From social enterprises to impact businesses: Examining the theoretical debate toward social innovation

Authors

DOI:

10.14211/regepe.esbj.e2264

Keywords:

Social enterprises. Impact businesses. Social businesses. Hybrid organizations. Social innovation.

Abstract

Objective: provide a critical examination of existing theoretical models and their disagreements that arise from divergent political views, imbued with value about what the social is, what is good and what is bad. Methodology/Approach: theoretical essay that examines, on the one hand, the theoretical discussion that encompasses models with different logics and organizational formats, with an emphasis on prescriptive approaches that romanticize this type of enterprise and, on the other hand, critical approaches that interpret the debate not as a rupture, but as a legitimizing and reproducing character of the established social order. Main results: the visions about social enterprises, divergent in many of the existing theoretical models, shift attention from socio-environmental problems by focusing on heroic individuals and miraculous “solutions”. Social innovation would be the way to solve the impasse of how social transformations are generated in practice, involving different actors that go beyond the discussion in question, directing the debate to the notion of social innovation ecosystems. Theoretical/methodological contributions: propose an inclusive framework that involves the acceptance of diversity and pluralism, and that goes beyond the dispute between models, in order to allow greater focus on socio-environmental issues, recognizing the importance of collective approaches, socio-historical, cultural and territorial differences, in addition to hosting multiscale and multisectoral studies in the direction of social innovation as a transforming process. Relevance/originality: The article expands the understanding of the characteristics and typologies of social enterprises and their different interpretations, leading to reflection on their practices and advancing in the study of the real consequences that these organizations promote, bringing to the fore the debate on social innovation as focus. Social contributions: by discussing the practical consequences of social enterprises and bringing to light the social innovations that these actors co-produce in their specific realities, the article sheds light on this broader dimension directed to the serious problems experienced today.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Graziela Dias Alperstedt, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

is full professor of the Postgraduate Program in Administration at UDESC and of the graduation in Administration. He holds a postdoctoral degree at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation School of Administration (EAESP) and at the Interdisciplinary Program in Human Sciences (UFSC), a PhD in Production and Systems Engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), a Master’s in Administration at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Degree in Business Administration from the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC). She is a CNPq PQ 2 researcher. Among his topics of interest in research and guidance are: organizational studies, organizations and socio-environmental sustainability, social innovation and social innovation ecosystems, collaborative processes, qualitative research methods.

Carolina Andion, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

is full professor of the Postgraduate Program in Administration of the UDESC and of the career in Public Administration. She has a senior postdoctorate in public and government administration at FGV / EAESP. She is a postdoctorate in Social Economics at the Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Economía Social, Cooperativa y Emprendedora (IUDESCOOP), at the University of Valencia in Spain. She holds a PhD in Human Sciences from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Master in Business Administration by the Escuela de Altos Estudios Comerciales de Montreal (HEC). Degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). His areas of interest include civil society, public policy and the public sphere; social innovations in public spaces; democratic experiments and public governance; social innovation ecosystems; sustainable territorial development; epistemology and sociology of science in public administration.

Priscila Keller Pires, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC), Florianópolis, SC, Brazl

is a Researcher at the Graduate Program in Administration at the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), Laboratory of Education in Organizations, Sustainability and Social Innovation (LEDS). Doctor and Master in Administration from the University of the State of Santa Catarina (UDESC) and a degree in Business Administration from Estácio de Sá University. She is the technical coordinator of the Complementary Pension Fund of the State of Santa Catarina (SCPREV).

References

Aliança pelos Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto e Pipe Social (2019). O que são negócios de impacto: características que definem empreendimenos como negócios de impacto. São Paulo: Instituto de Cidadania Empresarial. https://aliancapeloimpacto.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ice-estudo-negocios-de-impacto-2019-web.pdf

Alter, K. (2007). Social enterprise typology (Vol. 12). Virtue ventures LLC. https://www.globalcube.net/clients/philippson/content/medias/download/SE_typology.pdf

Alter, S. K. (2003). Social enterprise: A typology of the field contextualized in Latin America. Inter-American Development Bank. https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Social-Enterprise-A-Typology-of-the-Field-Contextualized-in-Latin-America.pdf

Andion, C, Alperstedt, G. D., Graeff, J & Ronconi, L. (2017, outubro 1-4). Ecossistema de Inovação - Social e os problemas públicos da cidade: um estudo em Florianópolis. [Trabalho apresentado]. ENANPAD, São Paulo, SP. http://www.anpad.org.br/abrir_pdf.php?e=MjMwMTk=

Andion, C. (1998). Gestão em organizações da economia solidária: contornos de uma problemática. Revista de administração pública, 32(1), 7-25. https://bibliotecadigital.fgv.br/ojs/index.php/rap/article/view/7680/6246

Anheier, H. K. (2005). Nonprofit Organizations: Theory, management, policy. Routledge.

Artemísia (2020). Quem somos. https://artemisia.org.br/quemsomos/

Austin, J. E. (2000). Strategic collaboration between nonprofits and business. Nonprofit and voluntary sector quarterly, 29(1), 69-97. http://dx.doi.org/ 0.1177/089976400773746346

Barki, E., Rodrigues, J., & Comini, G. M. (2020). Negócios de impacto: um conceito em construção. Revista de Empreendedorismo e Gestão de Pequenas Empresas, 9(4), 477-501. https://doi.org/10.14211/regepe.v9i4.1980

Barki, Edgard (2014). Negócios com impacto social. RAE-Revista de Administração de Empresas, 54(5). https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-759020140513

Barki, Edgard (2015). Negócios de impacto: tendência ou modismo? GV executivo, 14(1), 14-17, 2015. https://doi.org/10.12660/gvexec.v14n1.2015.49183

Battilana, J., & Dorado, S. (2010). Building Sustainable Hybrid Organizations: The Case of Commercial Microfinance Organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 53(6), 1419-1440. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2010.57318391

Battilana, J., & Lee, M. (2014). Advancing Research on Hybrid Organizing – Insights from the Study of Social Enterprises. The Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), 397-441. https://doi.org/10.1080/19416520.2014.893615

Bertero, C. O. (1981). Tipologias e teoria organizacional. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 21(1), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-75901981000100003

Boddice, R. (2011). Forgotten antecedents: Entrepreneurship, ideology and history. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Boltanski, L, & Chiapello, È. (2020). O novo espírito do capitalismo (2. ed.). Editora WMF Martins Fontes.

Boltanski, L., & Thévenot, L. (2020). A justificação: sobre as economias de grandeza. Ed. da UFRJ.

Borzaga, C., & Tortia, E. (2010). The economics of social enterprises: an interpretive framework. In C. Borzaga, & L. Becchetti. The Economics of Social Responsibility (27-45). Routledge

Boschee, J. (1995). Some nonprofits are not only thinking about the unthinkable, they’re doing it—running a profit. Across the Board, the Conference Board Magazine, 20-25. https://jerrsjournal.org/documents/ACROSSTHEBOARDARTICLE.pdf

Chliova, M., Mair, J., & Vernis, A. (2020). Persistent category ambiguity: The case of social entrepreneurship. Organization Studies, 41, 1019–1042. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840620905168

Decreto Nº 9.244, de 19 de dezembro de 2017 (2017). Institui a Estratégia Nacional de Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto e cria o Comitê de Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto. Recuperado em 07 abril 2022 http:// https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2015-2018/2017/decreto/d9244.htm

Decreto nº 9.977, de 19 de agosto de 2019 (2019). Dispõe sobre a Estratégia Nacional de Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto e o Comitê de Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto. Recuperado em 07 abril 2022 https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2019-2022/2019/decreto/d9977.htm

Brewer, C. V. (2016). The ongoing evolution in social enterprise legal forms. In D. R. Young, E. A.M. Searing, & C. V. Brewer. The Social Enterprise Zoo: A Guide for Perplexed Scholars, Entrepreneurs, Philanthropists, Leaders, Investors, and Policymakers (pp. 33-64) . Edward Elgar Pub. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784716066

Cho, A. H. (2006). Politics, values and social entrepreneurship: A critical appraisal. In Social entrepreneurship (pp. 34-56). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Choi, N., & Majumdar, S. (2014). Social entrepreneurship as an essentially contested concept: Opening a new avenue for systematic future research. Journal of Business Venturing, 29(3), 363–376.

Comini, G., Barki, E., & Aguiar, L. T. (2012). A threeepronged approach to social business: a Brazilian multi-case analysis. Revista de Administração – RAUSP, 47(3), 385-397 https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-21072012000300004

Comini, G. M., Barki, E., & Aguiar, L. (2013). O novo campo dos negócios com impacto social. In Negócios com impacto social no Brasil. São Paulo: Peirópolis

Cooney, K., Koushyar, J., Lee M., & Murray, H. (2014, December 5).“Benefit Corporation and L3C Adoption: A survey”. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://doi.org/10.48558/4xez-4964

Crane, A., Palazzo, G., Spence, L. J., & Matten, D. (2014). Contesting the value of “creating shared value”. California Management Review, 56(2), 130-153. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2014.56.2.130

Cruz Filho, P. R. A. (2012). As formas de comercialização na economia social e solidária e os princípios de comportamento econômico de Polanyi. Otra Economía, 6(10), 79-97. https://doi.org/10.4013/otra.2012.610.07

Decreto nº 9.244, de 19 de dezembro de 2017. (2017). Institui a Estratégia Nacional de Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto e cria o Comitê de Investimentos e Negócios de Impacto. Brasília, DF. http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2015-2018/2017/decreto/D9244.htm

Dees, J. G. (1996). Social enterprise spectrum: Philantropy to commerce. Harvard Business School Cases.

Dees, J. G. (1998). Enterprising nonprofits. Harvard Business Review, 76(1), 54–67.

Defourny, J., & Nyssens, M. (2016). Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurship Conceptions: What is at Stake beyond Discourses? BBE Newsletter für Engagement und Partizipation in Deutschland, 2016(5), 1-7. https://www.b-b-e.de/fileadmin/Redaktion/05_Newsletter/01_BBE_Newsletter/bis_2017/2016/newsletter-05-defourny-nyssens.pdf

Defourny, J., & Nyssens, M. (2017). Fundamentals for an international typology of social enterprise models. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 28(6), 2469-2497. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11266-017-9884-7

Domanski, D. (2018), ‘Developing regional social innovation ecosystems’. In Y. Franz, H-H. Blotevogel, & R. Danielzyk (Eds). Social Innovation in Urban and Regional Development: Perspectives on an Emerging Field in Planning and Urban Studies, ISR-Forschungsbericht Heft 47 (pp. 117–28).Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.

Domanski, D., Howaldt, J., & Kaletka, C. (2020). A comprehensive concept of social innovation and its implications for the local context–on the growing importance of social innovation ecosystems and infrastructures. European Planning Studies, 28(3), 454-474. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2019.1639397

Ferreira, S. (2021). A variedade das empresas sociais em Portugal: das trajetórias institucionais às características organizacionais. Economia Social: Leituras & Debates, (12), 1-15.

Fischer, R. M., & Comini, G. M. (2012). Sustainable development: from responsibility to entrepreneurship. Revista de Administração, 47(3), 363-369. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-21072012000300002

Força Tarefa de Finanças Sociais (2015). Carta de Princípios para Negócios de Impacto no Brasil. São Paulo: ICE e Sitawi. https://ice.org.br/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Carta_Principios.pdf

França Filho, G. C. D., Rigo, A. S., & Souza, W. J. D. (2020). A reconciliação entre o econômico e o social na noção de empresa social: limites e possibilidades (no contexto brasileiro). Organizações & Sociedade, 27(94), 556-584. https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-9270948

Galera, G., & Borzaga, C. (2009). Social enterprise: An international overview of its conceptual evolution and legal implementation. Social Enterprise Journal, 5(3), 210-228. https://doi.org/10.1108/17508610911004313.

Gonin, M., Besharov, M., Smith, W., & Gachet, N. (2012). Managing social-business tensions: A review and research agenda for social enterprise. Business Ethics Quarterly, 23(3), 407-442. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq201323327

Hansmann, H. (1987). The effect of tax exemption and other factors on the market share of nonprofit versus for-profit firms. National Tax Journal, 40(1), 71-82. https://doi.org/10.1086/NTJ41789676

Howaldt, J., Kaletka, C., Schröder, A., & Zirngiebl, M. (Eds.). (2018). Atlas of social innovation: new practices for a better future. Dortmund: TU Dortmund University.

Ianes, A. (2016). Exploring the Origins of Social Enterprise: Social Co-operation in the Italian Welfare System and its Reproduction in Europe (from the 1970s to the Present).

James, E. (1983). How nonprofits grow: A model. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2(3), 350-365, 1983. https://doi.org/10.2307/3324446

James, W. (1974). Os pensadores. Abril Cultural.

Kerlin, J. A., Monroe-White, T., & Zook, S. (2016). Habitats in the zoo. In D. R. Young, E. A.M. Searing, & C. V. Brewer. The Social Enterprise Zoo: A Guide for Perplexed Scholars, Entrepreneurs, Philanthropists, Leaders, Investors, and Policymakers (pp. 67-92) . Edward Elgar Pub. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784716066.00012

Krieger, M. G. M., & Andion, C. (2014). Legitimidade das organizações da sociedade civil: análise de conteúdo à luz da teoria da capacidade crítica. Revista de Administração Pública, 48( 1), 83-110. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-76122014000100004

Laville, J.-L. (2009). A economia solidária: um movimento internacional. Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais, n. 84, 7-47. https://doi.org/10.4000/rccs.381

Laville, J-L., Young, D. R., Eynaud, P. (Eds.). (2015). Civil society, the third sector and social enterprise: Governance and democracy. Routledge.

Lee, M., & Battilana, J. (2013). Uncovering the antecedents of hybrid organizations: Individual imprinting and new social ventures. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013(1). https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2013.13204abstract

Lee, M., Walker, J., Dorsey, C., & Battilana, J. (2012). In Search of the Hybrid Ideal. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 10(3), 51–55. https://doi.org/10.48558/WF5M-8Q69

Lyon, F., & Sepulveda, L. (2009). Mapping social enterprises: Past approaches, challenges and future directions. Social Enterprise Journal, 5(1), 83–94. https://doi.org/10.1108/17508610910956426

Martin, Roger L., & Osberg, Sally. (2007) Empreendedorismo Social: Uma Questão de Definição. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://ssir.com.br/lideranca/empreendedorismo-social

Massetti, B. L. (2008). The social entrepreneurship matrix as a “tipping point” for economic change. Emergence: Complexity and Organization, 10(3), 1-8. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.460.2679&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Meister, A. (1972). Vers une sociologie des associations. Les éditions ouvrières.

Montgomery, T. (2016). Are social innovation paradigms incommensurable?. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 27(4), 1979-2000.

Moulaert, F., MacCallum, D., & Hillier, J. (2013). Social innovation: intuition, precept, concept. The international handbook on social innovation: Collective action, social learning and transdisciplinary research, 13, 13-23.

Moulaert, F., Mehmood, A., MacCallum, D., & Leubolt, B. (Eds.). (2017). Social innovation as a trigger for transformations - the role of research. European Commission. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a7b4de0a-1070-11e8-9253-01aa75ed71a1/language-en

Nascimento, L. da S., & Salazar, V. S. (2020). Overcoming the theoretical duality on social enterprise formation. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies.

Nicholls, A. (2010).The legitimacy of social entrepreneurship: reflexive isomorphism in a pre- paradigmatic field. Entrepreneurship theory and practice, 34(4), 611-633. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00397.x

O’Shaughnessy, M., & O’Hara, P. (2016). Towards an explanation of Irish rural-based social enterprises. International Review of Sociology, 26(2), 223-233.

Peattie, K., & Morley, A. (2008). Eight paradoxes of the social enterprise research agenda. Social Enterprise Journal, 4(2), 91–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/17508610810901995

Petrini, M., Scherer, P., & Back, L. (2016). Modelo de negócios com impacto social. Revista de Administração de Empresas, 56, 209-225.Phills, J. A., Deiglmeier, K., & Miller, D. T. (2008). Rediscovering social innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 6(4), 34-43.

Quintessa (2019). O que são negócios de impacto? https://conteudos.quintessa.org.br/info-negocio-de-impacto?gclid=Cj0KCQiA09eQBhCxARIsAAYRiyl0U95Gem0hA5g-DbhZpWI0KrbsE7lSVtkxXcP1obl78ZirLIMopXAaApXyEALw_wcB

Ramos, A. G. (1996). A redução sociológica. Rio de Janeiro: Ed. UFRJ.

Ranville, A., & Barros, M. (2022). Towards normative theories of social entrepreneurship. A review of the top publications of the field. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-32.

Rosolen, T., Tiscoski, G. P., & Comini, G. M. (2014). Empreendedorismo social e negócios sociais: Um estudo bibliométrico da produção nacional e internacional. Revista Interdisciplinar de gestão social, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.9771/23172428rigs.v3i1.8994

Salomon, L., & Anheier, H. (1992). In search of the nonprofit sector in comparative perspective: An overview. [Conference presentation] International Conference of Research on Voluntary and Non-Profit Organizations, Indianapolis.

Sepulveda, L. (2015). Social enterprise–a new phenomenon in the field of economic and social welfare?. Social Policy & Administration, 49(7), 842-861.

Smith, W. K., Gonin, M., & Besharov, M. L. (2013). Managing social-business tensions: A review and research agenda for social enterprise. Business Ethics Quarterly, 23(3), 407-442. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq201323327

Teasdale, S., Bellazecca, E., de Bruin, A., & Roy, M. J. (2022). The (R) evolution of the social entrepreneurship concept: a critical historical review. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 08997640221130691.

Teodósio, A. S. S., & Comini, G. (2012). Inclusive business and poverty: prospects in Brazilian context. Revista de Administração – RAUSP, 47(3), 410-421. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-21072012000300006

Thompson, J. D., & Macmillan, Ian C. (2010). Business models: Creating new markets and societal wealth. Long Range Planning, 43(2-3), 291-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2009.11.002

Thornton, P. H., Ocasio, W., & Lounsbury, M. (2012). The institutional Logics Perspective: A New Approach to Culture, Structure and Process. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199601936.001.0001

Weisbrod, B. (2004). The pitfalls of profits. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2(3), 40– 47. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1850719

Weisbrod, B. A. (1998). Guest editor's introduction: The nonprofit mission and its financing. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 17(2), 165-174. https://ssrn.com/abstract=1856647

Young, D. R., & Brewer, C. V. (2016).Introduction. In D. R. Young, E. A. M. Searing, & C. V. Brewer. The Social Enterprise Zoo: A Guide for Perplexed Scholars, Entrepreneurs, Philanthropists, Leaders, Investors, and Policymakers (pp. 3-14) . Edward Elgar Pub. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784716066

Young, D. R., & Lecy, J. D. (2014). Defining the universe of social enterprise: Competing metaphors. Voluntas: international journal of voluntary and nonprofit organizations, 25(5), 1307-1332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-013-9396-z

Young, D. R., & Longhofer, W. (2016). Designing the zoo. In D. R. Young, E. A.M. Searing, & C. V. Brewer. The Social Enterprise Zoo: A Guide for Perplexed Scholars, Entrepreneurs, Philanthropists, Leaders, Investors, and Policymakers (pp. 15-32) . Edward Elgar Pub. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781784716066.00009

Yunus, M. (2007). Banker to the poor: Micro-lending and the battle against world poverty. PublicAffairs.

Yunus, M. (2010). Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs. New York: Public Affairs.

Published

2023-06-24

Métricas


Visualizações do artigo: 728     pdf (Português (Brasil)) downloads: 171 Viewer (xml, epub, html) (Português (Brasil)) downloads: 0 Mobile (Português (Brasil)) downloads: 0 Áudio (Português (Brasil)) downloads: 15 Audio downloads: 10 Áudio (Español (España)) downloads: 7 Video (Português (Brasil)) downloads: 13

How to Cite

Alperstedt, G. D., Andion, C., & Pires, P. K. (2023). From social enterprises to impact businesses: Examining the theoretical debate toward social innovation . REGEPE Entrepreneurship and Small Business Journal, 12(2), e2264. https://doi.org/10.14211/regepe.esbj.e2264

Issue

Section

Research article (Theoretical-empirical)

Similar Articles

<< < 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.