Operational Challenges in Hybrid Organizations

Author(s):  
Liliana Ávila ◽  
Marlene Amorim

The last few years have witnessed the emergence of hybrid business models, in particular, social enterprises, which combine social and economic concerns in the same extent. Social enterprises are ambidextrous organizations that conduct activities to meet the social needs of their target beneficiaries simultaneously with income generating activities. This hybrid operational nature raises new questions about the definition and identification of an effective operations management strategy. The present chapter aims to identify the main operational challenges faced by hybrid organization in order to open avenues for future research. Drawing on current literature, the main concepts, the definition of an operations strategy and the social enterprises as hybrid organizations, are discussed. Findings suggest that the main operational challenges arise from hybridity. This chapter contributes to the theory and practices of social enterprises and concludes by identifying some opportunities for future research.

Author(s):  
Liliana Ávila ◽  
Marlene Amorim

The last few years have witnessed the emergence of hybrid business models, in particular, social enterprises, which combine social and economic concerns in the same extent. Social enterprises are ambidextrous organizations that conduct activities to meet the social needs of their target beneficiaries simultaneously with income generating activities. This hybrid operational nature raises new questions about the definition and identification of an effective operations management strategy. The present chapter aims to identify the main operational challenges faced by hybrid organization in order to open avenues for future research. Drawing on current literature, the main concepts, the definition of an operations strategy and the social enterprises as hybrid organizations, are discussed. Findings suggest that the main operational challenges arise from hybridity. This chapter contributes to the theory and practices of social enterprises and concludes by identifying some opportunities for future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin McKague ◽  
Farouk Jiwa ◽  
Karim Harji ◽  
Obidimma Ezezika

Abstract Background The challenge of enhancing food security and livelihoods for smallholder farmers has been a significant concern in the agricultural development field. To increase farm productivity and enable smallholder farmers to rise out of poverty, several organizations have initiated social franchising business models to create sustainable social enterprises. Social franchising has recently gathered increased interest in lower-income countries for its potential to address social and ecological issues, support local entrepreneurs, and reach financial sustainability to allow for scaling through market forces. Social franchising combines the principles of business franchising (standardized systems and other supports that reduce risk for the entrepreneur) with a social mission. To gain deeper insights into the opportunities and challenges for scaling social franchises, we gathered quantitative and qualitative longitudinal data on Farm Shop, a social franchise with a network of 74 agricultural input shops seeking to reduce food security through improving productivity, incomes and food security of smallholder Kenyan farmers. Results We derived five critical lessons from our findings. First, social franchising can create jobs and profitability for farmers and strengthens the rural entrepreneurial ecosystem. Second, economics of scale is critical for profitability and sustainability of the social franchisor. Third, building trust with farmers is crucial for a successful social franchising model. Fourth, social franchisors should be aware of the variety of options to ensure the sustainability of the social franchising program. Fifth, to develop a scalable business model, cost-effectively gathering the right data to validate key assumptions is essential. Conclusions Farm Shop is one of a cohort of pioneering social franchises that have applied the principles of franchising to address particular social needs. In this case, the needs were food security, livelihoods, and prosperity for smallholder farmers. Farm Shop uncovered important lessons relevant for all social franchises at similar stages in the business model development process. With these lessons in mind, Farm Shop and other social franchises can be better equipped to live up to social franchising’s promise of achieving social objectives in a more resource-efficient and sustainable way.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Cucari ◽  
Eugenio D’Angelo ◽  
Eduardo Esposito ◽  
Maria Vincenza Ciasullo

AbstractSocial entrepreneurship (SE) has gained prominence in recent years, becoming a primary field of study and providing rich research opportunities that are both challenging and intriguing. This paper seeks to fill the knowledge gap in this field by improving the understanding of business models of SE and, more specifically, investigating how social entrepreneurs design their business models in order to create both social and economic value. Using the abductive approach method, the paper explores a single case study that enquires about the business model of the social enterprise named “La Paranza Cooperative”, located in southern Italy and operating in the cultural heritage industry. Our main theoretical contribution lies in illustrating and formalising the ambidexterity perspective through which social enterprises simultaneously pursue goals that are apparently contradictory, such as economic and social ones. Furthermore, on the practical side, we assess the win–win managerial mechanisms that benefit social enterprises through their external environment as a bundle of distinctive resources while contributing to its requalification. Finally, our explorative study opens-up for deeper and more detailed future research on the business model of SE.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5870
Author(s):  
Philipp Kruse

Social Entrepreneurship (SE) describes a new entrepreneurial form combining the generation of financial and social value. In recent years, research interest in SE increased in various disciplines with a particular focus on the characteristics of social enterprises. Whereas a clear-cut definition of SE is yet to be found, there is evidence that culture and economy affect and shape features of SE activity. In addition, sector-dependent differences are supposed. Building on Institutional Theory and employing a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, this study sheds light on the existence of international and inter-sector differences by examining 161 UK and Indian social enterprises. A content analysis and analyses of variance were employed and yielded similarities as well as several significant differences on an international and inter-sector level, e.g., regarding innovativeness and the generation of revenue. The current study contributes to a more nuanced picture of the SE landscape by comparing social enterprise characteristics in a developed and a developing country on the one hand and different sectors on the other hand. Furthermore, I highlight the benefits of jointly applying qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Future research should pay more attention to the innate heterogeneity among social enterprises and further consolidate and extend these findings.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Kamila Jambulatova

This qualitative study examined how feminist online publications can adopt social enterprise business models. The focus group analysis of the audiences of Refinery29, Bustle, HelloGiggles, and Jezebel first explored the audience's outlook on the commodification of feminism. The focus group also considered plausible ways of adopting social enterprise initiatives to diversify revenue streams of these publications, continue promoting gender equality, and to better establish the images of the publications. During four focus groups, twenty total participants shared a variety of feedback, including their opinions on the commodification of the feminist movement and the commodification of editorial content. They talked about how their purchasing decisions are affected by their desire to contribute to the social good. Other themes identified during the study were white feminism, the trivialization of feminist content, and the importance of companies' policies.


2020 ◽  
pp. 91-99
Author(s):  
V. Moskalenko ◽  
V.P. Kolosha

The article deals with the problems of the influence of the livestock sector on the formation of sustainable development of rural areas. It is emphasized that currently global problems have formed in the world, namely: differentiation in living standards between developed countries and ‘third world’ countries, significant differentiation of income levels among most countries, environmental pollution, limited and reduced easily accessible natural resources, degradation of agricultural lands. Today, the principles of sustainable development are recognized as strategic directions for the development of the sector by the world’s leading countries. In the process of research, dialectical methods of cognition of processes and phenomena, monographic method (analysis of views on the concept of sustainable development), abstract-logical (theoretical generalizations and formulation of conclusions) were used. The article addresses the problems of the influence of the livestock sector on the formation of sustainable development of rural areas. A brief overview of approaches and principles for the interpretation of the concept of ‘sustainable development’ was conducted. It is noted that the current situation in rural areas is critical in terms of, first of all, social and environmental problems. The livestock sector should become one of the elements of their solution. It is noted that its development allows not only to diversify production, but also to improve the social situation and solve certain environmental problems. The authors give their own definition of rural development as a development that provides an increase in the level and quality of life of rural residents with the provision of their social needs and the ability to pass on the natural biodiversity of the respective areas to future generations. It is emphasized that this definition combines economic, social and environmental development.The key principles of the state policy in development of rural territories on the principles of susta­inable development with allocation of its constituent elements are formulated. Measures for sustainable development of rural areas through the support of the livestock sector as one of the components of agricultural production are proposed. It is noted that intensive production is possible today, provided that the optimal ratio of the structure of land use and the presence of the livestock sector in the structure of production is maintained.


Author(s):  
Nolan Hemmatazad

Broadly speaking, social computing encapsulates the idea of making technologies more aware of, and more in alignment with, the social needs of their users. This allows for the introduction of new modes of communication and collaboration among users, the ability to establish and grow communities of various constitutions, as well as for more dynamic and large scale content creation, dissemination, and evaluation. This chapter serves the ternary purpose of establishing a broad definition of social computing as it stands today and as it is expected to evolve in the near future, providing an overview of the practical applications of social computing, and examining the present and historic research themes that have made an impression on social computing as an area of academic intrigue. The chapter is intended to be accessible to casual readers, practitioners, and academicians alike, with little technical depth and broad focus throughout, for the purpose of establishing an initial acquaintance with the field.


Author(s):  
Nolan Hemmatazad

Broadly speaking, social computing encapsulates the idea of making technologies more aware of, and more in alignment with, the social needs of their users. This allows for the introduction of new modes of communication and collaboration among users, the ability to establish and grow communities of various constitutions, as well as for more dynamic and large-scale content creation, dissemination, and evaluation. This chapter serves the ternary purpose of establishing a broad definition of social computing as it stands today and as it is expected to evolve in the near future, providing an overview of the practical applications of social computing, and examining the present and historic research themes that have made an impression on social computing as an area of academic intrigue. The chapter is intended to be accessible to casual readers, practitioners, and academicians alike, with little technical depth and broad focus throughout, for the purpose of establishing an initial acquaintance with the field.


Author(s):  
Nor Razinah Mohd. Zain ◽  
Najim Nur Fauziah ◽  
Habeebullah Zakariyah ◽  
Azman Mohd. Noor

This research explores the potential of cash waqf in generating capital revenue in carrying out social-based investment through social enterprises. Looking closely into two different concepts (i.e., social enterprises and waqf), this research appreciates the understanding on the modern business model of social enterprise and the innovative version of religious social finance (i.e., cash waqf). Depending on qualitative methodology and analytical review, the discussion of this research is developed. These approaches are considered suitable and pragmatic for the suggested business model of social enterprise. Here, an innovative business model with a combination of social enterprise operation and cash waqf is introduced. It has the potential to stimulate further research to innovate religious social finance instruments to current and modern business models. This research proposes a business model of social enterprise that combines cash waqf in its operation for sake of generating capital revenue. Simultaneously, such a business model has the potential to expand the cash waqf in meeting social objectives of the social enterprise. As research findings, it is found that even though waqf is derived from a religious traditional philanthropic instrument, its innovative version of cash waqf can be utilised in generating capital revenue for social enterprises. As long as the required principles of cash waqf as provided under Islamic law is fulfilled, a combination of cash waqf in the operation of social enterprise can be carried out.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jabłoński ◽  
Jabłoński

The current principles of doing business differ radically from those that were applied a few years ago. Global economic crises have shown that business must have a more social character. This gave rise to the creation of management solutions that would guarantee the satisfaction of a wide range of corporate stakeholders. In this context, ideas based on social potential began to emerge. As a consequence, the concept of social business models was born, accompanied by an attempt to search for the best business models possible in order to build the appropriate configuration of their components. According to the authors, an attribute of trust may be such a component based on which effective social business models can be built. As water supply companies are social enterprises, they have become the object of scientific research in this case. The purpose of the article is to determine the position of trust in the construction and application of social business models of water supply companies. The scope of the article includes scientific research into water supply companies in the most industrial region of Poland, Upper Silesia, with the most extensive and dense water supply network in the country. In this article, the AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method was used to conduct research. The aim of the analysis was focusing on the issue of trust as a key factor in shaping the social business model of the company. In the questionnaires, respondents were asked to answer questions on the following issues: trust-based organizational behavior at the company; trust-based social capital at the company; trust-based relationships at the company; trust-based processes and activities at the company; trust-based risk at the company; and the trust-based business model at the company. The adopted logic of the scientific argument conducted indicates that trust and its place and role in the social business model of a water supply company have a significant impact on the social and economic performance of the water supply company, and as a consequence, on increased social responsibility towards stakeholders as well. Trust even stabilizes the organization and its business model; it is also a value catalyst and neutralizes the potentially negative impact of the organization on other entities gathered around it. Trust as a stabilizer can also affect the consistency and scalability of the social business model of a water supply company.


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