A hybrid approach to innovation by social enterprises: lessons from Africa

Sudheer Gupta · Stefanie Beninger · Jai Ganesh

51 citations0/0 files storedSocial enterprise journal

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Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences Innovation, Technology, and Society Innovation and Socioeconomic Development

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a detailed analysis of the key capabilities needed for social enterprises to succeed in the context of extreme poverty. Facilitating growth and alleviating poverty in the world’s most impoverished regions requires introducing innovative solutions to achieve social impact while generating financial returns. Design/methodology/approach – This paper studies two social enterprises operating in Africa. Semi-structured interviewers were conducted with co-founders of the organizations. The transcribed interviews were analyzed through an open coding process, iterated to overarching categories, and compared between the organizations using a grounded theory approach. Secondary archival data and respondent validation were used to triangulate these findings. Findings – This paper proposes a model that highlights five key capabilities social enterprises need to tackle complex societal challenges while overcoming resource constraints and institutional voids. The processes followed to develop and deploy these capabilities are delineated, and the necessity of hybrid mechanisms that blend non-profit and private-sector approaches is shown as a key enabler for social enterprises to meet their dual objectives. Research limitations/implications – This research is limited to two cases studies from two different industries in Africa. Future research would refine and extend the proposed model to increase generalizability. Originality/value – This paper addresses a gap in the literature on understanding innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, and it proposes a model for innovation derived from data. This paper also offers insights to the growing community of social entrepreneurs looking to develop sustainable solutions to societal challenges.

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References

1984Case Study Research: Design and Methods 2017The Discovery of Grounded Theory 2004Case Study Research 1990Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria 1978Theoretical Sensitivity: Advances in the Methodology of Grounded Theory 1993The Motivational Effects of Charismatic Leadership: A Self-Concept Based Theory 2010Building Sustainable Hybrid Organizations: The Case of Commercial Microfinance Organizations 2014Advancing Research on Hybrid Organizing – Insights from the Study of Social Enterprises

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2017Typology of growth strategies and the role of social venture’s intangible resources 2018Networks and the idea-fruition process of female social entrepreneurs in South Africa 2022A Systematic Review on Sustainability-Oriented Innovation in the Social Enterprises 2016Contextualizing a social enterprise opportunity process in an emerging market 2023African perspectives on researching social entrepreneurship

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