Cases by BYU Professor Highlight Social Ventures

GlobaLens recently published a collection of social impact case studies authored by Paul C. Godfrey, professor of Strategy at Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management and associate academic director of the university's Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance.

The cases - Fundacion Paraguaya (A), (B), and (C) - examine efforts of Fundacion Paraguaya, a microfinance organization, to move into the educational domain. The case series raises questions about the ability of socially-innovative ventures to scale their models beyond their original environments.

"The series gives students the opportunity to do a deep dive into a very successful social enterprise," said Godfrey. "They will grapple with the thorny issues of measuring social impact."

Martin Burt: A Conversation with a Social Entrepreneur accompanies the case studies, and features an in-depth interview with the founder and CEO of Fundacion Paraguaya. After studying these cases, students will be able to explain the historical influences, administrative style, vision, and personality of a successful social entrepreneur.

Also included in the collection is Kinder, Lydenberg, and Domini: Socially Responsible Investing. The case details the story of KLD Research & Analytics, a company that provides social responsibility ratings for more than 3,000 companies and was widely regarded as a leader in social investment research.

"The KLD case has a unique format that allows students to see how individual aspirations and commitments lead to organizational decisions that create social innovation," Godfrey said.

Search "Godfrey" to preview the cases on GlobaLens.com. They are currently taught in an MBA course – Corporation Social Innovation - at BYU's Marriott School of Management.