Centre for Social Business

The Centre for Social Business is a dedicated centre within the University of Salford, established to undertake inter-disciplinary research on Social Business. Our work cuts across many themes such as sustainable communities, microfinance, social entrepreneurship and business ethics.

Our purpose is to:

Develop a local, national and international hub for research and researchers which helps to inform business practitioners, academics and new generation researchers;
Lead the local, national and international development of social business practice through the creation and dissemination of high quality research;
Develop local, national and international industry relationships through a dedicated programme of training and education on social business

Projects

Members of the Centre have experience of working on projects such as:

Assessing the social impact of new models of affordable housing
Investigating how SMEs can integrate responsibility into their everyday business practice
Community engagement to create sustainable solutions to the wider community-driven programme of violent crime reduction and social cohesion initiatives
Improving accommodation provision for Gypsies and Travellers across England
Assessing the impact of corporate social responsibility on the impact of communities in transition economies
Developing a European Code of Conduct for Microcredit Providers
Leadership and management education for social enterprises.

Key publications

Members of the Centre for Social Business have authored a diverse range of written publications, from book chapters to conference papers to research reports, on a wide range of subjects across various aspects of social business.

Dr Morven McEachern (Salford Business School)

Carrigan, M., Moraes, C. and McEachern, M.G. (forthcoming in 2013) From Conspicuous to Considered Consumption: A Harm Chain Approach to the Responsibilities of Luxury Fashion Brands, Journal of Marketing Management.
Ickiring, O.W., Ryan, A. and McEachern, M.G. (2013) “(Re)considering European approaches to Fair-trade: a study of negotiations of worth between African farmers and an African social entrepreneur, Challenges to International Marketing Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: An Academic Sympo Social Enterprise Gold Marksium, London.
McEachern, M.G. (2012) Sustainable Goods In: Polonsky, M.J., D’Souza, C. and Taghian, M. (Eds). Readings and Cases in Sustainable Marketing: A Strategic Approach to Social Responsibility. Tilde University Press, Australia. ISBN 9780734610850.
McEachern, M & Warnaby, G & Carrigan, M & Szmigin, I. (2010), ‘Thinking Locally, Acting Locally? Conscious Consumers & Farmers’ Markets’, Journal of Marketing Management, 26(5-6), pp.395-412.
Szmigin, I & Carrigan, M & McEachern, M 2009, ‘The Conscious Consumer: Taking a Flexible Approach to Ethical Behaviour’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, 33(2), pp.224-231.
Berry, H. and McEachern, M.G. (2005) Informing Ethical Consumers. Chapter 5. In: Harrison, R., Newholm, T. and Shaw, D.S. (Eds). The Ethical Consumer. Sage Publications. London. ISBN 1-4129-0353-X.

Dr Philip Brown (Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit)

Morris, G., Dahl, S., Brown, P., Scullion, L. and Somerville, P. (2012) Somewhere Nowhere: Lives Without Homes , Salford: University of Salford/Lulu.
Niner, P. and Brown, P. (2011) The evidence base for Gypsy and Traveller Site Planning: A Story of Complexity and Tension, Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice, 7 (3), 359-377
Brown, P. and Scullion, L. (2010) ‘”Doing research” with Gypsy-Travellers in England: reflections on experience and practice’, Community Development Journal, 45, 2, 169-185
Brown, P. and Horrocks, C. (2009) Making sense?: The support of dispersed asylum seekers, International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, 5 (2), 22-34
Niner, P. and Brown, P. (2009) First steps towards regional planning for Gypsy and Traveller sites in England: Evidence based planning in practice, Town Planning Review, 80 (6), 627-46
Brown, P. and Scullion, L. (2009) ‘”Doing research” with Gypsy-Travellers in England: reflections on experience and practice’, Community Development Journal, Advance access 17 March 2009.

Professor Karl Dayson (School of Arts & Media)

Ashta A.; Dayson, K.; Gera, R.; Hettihewa, S.; Krishna, N.V. & Wright, C. (2013, forthcoming) Microcredit as Social Innovation. ‘The Social Innovation Handbook’. Hamdouch, A-L & Moulaert, F. (eds). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Dayson, K. (2011) Is the Government Losing Interest: Microfinance in the UK in ‘Enterprise, Deprivation and Social Exclusion: The role of small business in addressing social and economic inequalities’ A. Southern (ed.) New York: Routledge
Sim, J. & Dayson, K. (2011) ‘Portal to Portaloo: Can Microfinance and IT Help Solve the World’s Sanitation Crisis, in A. Ashta (ed.) Advanced Technologies for Microfinance: Solutions and Challenges. pp323-340. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference.
Dayson, K. & Vik, P. (2009) Can MFIs in Western Europe be Sustainable? ‘Microfinance in Europe’. No. 5 (June) pp9-12 (contribution: 50%)
Dayson , K. and P. Vik (2008). Making European microfinance more sustainable – lessons from Britain. European Microfinance Network 5th Annual Conference “Microfinance – a tool for growth and employment”. Nice, France.(contribution: 50%)
Dayson K (2008) ‘Conceptualising the Third Sector across Europe: Microfinance as a Case Study’. 38 th World Congress of International Institute of Sociology, Budapest 26-30 June (contribution : 50%)

Dr Kevin Kane (Salford Business School)

Kane, K & Chiru, C & Ciuchete, S G (2012), ‘Exploring the Eco-attitudes and Buying Behaviour of Facebook Users’ Amfiteatru Economic Journal, 14(31), pp.157-171.
2011 Kane, K & Andreasik, M (2011), ‘Developing a balanced project portfolio for a social enterprise – the case of SIFE in Salford UK’ Serbian Project Management Journal, 1(2), pp.3-11.

Dr Nazam Dzolkarnaini (Salford Business School)

Dzolkarnaini, N & Minhat, M 2012, ‘Islamic financial instruments in corporate firms’ balance sheet: a research note’, International Journal of Excellence in Islamic Banking and Finance, 2(2), pp.65-75.
Dzolkarnaini, N 2006, ‘Capital control regime and capital structure determinants: A Malaysian case’, Malaysian Accounting Review, 5(1), pp.1-41.
Dzolkarnaini, N 2012, International Journal of Excellence in Islamic Banking and Finance, 2(2).

PhD opportunities

The Centre particularly welcomes PhD proposals in any area of social business.

To discuss a PhD, business or study proposal, please contact the Director, Dr Morven McEachern on +44 (0)161 295 4095, +44 (0)161 295 4095 or m.mceachern@salford.ac.uk or Co-director Dr Kevin Kane on +44 (0)161 295 2239 +44 (0)161 295 2239 +44 (0)161 295 2239 +44 (0)161 295 2239 (k.kane@salford.ac.uk).

Funding opportunities

Salford Community and Voluntary Services (CVS) are offering a funded support scheme for social enterprises in the City.

Find out more at the Salford CVS website.

The Business Group are happy to help anyone needing support when completing the application form – contact jonmonk@thebusinessgroup.org or call Jon Monk on 0161 278 2519

Key principles of Social Business

Professor Yunus and the Social Business Movement

The 7 Principles of social Business

The business objective will be to overcome poverty, or one or more problems (such as education, health, technology access, and environment) which threaten people and society; not just profit maximization.
Financial and economic sustainability.
Investors get back their investment amount only. No dividend is given beyond investment money.
When the investment amount is paid back, company profit stays with the company for expansion and improvement.
Every social business is environmentally conscious.
The workforce gets a market wage with better working conditions.
.do it with joy. Social business is about making the world a better place.

Social Business is defined by Professor Yunus as:

“A structure that harnesses the energy of profit-making to the objective of fulfilling human needs, social business creates self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that make the world a better place”.

Professor Yunus’s concept of social business begins with a social need which is addressed by a sustainable business model. All social business models follow the 7 principles of social business.

Below is a video from when Professor Yunus spoke at the University’s Social Business Summit.

Contact

Centre Director: Dr Morven McEachern (m.mceachern@salford.ac.uk)

Centre Co-Director: Dr Kevin Kane (k.kane@salford.ac.uk)