Social enterprise networks: The everyday unfolding of social enterprise by interpreting & drawing different views

This thesis examines how social enterprise is constructed in theory and practice. A critical approach is taken to questioning assumptions about complex issues especially the dynamics of networks and those facing uncertain and ambiguous situations. Due to limited empirical evidence, a qualitative approach is adopted to explore how network interactions influence identity, meaning and actions. The research from a 16-month case study was undertaken to understand how social enterprise is made sense of by those in 37 existing social organisations, intermediate support and commissioning agencies in West Yorkshire. An analysis of data collected from in-depth interviews, together with participant observation of network events is used to theorise that issues of identity and interactions between network contacts. It attempts to make explicit some of the identity construction and maintenance processes which take place in local networks. The thesis contributes to knowledge in that it offers a ‘little’ narrative of social enterprise network interactions in context, presents an unfolding model for framing network processes and uses creative narrative approaches of stories, metaphors and visual methods, not well utilised in the field but borrowing from other fields. The value of these three contributions helps to develop an enhanced understanding of social processes involved in social enterprise actions. Because of its ethnographic and phenomenological approach, it adds to the theoretical narrative and offers rich insights into contemporary network practices. The originality of the study is an unfolding approach and an alternative research perspective with which to better understand the complexity of this diverse field of study. It uses participant drawings, metaphors and paradox to examine how practitioners viewed trust (and distrust), continuity (and discontinuity), success(and lessons learnt from failure). The unfolding nature of the study enables practitioners (and researchers) the ability to structure thinking but allows for flexibility in considering the influences of local context. By focussing upon a local context it contributes grounded data to support discourse in the social context of contemporary practice. It has attempted to foster discussion of social enterprise as a socially constructed phenomenon. This empirical work considers how everyday contemporary practices correspond to (or contrast) theories and models. It offers a pluralistic view and shifts the focus from a unitary perspective of individuals and individual organisations to enable academics, policy makers and organisational participants to consider and interpret different views of changes

Learning from failure, ambiguity and trust in social enterprise

Abstract: Purpose – The paper aims to present case studies to uncover the reflections of key participants in a social enterprise network in West Yorkshire. It considers how they learn from failure and how they make sense of the variety of messages about, and approaches to, social enterprise. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is based upon sense making in organisations. The paper builds upon the concept of ambiguity as well as Sydow's framework of inter-organisational trust. Participant drawings of these ideas were used to enhance data generated from face to face interviews. Findings – The paper reviews actors' experiences of failure in projects to explore the relationships of those active in social enterprises and support agencies. From this perspective, uncertainty, ambiguity and unexpected insights into mistrust between organisations were identified as underlying themes. Research limitations/implications – The concepts of uncertainty, ambiguity, trust and mistrust offer rich ways of perceiving the problems faced by social enterprises. They provide a framework to aid discussions of social enterprise development between academics and practitioners. These concepts may go towards improving understanding in resolving problems and be beneficial in formulating policies and practices that improve service delivery within communities. Originality/value – Little research looks at lessons learnt from failure and associated issues of ambiguity and trust between social enterprises at a network level. If smaller social enterprises are going to work together in co-ordinated activity to deliver social projects and to offer economies of scale in contract delivery, trust will be essential. This paper suggests that further research in this area is needed to consider the quality of relationships being nurtured

Where social enterprise practitioners draw the line: Towards an understanding of movement from social entrepreneurship as boundary work

© Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to offer new reflection upon the contested interaction of social enterprises with the public sector. It does this by fore fronting the notions of boundaries, boundary work and boundary objects. Design/methodology/approach-The paper reports qualitative research with social enterprise practitioners (from social enterprises and support agencies) in the north of England. Accounts elicited through interviews are combined with visual data in the form of pencil drawings made by practitioners when the authors invited them to respond to and rework diagrammatic models from the literature about the social and economic dimensions of social enterprise. Findings-Participants explained in words and images how normative images of social enterprise depicting linear and static boundaries inadequately represent the complexity of ideas and interactions in their world. Rather, they perceived an iterative process of crossing and re-crossing boundaries, with identities and practices which appeared to shift over time in relation to different priorities. Research limitations/implications-Through participant generated visual data in which social enterprise practitioners literally redrew models from the literature, the paper open space to show movement, transgression and change. Originality/value-This paper is timely as social enterprises are becoming increasingly prominent in the welfare mix. The authors make novel use of conversations and drawings in order to better understand the dynamic and everyday practices of social enterprise within public services. In doing this, the authors also potentially contribute to richer methodological resources for researching the movement of services between sectors

Ageing population – the Challenge for Social Economy Entities

Cel – W obecnym kontekście kultury masowej, w którym uwaga zwrócona jest na sektor bankowy i wynagrodzenia bankowców, kapitalizm monopolistyczny, globalne ocieplenie i rozwój zrównoważony olbrzymią rolę odgrywają etyka i moralność [Giroux, 1994]. Zadziwiający jest jednak fakt, jak niewiele uwagi poświęca się tym kwestiom w narracjach konceptualizujących przedsiębiorstwo społeczne lub przedsiębiorczość społeczną, czy też w badaniach naukowych dotyczących tego sektora. Obecne konceptualizacje przedsiębiorstwa społecznego nie odnoszą się w sposób satysfakcjonujący do idei ruchu, który jest orędownikiem modelu przedsiębiorstwa społecznego działającego w sposób bardziej biznesowy niż organizacje pozarządowe, będącego bardziej przedsiębiorczym w świadczeniu usług społecznych; wykorzystującego modele biznesowe, jednak nie czyniąc tego wyłącznie w celu osiągnięcia zysku. Koncentracja na gospodarce zakłada istnienie modelu biznesu, charakteryzującego się dużymi napięciami. Koncentracja na kapitale społecznym ukazuje inne ramy odniesienia, jednak obie konceptualizacje nie są w stanie w pełni opisać zjawiska określanego mianem przedsiębiorstwa społecznego. Celem tego artykułu jest wypełnienie tej luki. Kapitał etyczny stanowi tutaj alternatywę i nieprzyjmowaną jak dotychczas konceptualizację w obszarze nauki o przedsiębiorstwie społecznym. Projekt/metodologia/podejście – artykuł na charakter eksploracyjny – jest elementem procesu teoretyzowania, łączącego perspektywy autorów wobec zjawiska kapitału etycznego, po to by zaproponować nowe ramy odniesienia dla przedsiębiorstwa społecznego. Celem artykułu jest zbadanie części zagadnień dla przeprowadzenia dalszych badań. Jako autorzy uważamy, że teoretyczna eksploracja tego tematu jest niezwykle ważna i wraz z dyskusją akademicką może spowodować pożądaną reakcję. Wszyscy potrzebujemy dalszych badań o charakterze bardziej szczegółowym. Rozpoczynamy je nakreślając obecne konceptualizacje przedsiębiorstwa społecznego, następnie przenosimy je w teoretyczny obszar szeroko rozumianego kapitału etycznego, odnosząc się do trzech zagadnień; wątek 1 opiera się na debacie o poziomach kapitału etycznego tworzącego pomost między sektorem prywatnym i społecznym. W wątku 2 dokonuje się dekonstrukcja etyki przedsiębiorstwa społecznego, a w wątku 3 podniesione są kwestie agendy moralnej kreowanej przez typowego przedsiębiorcę lub zagadnienie większego dobra wnoszonego przez przedsiębiorcę krytycznego i twórczego moralnie. Wnioski – podstawowy cel artykułu to zainicjowanie procesu debaty intelektualnej o pojęciu kapitału etycznego w przedsiębiorstwach społecznych. Wnioski autorów są fundamentem dla dalszych pytań badawczych, na które należy odpowiedzieć, celem pełnego skonstruowania koncepcji. Oryginalność/wartość – przyjmuje się, że obecny ekonomiczny paradygmat neoklasyczny stawia na egoistyczny interes jednostki i przyczynia się do erozji moralnych fundamentów wspólnot społecznych. W rezultacie społeczność zostaje pozostawiona sama sobie z problemem niskich wartości etycznych. W założeniu artykułu przedsiębiorstwa społeczne, bardziej niż inne formy organizacji, maksymalizują wartości etyczne i jako takie tworzą wartość etyczną niezależnie od swoich celów i misji. Wartość artykułu polega na zrozumieniu kwestii przedsiębiorstwa społecznego, wykorzystując odnowione spojrzenie na jego konceptualizację. Obecna literatura przedmiotu wykorzystana jest w przyjętej przez autorów perspektywie krytycznej. Artykuł rzuca nowe światło na rozumienie tego sektora ekonomii społecznej, proponując praktykom, agencjom wspierania biznesu oraz przedstawicielom nauki koncepcję, która nie została jeszcze eksplorowana. Słowa kluczowe – przedsiębiorstwo społeczne, etyka biznesu, definicja, moralność, kapitał etyczny. Typ artykułu – konceptualny.Purpose – In popular culture, ethics and morality are topical (Giroux 1994), heightened by recent attention to the banking industry and pay awards, monopoly capitalism, global warming and sustainability. Yet, surprisingly, little attention is given to these in the narrative of the conceptualisation of social enterprise or social entrepreneurship – nor in the academic research on the sector. Current conceptualisations of social enterprise fail to fully satisfy the spirit of the movement which advances a narrative that social enterprises: are more like businesses than voluntary organisations; are more entrepreneurial than public service delivery; use business models but are not just in it for the money. A focus on the economic implies a business model where deep tensions lie. A focus on social capital offers a different frame of reference, yet both these conceptualisations fail to fully identify the phenomenon that is social enterprise. The objective of this paper is to fill that gap. Ethical capital is offered here as an alternative and unrecognised conceptualisation in the field of social enterprise. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is exploratory in nature – a tentative piece of theorising that brings together the authors’ perspectives on ethical capital to offer a new frame of reference on social enterprise. It sets out to investigate some of the issues in order to provoke further research. As authors, we felt it important to theoretically explore the concept and discuss several themes to provoke a response. All need further research to tease out the detail. We start by outlining the current conceptualisations of social enterprise, then move on to theorising ethical capital using three broad themes; theme 1 discusses the levels of ethical capital, bridging from the private sector into the social sector. Theme 2 deconstructs the ethics of social enterprise and theme 3 questions moral agency through a conventional and enforcing enterpriser or the greater good through a critical and creative moral enterpriser. Findings – This paper very much aims at starting the process of intellectual debate about the notion of ethical capital in social enterprises. The conclusions of this paper outline further research questions that need to be addressed in order to fully develop this concept. Originality/value – It is argued that the current ideology of the neo-classical economic paradigm pursues interests towards the self and erodes the moral basis of association. The outcome leaves society with a problem of low ethical virtue. The implications of this paper are that social enterprises maximise ethical virtue beyond any other form of organisation and as such create value beyond their missions and values. This paper offers value in the understanding of social enterprise through fresh insight into its conceptualisation. A critical perspective is adopted toward the current literature. This paper sheds new light on our understanding of the sector, providing practitioners, business support agencies and academics alike with a conceptualisation that has not been explored before

Narratives of transition from social to enterprise: You can't get there from here!

Purpose: In response to calls to critically analyse and conceptually advance social enterprise, the purpose of this paper is to examine narratives and models representing a spectrum of social enterprise from the "social" to the "economic". The paper tests these against the experience of practitioners who were either employees in social organisations or support workers tasked with promoting social enterprise. This is timely against a background of imperatives from central governments for social organisations to compete for the delivery of public services and become more "entrepreneurial". Design/methodology/approach: The paper reports qualitative research in which participants were invited to draw lines and arrows onto spectrum models to illustrate the social and economic contexts they perceived themselves to be working within. The data comprise interviews and drawings, combined with verbal descriptions of the drawings and reflections on their significance. Findings: The paper shows how participants interpreted the "social" and "economic" of social enterprise in pictures and words. The research suggests that social enterprise can not be told as a single narrative but as a set of little stories showing oscillations, contradictions and paradox. Research limitations/implications: Understanding of social enterprise can be much improved by giving greater recognition to ambiguities and compromises within the lived experience of contemporary practice. Originality/value: The article offers new reflection on widely used images that represent social enterprise along a dichotomous, polar spectrum from social to economic. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited