Social Entrepreneurship in Kenya

The subject of this research is the promotion of social entrepreneurship in Kenya. There are almost no medium-sized businesses in Kenya which indicates that there is a lack of growth of the many micro and small enterprises. The research investigates what the pitfalls and barriers in culture and in the institutional framework for the country’s entrepreneurship are. Certain cultural dimensions as community feeling, particularism, power distance, and fatalism are discussed, next to some institutional problems as bureaucracy, corruption, and tribal issues. Civil society is examined as an important factor influencing development in a country. It was found to be coming up, but not yet fully developed in Kenya. Recommendations on what would be beneficial changes to promote social entrepreneurship in Kenya are given in terms of cultural transition and institution building. Means to assist these changes are identified in the form of education, gender equality and urbanization. Finally, the theory of the Capability Approach is used as an evaluation tool to indicate the social impact that the proposed transitions in cultural dimensions and developments in entrepreneurship have. This attempt will gain insight and provides a step towards applicability of the theory in practice in relation to cultural values with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship.Management of TechnologyValues and TechnologyTechnology, Policy and Managemen