MG4G1      Half Unit
Understanding Social Problems for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

This course lays the foundation for – and complements – the WT course MG4G2 ‘Social Innovation Design,’ and introduces the building blocks that inform the launch, resourcing and scaling of a fully-fledged, evidence-based social enterprise. Through this process you are introduced to the concepts, frameworks, methods, tools and evidence social entrepreneurs use to operationalise, deliver and scale on their social entrepreneurial idea.  

MG4G1 focuses on the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship, change and progress. It explores the philosophies and contextual narratives that determine how social and environmental change is understood and acted on.   

At the heart of both MG4G1 and MG4G2 is the interaction between theory and practice. Students will work with practitioners embedded in the social change landscape in Nairobi or Cape Town. They will learn alongside their partner organisations, applying class teachings, and developing their field experience. 

This progressive, hands-on course equips students with the skills they need to navigate, design and lead progressive social enterprise initiatives, that respond to diverse and changing contexts.  

30 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

In its Ethics Code, LSE upholds a commitment to intellectual freedom. This means we will protect the freedom of expression of our students and staff and the right to engage in healthy debate in the classroom.

Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the AT.

• Biggart, N. W., & Delbridge, R. (2004). Systems of Exchange. Academy of Management Review, 29(1), 28–49.
• dos Santos, Luciane Lucas, and Swati Banerjee. “Social Enterprise: Is It Possible to Decolonise This Concept?” Theory of Social Enterprise and Pluralism. 1st ed. Routledge, 2019. 3–17. Web. 
• Logue, D. (2019). "Chapter 4: Social innovation as institutional change". In Theories of Social Innovation. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Santos, F. M. (2012). A Positive Theory of Social Entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics, 111(3), 335–351. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1413-4 

Learning Log / reflective learning report (20%)

Project (40%)

This component of assessment includes an element of group work.

Essay (40%)

There will be an observed, in person element as part of the course assessment. For detailed assessment information, including all deadlines and timings, please see the relevant course Moodle page. Assessment timings will be available at the start of each term.