Bill Jamieson of the Scotsman points out that a social enterprise is not only an organization pursuing ethical and social ends. It’s more than that. It’s about having social, humanitarian and/or environmental objectives, being able to establish its social mission through innovation, and earning half of its profits from trading rather than maximizing these profits for outside shareholders.
Jamieson indicates that there is currently no legal definition of “social enterprise”. Just because an organization proclaims itself as a social enterprise does not mean that its operations and activities are run in a responsible, “sustainable” manner.
via Bill Jamieson: Social enterprise? Check the label – The Scotsman.