Special Issue "Social Entrepreneurship, Hybrid Organizations and Sustainability"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2021.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Bing Ran
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor, School of Public Affairs, Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg, 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

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (8 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Article
Entrepreneurial Intention: A Gender Study in Business and Economics Students from Chile
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4693; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094693 - 22 Apr 2021
Viewed by 630
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Article
An Exit Strategy for the Definitional Elusiveness: A Three-Dimensional Framework for Social Entrepreneurship
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020563 - 08 Jan 2021
Viewed by 570
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Article
The Role of Social Enterprise Hybrid Business Models in Inclusive Value Chain Development
Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 499; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020499 - 07 Jan 2021
Viewed by 990
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
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
Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 252; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010252 - 29 Dec 2020
Viewed by 815
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Article
Social Entrepreneurship: The Logic of Paradox
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10642; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410642 - 19 Dec 2020
Viewed by 616
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Article
Social Entrepreneurship on Its Way to Significance: The Case of Germany
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8954; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218954 - 28 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 761
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Article
Social Entrepreneurship: Dissection of a Phenomenon through a German Lens
Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7764; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187764 - 20 Sep 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1207
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Article
Fostering Generative Partnerships in an Inclusive Business Model
Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3230; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083230 - 16 Apr 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 923
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 [...] Read more.
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)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop