Leveraging experiential learning to incorporate social entrepreneurship in MBA programs: A case study

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship in business education is growing in importance as a way to teach ethics and instill high ethical standards in individuals. One effective way to integrate social entrepreneurship is through experiential learning; where the participant is actively involved in processing the knowledge and developing skills, while being involved in the learning situation. MBA programs are currently beginning to incorporate social entrepreneurship into their curricula to teach their students, as well as developing students’ intercultural skills. An examination of the current trends will be followed by an analysis of how business schools can effectively incorporate social entrepreneurship into the MBA curriculum. To tie these concepts together, the paper provides a case study of a program run by Emzingo, a leadership development company, and IE Business School. The reasons for the in-depth case study are three-fold. First, it provides an example of how business schools can use experiential learning to incorporate social entrepreneurship in an international context. Second, it highlights the benefits of incorporating social entrepreneurship in MBA programs. Finally, it provides a general framework for business programs that are looking to integrate various social entrepreneurship elements in their MBA programs.