Impact Work: An Ethnographic Journey into the Making of Impact Entrepreneurship (2024)

By: Guillaume Dumont

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Synopsis: This book provides a critical, ethnographically grounded examination of the hype surrounding the idea of impact by investigating the work of those attempting to create innovative social ventures. Through in-depth immersion in the day-to-day running of a social impact accelerator, Guillaume Dumont reveals the intricate, behind-the-scenes socialization through which entrepreneurs learn the ropes of impact entrepreneurship and sheds light on the roles of some of the key players of this unique social world. The book challenges the view that impact is a given property of a venture resulting from an intrinsic desire to change the world embodied by gifted and compassionate entrepreneurs. Instead, Dumont argues that impact emerges iteratively from a process of social engagement and negotiation among entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, and mentors as they collaborate in the mundane processes of its production, what he calls “Impact work.” This book, therefore, is about impact in the making. It is a story of hope and collaboration unveiling the social and cultural challenges and contradictions faced by those attempting to create alternative organizations addressing social and commercial goals.