Final answer:
Social entrepreneurs are individuals who synergize resources to address social challenges, using entrepreneurial skills to create social value. They differ from traditional entrepreneurs in their primary focus on social impact over profit, and their work exemplifies how self-interest can coincide with societal benefits.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social entrepreneurs are innovators who move resources and exploit opportunities to create significant social value. Unlike traditional entrepreneurs, whose main objective might be to generate financial profits, social entrepreneurs focus on generating a positive impact on society. They provide goods and services with an aim to resolve social issues or meet social needs, and may utilize technology and bring in financial capital to achieve these goals.
Entrepreneurship as a broader concept, is instrumental in making the factors of production effective by orchestrating the deployment of resources, creating new jobs, and fostering economic development. Entrepreneurs are seen as crucial actors in an economy, and their careful risk assessment and investment decisions can lead to the optimization of resource use and creation of value.
Adam Smith's metaphor of the invisible hand showcases how self-interested behavior can unintentionally lead to positive social outcomes. Social entrepreneurs, in harnessing self-interest for social good, demonstrate that the pursuit of personal objectives can align with and promote broader societal benefits, adhering to the principles of sustainable resource use and development.