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Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 45107

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Prof. Dr. Bing Ran

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Guest Editor

School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, PA 17057, USA
Interests: governance and collaborative governance networks; social entrepreneurship and hybrid organizations; organizational identity (identification) and image (imaging); knowledge management and knowledge integration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings requires new solutions on how we organize human activities to handle ever-changing challenges and environments. The traditional way of humans organizing into a “pure” type of organizations is no long viable for the sustainable development of our society, which requires all modern organizations to hybridize, an adaptive response to the ever-changing environmental constraints an organization faces. Hybridization refers to the seemingly compatible and incompatible institutional logics being selectively coupled to generate emergent features unavailable to traditional organizations employing these same logics separately—for example, the essential advantages of social entrepreneurship in dealing with sustainability is its hybrid nature. Social entrepreneurship refers to the creation and distribution of a public service or public good through entrepreneurial oriented organizations whose business activities are largely fed into serving the public good, the essence of which is hybridizing—a dialectical combination of two or more distinctively different institutional logics (social logic and business logic) and governance structures (service-driven vs. profit-driven).

Despite the growing utility and prevalence of hybrid organizations, in particular, the social entrepreneurial organizations, the organizing principles that select, discard, and hybridize institutional logics over time and context, and how the hybrid organization helps human beings to handle sustainability issues are little understood. It is imperative that these principles be identified as the interrelatedness and interconnectivity common to hybrid organizational forms and fomented by complex environments readily applicable to governance practices trying to cope with the complexity of sustainability.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to examine why and how social entrepreneurship and hybrid organizations could help human beings to address sustainability issues. We are open to exploratory studies, conceptual papers, and empirical studies around this theme.

Dr. Bing Ran
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 875 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Drives Social Enterprises to Form Sustainable Values? The Effects of Normative Identity and Social Performance

by Juhee Kim and Minju Shin

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10507; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141710507 - 23 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1267

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the social enterprises’ normative identity and social performance. Social enterprises are considered hybrid organizations that simultaneously pursue economic value and social value. To meet an SE’s mission and objectives, they need to build a normative identity and normative networks. This study examines how an SE’s normative identity and normative networks influence its performance. In particular, this study focuses on social performance. To test our hypotheses, we used survey data from CESE in Korea. The survey included samples from 1437 social enterprises that are certified by the government as social enterprises. Our dataset was constructed by sampling 300 social enterprises that attained the social incentive from the CSES. Social incentives are the reward for social performance. The findings suggest that while an SE’s normative identity orientation does not affect social performance, normative activity influences social performance. In addition, the legitimacy of an SE moderates the relationship between the normative network and social performance. These findings contribute to our understanding of an SE’s identity and social performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

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22 pages, 443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Building a Taxonomy of Hybridization: An Institutional Logics Perspective on Societal Impact

by Tasneem Sadiq, Rob van Tulder and Karen Maas

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10301; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141610301 - 18 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1550

Abstract

The hybridization movement reflects the shift and convergence of market-focused corporations on the one hand and social oriented organizations on the other towards more integrated value-creating hybrid arrangements. Hybridity is usually defined as the combination of two different and usually contradicting institutional logics. However, the hybridity literature is incongruent, inconsistent and seemingly addressing different spheres of hybridity, rendering the institutional construct ineffective for empirical analysis between organizations of varied natures. The purpose of this study is to arrive at a conceptualization of hybridity from an institutional perspective that allows for empirical analysis and comparison of the hybrid nature of organizations across time and contexts. Adopting a taxonomical approach based on the societal triangle, a systematic review (n = 109) is conducted to identify characteristics, issues and challenges of eight archetypical hybrid and non-hybrid organizations. Consequently, the authors propose a thematic mapping of relevant issues into five clustered themes. This thematic map can be helpful in guiding the analysis of and comparison between a broad range of different hybrid organizations. This study adds to the existing definitional and terminological debate in the hybridity literature by shifting the focus from a typological classification towards a taxonomical approach of hybridity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

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17 pages, 996 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond a Balanced View of Social Entrepreneurship within a Social–Commercial Dichotomy: Towards a Four-Dimensional Typology

by Rüdiger Hein

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4454; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14084454 - 08 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1442

Abstract

With regard to the basic understanding of the location of social entrepreneurship, there is a widespread explanatory approach of a dichotomy with two poles: social and entrepreneurial. According to this, a lesser expression of one pole automatically leads to an approach toward the other pole. Social entrepreneurship is to be positioned in the middle of the two poles. On the basis of a qualitative empirical study (qualitative content analysis and metaphor analysis), this paper questions the basic understanding of the bipolar continuum and postulates a different, four-dimensional basic understanding of social entrepreneurship. This new draft does better justice to the given complexity of social entrepreneurship and provides an expanded explanatory approach to how social entrepreneurship can be conceptualized beyond the two dimensions. An approach with 36 types of social entrepreneurship emerges from the research results. The implications for science and practice are discussed. This article contributes to a better understanding of the different logics of social enterprises with hybrid organizational principles dedicated to sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

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20 pages, 914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Good Deeds, Business, Social and Environmental Responsibility in a Market Experiment

by Mario Biggeri, Domenico Colucci, Nicola Doni and Vincenzo Valori

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3577; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14063577 - 18 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2178

Abstract

We study how commitment of entrepreneurs to sustainability practices might effectively improve the social and environmental impact of market competition. To this end we devised a market experiment in which profit maximization and socially and environmentally concerned behavior were both potential goals of producers. Our subject pool included two distinct types of students having different prosocial attitudes. The two types adopted significantly different strategies in the treatment group, where producers could contribute to a positive externality, whereas they behaved similarly in the control group, where the only objective was profit maximization. Subjects who were ex-ante more prosocial chose to produce with more focus on the positive externality than their counterparts. However, they failed to actually deliver a larger social impact as a consequence of the market outcome. We conclude that producers often commit to social responsibility, even though well-meaning conducts do not necessarily beget equally good outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

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14 pages, 332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entrepreneurial Intention: A Gender Study in Business and Economics Students from Chile

by Nicolás Contreras-Barraza, Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia, Guido Salazar-Sepulveda and Alejandro Vega-Muñoz

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4693; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13094693 - 22 Apr 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4341

Abstract

The study of entrepreneurial intention sheds new light on the complex dynamics of entrepreneurial behavior. This research contributes to the academic debate by examining the gap in studies on entrepreneurial intention in Latin America, considering the importance of gender differences and their effects on entrepreneurial intention. Thus, this study is a contribution to research on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to social equity, in the areas of quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), and inequalities reduction (SDG 10). To study gender entrepreneurial intention phenomena differences, researchers have taken refuge in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and focused their analysis on a group of economics and business students from a coastal campus of a Chilean University. In a two-step methodological process, the authors verified the applicability of the entrepreneurial intention questionnaire (CIE) with the selected sample and then calculated entrepreneurial intention using the CIE instrument. Contrary to general literature results, the study shows that there are no significant gender differences in entrepreneurial intention levels. Furthermore, there is neither evidence for gender differences in any of the three entrepreneurial intention factors, i.e., (a) attitudes, (b) subjective norms, and (c) control of perceived behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

15 pages, 284 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Exit Strategy for the Definitional Elusiveness: A Three-Dimensional Framework for Social Entrepreneurship

by Bing Ran and Scott Weller

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 563; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13020563 - 08 Jan 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2221

Abstract

Despite the growing utility and prevalence of social entrepreneurship, an accepted definition remains elusive and infeasible. Yet, it is imperative that the principles guiding social entrepreneurship are identified so that common ground is established to facilitate future research. On the basis of a systematic literature review, this conceptual paper proposes a theoretical framework outlining social entrepreneurship as a three-dimensional framework as a function of continua of “social” and “business” logics, “beneficial” and “detrimental” social change logics, and “innovation” and “mundane” logics. The framework accommodates the fuzziness and ambiguity associated with social entrepreneurship whilst remaining a workable, identifiable construct. By accounting for the shifting logics practiced by social entrepreneurship that both influence and are influenced by the organizational environment, this framework provides an exit strategy for the definitional elusiveness of social entrepreneurship. The resultant structures and functions of social entrepreneurship are shaped by these constraints as reflected by the fluidity and flexibility endorsed by the framework. Four avenues for future research regarding social entrepreneurship are recommended on the basis of the framework proposed in this article. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

24 pages, 5423 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Social Enterprise Hybrid Business Models in Inclusive Value Chain Development

by Bob Doherty and Pichawadee Kittipanya-Ngam

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 499; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13020499 - 07 Jan 2021

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 9232

Abstract

This study contributes to the growing interest in hybrid organisations, sustainable business models and inclusive value chain development (IVCD). Recent work has identified that of some 570 million farmers in the world, more than 475 million farmers are smallholders in low-middle-income countries experiencing increasing food insecurity and rural poverty. Research argues that there is a lack of research that provides work on appropriate solutions for smallholders. This paper answers this call by a qualitative study of ten case studies, which draws on hybrid organising, sustainable business model and IVCD research to identify the novel business model characteristics that hybrid organisations use to create and manage more inclusive value chains for smallholders. These hybrid organisations are designed to create a value proposition that delivers sustainability upgrading for smallholders via both product, process and governance upgrades, empowers smallholders to achieve development goals and creates multiple value for social impact. We therefore identify the important characteristics of the hybrid business model to provide appropriate solutions for smallholders and overcome the challenges identified in the inclusive value chain development literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

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13 pages, 251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybridity as a Result of the Marketization of Public Services: Catalyst or Obstruction for Sustainable Development? Deductions from a Study of Three Hybrid Waste Management Organizations in The Netherlands

by Philip Marcel Karré

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 252; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13010252 - 29 Dec 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2738

Abstract

Increasingly, hybridity, i.e., the combination of contrasting and conflicting elements within organizations, is seen as a way to create innovation and synergy in dealing with complex societal questions, leading to more sustainable development. Much research on the subject deals with the phenomenon of social enterprise, but hybridity also takes place in other, more traditional organizational settings. For example, many governments have created hybrid organizations by embracing new public management (NPM) as a way to overcome the perceived shortcomings of traditional, hierarchical forms of public administration, such as inefficiency and the lack of an entrepreneurial spirit. Here, hybridity is often not so much seen as a way to increase sustainability but rather as a way to cut cost and to increase the quality of service provision. This article adds the sustainability dimension to this discussion through a deductive approach, reinterpreting the results from a study on the effects of the hybridity of three municipal waste management organizations in the Netherlands. The main conclusions are that hybridity leads to a more professional management style but also to more attention on output than on outcome. The article discusses what this means in terms of pursuing sustainability and sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

15 pages, 301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Entrepreneurship: The Logic of Paradox

by Scott Weller and Bing Ran

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10642; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su122410642 - 19 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2650

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship is a paradoxical phenomenon wherein seemingly incompatible elements such as business and social logics coexist. Previous research has been insufficient to systematically describe how social entrepreneurship organizations (SEO) try to balance these logics and why these same paradoxical elements make social entrepreneurship what it is. Using the systematic literature review method, this paper examines six major paradoxes and how they affect both the theory and practice of social entrepreneurship by furthering the nascent discussion about the role of paradoxes in SEOs. Viewed through the lens of organizational logics, this paper argues that the dynamic interplay between these paradoxes initiates and drives the innovations and changes necessary for the very existence of SEOs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

13 pages, 239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Entrepreneurship on Its Way to Significance: The Case of Germany

by Karina Cagarman, Jan Kratzer, Laura Helen von Arnim, Kristina Fajga and Michaela Jacqueline Gieseke

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8954; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12218954 - 28 Oct 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4446

Abstract

The environmental context plays a very important role in the success of entrepreneurial behaviour. Governments used this opportunity by introducing specific programmes, but do social entrepreneurs have a comparable chance of getting governmental support as commercial entrepreneurs do in these programmes? We analyze the EXIST Start-up Grant in terms of likelihood for entrepreneurs following economic and social sustainable development goals (SDGs). Our results indicate that there is a decreased probability to get the EXIST Start-up Grant when following social SDGs. We argue that it is about time to introduce specific programmes for social innovation and/or reassess existing programmes in terms of their openness to social entrepreneurs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

18 pages, 947 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Entrepreneurship: Dissection of a Phenomenon through a German Lens

by Karina Cagarman, Jan Kratzer and Katharina Osbelt

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7764; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12187764 - 20 Sep 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 7677

Abstract

The occurrence and scientific investigation of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship are rather new. The term is very popular among politicians and is reflected in a lot of the political demands and willingness that they express. However, a review of the literature about it shows that there is no common ground or frame, and the historical developments are different in different countries and economies. Based on a study of the literature, a two-phase survey following the ‘Policy Delphi’ approach was conducted in Germany in order to enlighten this frameless picture of social entrepreneurship. Our results indicate five dimensions that extend the core term: ‘social’, namely ‘Societal–Visionary’, ‘Ecological’, ‘Societal–Entrepreneurial’, ‘Economic’, and ‘Innovative–Entrepreneurial’. The degree of intercorrelation among the five dimensions shows that four factors, namely ‘Societal–Visionary’, ‘Societal–Entrepreneurial’, ‘Economic’, and ‘Innovative–Entrepreneurial’, have low to medium-high correlations. The fifth factor, ‘Ecological’, has the weakest correlation with all other factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

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20 pages, 969 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fostering Generative Partnerships in an Inclusive Business Model

by Rong Zhu and Sunny Li Sun

Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3230; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12083230 - 16 Apr 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3664

Abstract

How does a social venture build multiple partnerships among stakeholders to enable a wide range of social value propositions and alleviate economic inequality? We address this question by developing a new concept on generative partnerships, defined as the collaboration between nonprofits and business organizations to co-create social value proposition and attract enhanced collaboration to solve social issues in an inclusive business model. We study two Chinese cooperatives, Co-op Lishui Shangeng (L) and Co-op Wuyang Chunyu (W), to show how they created a social ecosystem through an inclusive business model. These two cooperatives have also developed co-brandings L and W, respectively. We find that hybrid organizations could generate partnerships among different agents to form a social ecosystem. Drawing on the generative relationship theory, we identify four stages of fostering generative partnerships: (1) a value blueprint, (2) a pilot demonstration, (3) scaling-up, and (4) snowballing. After developing propositions regarding directedness, heterogeneity, and interaction of agents, we further elaborate two common schemas on the process of generating hybrid partnerships in this social ecosystem. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability)

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