Measuring Performance in Social Entrepreneurship: Are Mission, Strategy and Measurement Aligned?

This chapter explores and clarifies the importance of aligning mission, strategy and performance measurement. We present an illustrative case study in Latin America, and we then detail specific issues confronting social entrepreneurs in their attempts to gauge and improve the social impact. We draw on a framework for understanding the value created by social enterprises, presenting theoretical and practical insights into performance measurement. In the context of social entrepreneurship, we highlight the inherent biases resulting from the use of traditional management approaches and inappropriate performance measurement.