scholarly journals Reconciling social enterprise: beyond the paradox perspective

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Reginald Terence White ◽  
Anthony Samuel ◽  
Ken Peattie ◽  
Bob Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Commercial Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Successful Resolution ◽  
Paradox Theory ◽  
Ontological Framework

PurposeThe paper aims to critically review the increasingly taken-for-granted view of social enterprise (SE) as inherently paradoxical and tackles the research question as follows: are the tensions experienced by SE and social entrepreneurs (SEnt) actually paradoxical and if not, what are the implications for theory and practice?Design/methodology/approachA paradox theory (PT) approach has been utilized to explore the implications, validity and helpfulness of the paradox perspective in understanding and managing the tensions that are inherent in SE.FindingsConceptualizing the primary tension of doing social good through commercial activity as a paradox is argued to be a limiting misnomer that conspires to reify and perpetuate the tensions that SE and SEnt have to manage. Drawing upon PT, the findings of the paper reconceptualize these tensions as myths, dilemmas and dialectics, which are subsequently used to develop a more complete ontological framework of the challenges that arise in SE and for SEnt.Practical implicationsReconceptualizing the “inherent paradoxes” of SE as either dilemmas or dialectics affords a means of pursuing their successful resolution. Consequently, this view alleviates much of the pressure that SE managers and SEnt may feel in needing to pursue commercial goals alongside social goals.Originality/valueThe work presents new theoretical insights to challenge the dominant view of SE as inherently paradoxical.

The stories of social entrepreneurs

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Roundy
Keyword(s):  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Resource Acquisition ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Social Venture ◽  
Social Ventures

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to focus on how narratives are used to acquire social venture resources. Social entrepreneurship is a phenomenon of increasing significance. A key challenge for social ventures is resource acquisition. However, how social entrepreneurs gather the resources necessary to grow their organizations is not clear. Design/methodology/approach – This topic is examined using a multi-study, inductive, theory-building design based on 121 interviews, observation and archival data. In Study 1, 75 entrepreneurs, investors and ancillary participants were interviewed in the social enterprise sector. In Study 2, case studies of eight technology-focused social ventures were constructed. Findings – The result of this study is a framework explaining how differences in entrepreneurs’ narrative tactics and characteristics are associated with differences in their resource acquisition success. Specifically, from Study 1, this paper develops a typology of social enterprise narratives, identifies three narrative-types (personal, social-good and business) and shows that they possess unique elements. Evidence from Study 2 suggests that the three narrative-types serve as the building blocks for communication with external stakeholders. Originality/value – These findings contribute to three studies that formed the basis of the study – social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial resource acquisition and organizational narrative theory – and have implications for work on competing organizational logics. They also produce several practical implications for social entrepreneurs.

Challenges to measuring social value creation through social impact assessments: the case of RVA Works

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Balashankar Mulloth ◽  
Stefano Rumi
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Real World ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Impact Measurement ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Value Creation

PurposeDespite the prevalence of academic literature debating and proposing competing conceptions of social value creation through socially driven enterprises, there is a lack of empirical studies on established impact measurement methodologies in the context of real-world ventures. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate a structured process of conducting social impact assessments (SIAs) through the real-world case of Richmond, Virginia Works Enterprise Support (RVA Works), a social enterprise in Richmond, Virginia, that provides educational programming on small business ownership to minorities and lower-income individuals.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research study incorporates an in-depth case study methodology. Evidence was collected through interpretive/qualitative interviews and direct observations by the researchers.FindingsUsing the example of RVA Works, the authors show that there is a lack of standardization and guidance for social entrepreneurs in choosing methods to assess their organizational performance, and that leading conceptions of social impact continue to face key weaknesses in their methodologies.Practical implicationsBy incorporating a qualitative case study approach, the authors present a real-world study of a social enterprise – specifically a microenterprise development organization – that may serve as a valuable example to social entrepreneurs and not-for-profit leaders facing similar challenges of social value creation and impact measurement.Originality/valueIn studying the experience of conducting SIAs by social enterprises, the authors illustrate the real-world challenges faced by entrepreneurs in applying theoretical conceptions of social value to the outcomes of their ventures, thus illustrating a need for additional clarity and discussion around a more comprehensive, standardized and broadly applicable measurement approach.

Exploring social entrepreneurial boundary spanning for compassion-triggered opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliada Wosu Griffin-EL
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Boundary Spanning ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Entrepreneurial Action ◽  
The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the research question: How does the social entrepreneur’s compassion inform how they engage with their environment to mobilize resources for social entrepreneurial action? Design/methodology/approach The study features a comparative case study analysis of seven high-profile social entrepreneurs within Cape Town, South Africa. Data via in-depth interviews, site visits and archival information and follow-up conversations were collected and then analyzed via thematic coding of qualitative analysis. Findings The findings suggest that compassion is an antecedent for the social entrepreneurial boundary spanning shaped by their orientation toward concern for others’ well-being. Propositions presented offer the groundwork for an emergent theoretical framework of social entrepreneurial boundary spanning. Originality/value The study builds upon the emerging compassion research within social entrepreneurship, extending the conceptualization of compassion to be shapers of the social structure – not just the individual or the organization – in an emerging market context.

Social enterprise in Rwanda: an overview

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Remy Rwamigabo
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mutual Help ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Current Governance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the context, the concept and the main types of social enterprises in Rwanda, and to present its main institutional and contextual trajectories. Design/methodology/approachThe author carried out a literature review and interviews. Six categories were identified; each one is illustrated by one emblematic case. FindingsThe paper presents the evolution of economically oriented social organizations in Rwanda, mostly under the form of cooperatives and NGOs and with inspiration from traditional forms of mutual help. The context of emergence of social enterprise in Rwanda was shaped, among other factors, by Anglo-Saxon influence. Other factors include notably the aftermath of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, the current governance prevailing in the country and the current entrepreneurships trends. The paper also underlines the absence of research on the subject in Rwanda. Six categories of social enterprises in Rwanda and their main features have been identified and analyzed, namely, NGOs, cooperatives, informal organizations, social entrepreneurs, public/private partnerships and companies carrying out social activities. Finally, the paper analyzes the institutional and contextual trajectories of social enterprise in Rwanda. Originality/valueThe paper explores and provides insights into the specificities and the current trends of social enterprise in Rwanda with a view to fostering further analysis for several research avenues.

The Bake Collective – making a delicious difference

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Zoha A. Karmali ◽  
Meena Galliara ◽  
Manjari Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Growth Strategies ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Start Up

Subject area Social Entrepreneurship. Study level/applicability This case study can be used on the module on introduction to social entrepreneurship for postgraduate students specializing in Social Entrepreneurship or Social Work. Case overview This case explores the difference between social entrepreneurship and idealism. It captures the journey of Charlene Vaz and Kavita Gonsalves, two passionate young women, who formed “The Bake Collective” (TBC). Kavita and Charlene are both full-time employees, who spend their weekends and evenings running TBC and through bake sells raise funds for supporting social causes. The women have been able to get a teacher hired for differently abled children, provide water purifiers to victims of the Nepal earthquake, furnish a classroom in a school for less privileged children and provide teaching material for schools in over 400 villages in the State of Maharashtra in India. The case highlights the power of volunteering for a cause that can result in developing a social enterprise. It helps to unfold the steps undertaken to kick-start the cause as well as the risks involved in the start-up stage. It also discusses the measures that can be taken to mitigate the risks in the start-up phase and the ways by which social entrepreneurs can scale and grow their programme. Expected learning outcomes From this case, students will learn about the factors that lead to the germination of a social enterprise and identify characteristics of social entrepreneurs. They will be able to understand critical factors required to sustain start-up enterprises. The case will also enable students to explore systems and processes that need to be designed to sustain the start-up phase. Further, the case will help students to brainstorm on growth strategies for social enterprises. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Supplying resilience through assessing diversity of responses to disruption

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Kahiluoto ◽  
Hanna Mäkinen ◽  
Janne Kaseva
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Price Volatility ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supply Chain Resilience ◽  
Response Diversity ◽  
Base Management ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the theory and practice of supply chain management in terms of how an organisation should structure its supply base to be resilient to supply uncertainties and disruptions. An empirical assessment of supplier response diversity is demonstrated, and the following research question posed: Is response diversity of suppliers positively associated with supply chain resilience, more positively than mere supplier diversity is?Design/Methodology/ApproachResilience is operationalised as the maintenance of sales of two food products in 27 southern Finnish retail stores during two distinct disruptions. Response diversity is operationalised as 1) diversity in the personnel sizes of slaughterhouse suppliers of pork under domestic strikes and as 2) evenness in the proportions of imports and domestic supply of food oil under global price volatility. A five-step quantitative assessment is performed.FindingsResponse diversity is positively related to the maintenance of sales, more positively than diversity of individual suppliers is.Research limitations/ImplicationsResponse diversity is an advancement to the theory of supply chain resilience and supply base management, and access to big data increases practical potential.Practical implicationsEmpirical assessments of response diversity of suppliers provide buyer companies an effective means to enhance their supply base management for resilience.Social implicationsThe proposed approach is useful for teaching and for authorities to enhance food security.Originality/valueThis first assessment of response diversity of supply chain operations presents an important advancement in the theory and practice of supply base management for resilience.

Social enterprise self-employment programs

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasheda L. Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Investment Strategy ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Employment Programs

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce social enterprise self-employment programs (SEPs) as a two-dimensional human capital investment strategy that can potentially advance economic development. Design/methodology/approach SEPs are frequently utilized as a tool for increasing economic self-sufficiency in poor communities. Literature discussing the use of commercial enterprise SEPs to increase economic development highlights the potential for creatingthe similar programs geared toward creating social enterprises. Human capital theory is used to illustrate how social enterprise SEPs can foster human capital, a predictor of economic growth and development. Examples of existing social enterprise SEPs are discussed to highlight how they can be designed. Cases of human capital-oriented social enterprises are also used to outline different business forms social enterprise SEPs can help create. Findings This general review paper suggests that social enterprise SEPs can be a sound two-dimensional human capital investment strategy. It argues that social enterprise SEPs can train aspiring social entrepreneurs to create businesses than subsequently foster human capital in their local communities. Research limitations/implications This paper introduces the concept of social enterprise SEPs, opening up a new area of research for scholars to explore. Researchers should examine participant and organizational factors of existing social enterprise SEPs to assess their impact, as literature has linked them to success rates of commercial SEPs. Practical implications This paper emphasizes the need for SEPs to offer task-related training as opposed to general business training to prepare social entrepreneurs in effort to run successful social enterprises. Originality/value The concept of social enterprise SEPs is new, and literature pertaining to it is scarce. This paper introduces them as a tool for attending to community problems while equipping future generations of social entrepreneurs with the skills to create social enterprises.

From nonprofit organization to social enterprise

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1287-1306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunlei Wang ◽  
Zhaowen Duan ◽  
Larry Yu
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Social Entrepreneur ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose This study aims to examine the development of a social enterprise in China’s tourism industry by analyzing the coevolution of the social entrepreneur and the social system. Design/methodology/approach Purposeful sampling was used to select 1kg.org as a single-case study. Semistructured in-depth interviews of three informants were conducted to obtain organization-specific insights. Interview data were analyzed following structuration theory. Secondary data and interviews of other social entrepreneurs and experts were used to support the findings. Research findings were validated using triangulation and member-checking methods. Findings Because of the institutional environment, most nonprofit organizations in China do not have resource independence and clear legal identity. Meanwhile, social enterprise has emerged as a new organizational form with the objective of creating social value through profitable business operations. Practical implications Social enterprise is still in its infancy in China, particularly in the tourism field. This study reveals an innovative and sustainable model for nonprofit organizations in China facing institutional challenges and competitive funding environments. It provides recommendations to policymakers for improving mechanisms to increase social services through social enterprises. Originality/value This study proposes a new conceptual framework for studying social entrepreneurship by adapting structuration theory to address contemporary social and business issues.

How and why medically-trained managers undertake postgraduate management training

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 438-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Loh
Keyword(s):  
Research Question ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Management Competencies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Chief Executives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Purposeful Sampling ◽  
Management Positions ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the research question using qualitative research methods: how and why medically trained managers choose to undertake postgraduate management training? Design/methodology/approach – This research used two qualitative methods to gather data. Both methods used purposeful sampling to select interviewees with appropriate management expertise, qualifications and experience. The first stage utilised convergent interviews and was exploratory. The five interviewees were managers and academics. The second stage used case research methodology and was confirmatory. The fifteen interviewees were medically qualified chief executives and chief medical officers. In total, 20 in-depth interviews were carried. Rigorous content analysis of data collected showed emergent themes. Findings – The first theme that emerged was that doctors move into management positions without first undertaking training. The second theme was that doctors undertake such training in the form of a masters-level degree and/or a specialist fellowship. The third theme was that effective postgraduate management training for doctors requires a combination of theory and practice. The fourth theme was that clinical experience alone does not lead to required management competencies. The fifth theme was that doctors choose to undertake training to gain credibility. Research limitations/implications – This research was exploratory and descriptive in nature and limited to analytical rather than statistical generalisation. Originality/value – This research has provided insights into the importance of understanding how and why doctors undertake postgraduate management training, and may assist policy makers and training providers in the development of such training for doctors.

Social enterprise in Antebellum America: the case of Nashoba (1824-1829)

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Murphy ◽  
Jack Smothers ◽  
Milorad M. Novicevic ◽  
John H. Humphreys ◽  
Foster B. Roberts ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Strategic Decisions ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moral Conviction ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This paper examines the case of Nashoba, a Tennessee-based social enterprise founded in 1824 by Scottish immigrant Frances Wright. The Nashoba venture intended to diminish the institution of slavery in the USA through entrepreneurial activity over its five years of operation. Design/methodology/approach This study methodology entailed mining primary source data from Wright’s letters; communications with her cofounders and contemporaries; and documentations of enterprise operations. The authors examined these data using social enterprise theory with a focus on personal identity and time-laden empirical aspects not captured by traditional methodologies. Findings The social enterprise concept of a single, self-sustaining model generating more than one denomination of value in a blended form has a deeper history than the literature acknowledges. As an entrepreneur, Wright made strategic decisions in a context of supply-side and demand-side threats to the venture. The social enterprise engaged injustice by going beyond market and state contexts to generate impact in the realms of institutions and non-excludable public goods. Research limitations/implications This study generates two formal implications for the development of new research questions in social enterprise studies. The first implication addresses the relation between social entrepreneurs and their constituencies. The second implication pertains to the effects of macro-level education, awareness and politics on social enterprise performance and impact. The implications herald new insights in social enterprise, such as the limits of moral conviction and the importance of social disruption. Originality/value This paper broadens the current understanding of how social enterprises redress unjust and unethical institutions. It also contributes new insights into social enterprise launch and growth based on shared values within communities and coordinated strategic intentions across communities.

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