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

Authors

DOI:

10.14211/regepe.esbj.e2405

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.

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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, Brazil

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).

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Published

2023-06-24

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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), e2405. https://doi.org/10.14211/regepe.esbj.e2405

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