Designing a social enterprise

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine, drawing on organization studies and stakeholder theories, the organizational configuration that enables the social enterprise to succeed by combining social and economic imperatives in a sustainable way. Design/methodology/approach – The research project is based on the analysis of a multiple cross-national case study consisting of seven social enterprises that are active in the drug rehabilitation context. Multiple rounds of data gathering and analysis combined with within-case analysis and cross-case comparison enabled the authors to evaluate the perceived, declared and subjective organizational perspectives. Findings – Results suggest that organizational performance – measured as the ability to achieve social goals, generate resources and pursue sustainability over time – depends on the implementation of a participative organizational configuration defined by the interaction of six organizational components (i.e. time and space designed for collective activities, low degree of formalization, social control, centralized decision-making processes, transformational leadership style and a workforce structure based on social stakeholders as workers). The involvement of social stakeholders emerges as a distinctive feature in the social enterprise domain. Originality/value – The study contributes to extending the configuration approach to the social enterprise domain, also as a fruitful method to manage social stakeholders and to advance the discussion on hybrid organizations.

Symbiosis across institutional logics in a social enterprise

“…Having a strong leader who promotes certain values and beliefs is crucial in bringing together carriers of different logics to form an integrated group which is committed to the same superordinate goal -the hybrid goal of the organisation (Battilana & Dorado, 2010;Imperatori & Ruta, 2015). The leader in the region mentioned above promotes Christian values by holding morning assemblies in which employees sing psalms and read from the Bible.…”

Mechanisms and context in the San Patrignano drug recovery community, Italy: a qualitative study to inform transfer to Scotland

“…The mechanism of social enterprise transcends dichotomy in the San Patrignano model, illustrating its nature as a complex intervention that involves fluidity between the individual (agency) and organisational (structural) levels to effect and support recovery (Figure 2). Indeed, the scale of the social enterprise that underpins San Patrignano is notable when compared with other TCs for addiction in Europe (EMCDDA, 2014) or globally (Imperatori & Ruta, 2015) and enables the programme to be long term and free of charge. In this study, we have attempted to explicate the tacit expertise that is embedded and enacted in daily practice in order to contribute to the research evidence base in the field.…”

“…Previous research studies on how San Patrignano works have focused on specific features related to either success of the organisation, or the therapeutic programme. For example, studies have investigated the economic model of social enterprise on which the organisation is based (Imperatori & Ruta, 2015;Perrini et al, 2010). Others have focused on specific therapeutic aspects, including a Foucauldian interpretation of 'narrative therapy' (Yates, 2014) and an interpretation of the residents' immersion in community as a microcosm of wider society: the so-called 'city effect' (Guidicini & Pieretti, 1995).…”

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“…The second research strand discusses collaboration for resources and employment (Figure 4), with the majority of the texts relying on organizational (Imperatori & Ruta, 2015;Pais & Parente, 2015) and institutional theories (George & Reed, 2016;Huybrechts & Nicholls,2013;Huybrechts, Nicholls & Edinger, 2017). In general, these studies focus on the relevance of collaboration for attaining new resources for the organizations, and the management of diverging stakeholder interests in the process.…”

“…In general, these studies focus on the relevance of collaboration for attaining new resources for the organizations, and the management of diverging stakeholder interests in the process. The authors ask questions about the ways of organizing work and decision-making (Imperatori & Ruta, 2015;Ridley-Duff, 2009) and about the relationships of power, autonomy, and impact between SEs and resource providers (Kwong, Tasavori, & Wunmei Cheung, 2017;Laratta, 2009). Unlike in previous strands, the institutional literature provides an explicit theory and conceptualization of collaboration.…”