readers interested in the role social entrepreneurship plays in stimulating economic growth in Asia, including organisations, government, and universities, as well as individuals.
Introduction
Sheetal Mittal, Cheah Sin Mei, Thomas Lim
1. iCare Benefits: Assisting Low-Income Retail Consumers in Vietnam
Howard Thomas, Aurobindo Ghosh, CW Chan
2. Fullerton Myanmar: Delivering Financial Inclusion through Social Impact and Technology
Howard Thomas, Miguel Angel Soriano
3. Yangon Bakehouse: A Social Enterprise in Myanmar
Howard Thomas, Sheetal Mittal
4. SureCash: Promoting Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh
Aurobindo Ghosh, Lipika Bhattacharya
5. Veriown: Connecting the Invisible Woman in India
Howard Thomas, Sheetal Mittal
6. Great Women: Integrating Micro-Entrepreneurs into the Regional Value Chain
Howard Thomas, Lakshmi Appasamy
7. Homage: Harnessing Technology to Tackle Singapore’s Ageing Challenges
Jonathan Chang, Lakshmi Appasamy
8. Juntos Global: Deploying Human-centred Design to Motivate the Newly Banked
Howard Thomas, Lipika Bhattacharya
9. Bettr Barista: A Shot at Better Lives
Heli Wang, Sheetal Mittal, Adeline Natalia Lai Sue Yi
10. Base of Pyramid Hub: Connecting Solutions
Jonathan Chang, Lipika Bhattacharya
11. Conclusion
Sheetal Mittal
Biography
Howard Thomas is an emeritus professor of strategic management at Singapore Management University. He was the inaugural Ahmass Fakahany Professor of Global Leadership at Questrom School of Business, Boston University (2015–2020). He was a ‘serial dean’ in business schools on four continents. He is the current dean of the Fellows college of the British Academy of Management. He is a highly cited scholar and has published over 40 books and over 300 articles. He continues to serve the academic community through his roles and fellowships in organisations such as AoM, SMU, and EFMD.
Havovi Joshi is the Director, Centre for Management Practice at Singapore Management University. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Asian Management Insights and has served as a chief collaborator and editor on several book projects. Havovi is a widely published award-winning case author.
