Preliminary report on marketing theory and its relationship to social enterprises

Abstract

This paper is a review and critique simultaneously of marketing theory and social enterprise marketing. The scope, structure and aims of marketing theory are examined. It is shown that many structural weaknesses of the marketing theory stem from the limitation of its scope and aim to private enterprises. While marketing theory thus remains weak and stultified, the marketing or marketing-like activities of social (non-private) enterprises are performed without adequate theoretical backup. Particular and general forms of social enterprise marketing are examined to assess theoretical requirements of such marketing forms. An approach to the development of a theory of social enterprise marketing - and thereby also the development of a more universal marketing theory - is presented.