Social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being—this may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for external shareholders. The issue I’m focusing on is having sustainable water available for third world countries. Companies over time have done social enterprise to help get sustainable water to third world countries. Although they just don’t invest right off the bat at accumulating money and buying water to send overseas. They actually invest in tools and scientist so they can go to the third world countries and dug up Wells if they can so a city has access to water. Although some may have to walk a little bit to reach the water they at least now have a reliable and safe source to get water from. A way that I can get more involved in my issue through social enterprise is researching deeply to see the majority of the companies participating. Also, I should look more deeply into what exactly the money is going for when it comes to getting water available for third world countries. Such as if they’re investing into tools to dug up wells, contractors, developers, etc. After I get all the information I need, I would decide which company in my opinion has the most to offer with my money towards helping out people in third world countries because water specifically safe water is needed for an organism such as humans to live. Some companies collect your money by putting a percentage of the sales of a certain product towards their well-doing, so I would go in and by the product if I have extra money. Even if I didn’t need the product I would still get it and maybe give it to someone else because the money is going towards a good cause, a cause that I have had personal experience with. Challenges that I may face is trying to find in detail what each companies money is specifically going towards because sometimes what they say is not exactly what they’re doing especially when it comes to big corporal companies compared to local shops. The most important thing to consider when viewing my issue through social enterprise is that the money is going towards what they are advertising and make sure that it is. When it comes to the Justice-Oriented Citizen Model on the personally responsibility citizen level those who are buying from a company that puts some of their money towards an issue are taking personal responsibility to see good changes being made in an issue they care about. In the Participatory citizen level the companies that are volunteering to make money for an issue to be resolved are making a change indirectly but providing the most important thing towards the issue which is financial backing also put in the research of what they have to do to be able to contribute and get the word out. In the Social-Justice Oriented citizen level the companies involved toward helping out the issue research what people are buying and in need of so they can promote the product and the fact that some of the proceeds are going towards a good cause.
The Ted Talk I found is by Michael Porter called “The case for letting business solve social problems.” My key take away from this ted talk was the reasoning of why businesses decide to tackle on social problems and that is publicity. It makes the company look good so people would want to buy more from them which lets them make a bigger profit even if some of the proceeds are being sent away.
Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_porter_why_business_can_be_good_at_solving_social_problems