Development of a Social Enterprise Typology in a Canadian Context

Submission for Entrepreneurship, Theory & Practice
Special Issue on Social Entrepreneurship

Development of a Social Enterprise Typology in a Canadian Context

ABSTRACT
In an attempt to pursue the development of theory in the field of social enrepreneurship, the purpose of this paper is to present the development and assessment of a typology of Canadian social enterprises. The three major dimensions of the typology are: (a) extent of financial self sufficiency, (b) extent of innovation, and (c) extent of social transformation. Social enterprises were deemed to be either high or low in their degree of each dimension. The paper finds support for the typology and these dimensions from both the literature as well as from empirical research undertaken and described in the paper.