SOCIAL ECONOMY AND COOPERATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Social enterprises are an emerging type of company, which seeks to achieve social objectives through the use of business techniques. The purpose of the course is to help students develop an understanding of the role of social economy and cooperative enterprises, particularly in current Greek reality, by the presentation, development and analysis of the institution of social economyand the enterprises of the third sector of economy - which includes cooperatives, cooperative banks, urban non-profit companies, non-governmental organizations, mutuals and others. Moreover the course aims to familiarize the students with the conceptand the role of social marketing in the modern economic mainstream.

Objectives

1. Upon Understanding the dimensions, the characteristics and the benefits of the initiatives developed in the third sector. 2. Forming the general picture of the Greek Social-Cooperative Economy and entrepreneurship. 3. Using the knowledge of the legal framework, the capabilities and limitations of the development of social entrepreneurship in Greece. 4. Understanding the concept of social marketing and its distinctive role in solving social problems, change of behavior and pursuit of social objectives.

Prerequisites

Not required.

Syllabus

1. The Relationship between Economy, Development and Society 2. The Social economy. Definition - used terms 3. The characteristics of the social economy 4. The Cooperative Institution - Historical Evolution and Cooperative Principles 5. Rural - Urban - Compulsory Cooperatives 6. Social Cooperative Enterprises 7. Mutuals 8. Associations and Foundations 9. Social entrepreneurship and social entrepreneur 10. Social Enterprise Business Plan 11. Legislative framework 12. EU Initiatives for the social economy 13. The social marketing approach