Fergus Lyon

Social Enterprises as Hybrid Organizations: A Review and Research Agenda†

The impacts of the global economic crisis of 2008, the intractable problems of persistent poverty and environmental change have focused attention on organizations that combine enterprise with an embedded social purpose. Scholarly interest in social enterprise (SE) has progressed beyond the early focus on definitions and context to investigate their management and performance. From a review of the SE literature, the authors identify hybridity, the pursuit of the dual mission of financial sustainability and social purpose, as the defining characteristic of SEs. They assess the impact of hybridity on the management of the SE mission, financial resource acquisition and human resource mobilization, and present a framework for understanding the tensions and trade‐offs resulting from hybridity. By examining the influence of dual mission and conflicting institutional logics on SE management the authors suggest future research directions for theory development for SE and hybrid organizations more generally.

Trust, networks and norms: the creation of social capital in agricultural economies in Ghana.

This paper contributes to the continuing debate over the multifaceted concept of trust, and its ability to provide a richer explanation of processes of economic activity. Using case studies of agricultural production, marketing and financing systems in Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana, the analysis documents the means by which trust is created among farmers, traders and agricultural input suppliers. The mechanisms include formal and informal networks of working relations, customer friendships, pre-existing networks and intermediaries. The study shows that trust is necessary for the development of a vibrant private sector based on microenterprises, in conditions where actors cannot rely on formal legal institutions at present.

Mapping social enterprises: past approaches, challenges and future directions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how mapping of social enterprises has been carried out in the past, and the challenges being faced by current studies. It pays particular attention to the definitions used and how these definitions are operationalized. The challenges and future opportunities are examined, and recommendations are made for policy makers commissioning studies.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a range of different approaches, namely literature reviews, interviews with key informants, focus group type discussions with social enterprise support providers and researchers in different UK regions (in 2004), and focus group type discussions with policy makers in 2008.Findings – There has been a variety of approaches with different definitions and politically‐driven interpretations of definitions, which limits the ability to compare results. A particular challenge has been in interpreting what is meant by “trading income” or “social” aims. This presents interesting pol...

Population superdiversity and new migrant enterprise: The case of London

This article aims to contribute towards an improved empirical and conceptual understanding of the recent dramatic growth in migrant enterprises within London. Taking as its starting point the emergence of increasingly diverse populations within many urban and regional contexts, the article draws upon the concept of ‘superdiversity’ to develop a contextual analysis of the development of new migrant enterprise. In the absence of existing data, the research method combines secondary materials with primary observational and interview data in relation to six new arrival communities. The results provide a description of the changing context for migrant business within London, mapping the emergence of new forms and geographies of enterprise. The analysis is developed through an examination of processes of business start up and growth, and integration into institutional and regulatory frameworks, to demonstrate how elements of ethnicity, migratory status and a range of other variables interplay with wider economic and political contexts to shape diverse new migrant entrepreneurial activities. The article concludes by considering the challenges that this new phase of diverse migrant entrepreneurship presents to existing theoretical conceptualisations of ethnic minority business and the nature of appropriate policy responses.

Handbook of Research Methods on Trust

The Handbook of Research Methods on Trust provides an authoritative in-depth consideration of quantitative and qualitative methods for empirical study of trust in the social sciences. As this topic has matured, a growing number of practical approaches and techniques has been utilised across the broad, multidisciplinary community of trust research, providing both insights and challenges. This unique Handbook draws together a wealth of research methods knowledge gained by trust researchers into one essential volume. The contributors examine different methodological issues and particular methods, as well as share their experiences of what works, what does not work, challenges and innovations. Identifying innovative methods for researching trust, this important Handbook will prove invaluable for students and academics in the social sciences that are interested in trust, particularly postgraduates planning empirical research on trust, undergraduates researching issues of trust, faculty teaching research-based courses on trust and related topics, and experienced trust researchers looking for reflection, discussion and inspiration.

Playing with Numbers: A Methodological Critique of the Social Enterprise Growth Myth

Abstract Social enterprise is a contested concept which has become a site for policy intervention in many countries. In the UK the government has invested significant resources into social enterprise infrastructure, partly to increase the capacity of social enterprises to deliver or replace public services. Government publications show the number of social enterprises to have increased from 5,300 to 62,000 over a five-year period. This paper explores the myth of social enterprise growth in the UK through a methodological critique of the four government data sources used to construct and legitimise this myth. Particular attention is paid to how political decisions influence the construction of evidence. We find that growth is mainly attributable to political decisions to reinterpret key elements of the social enterprise definition and to include new organisational types in sampling frames.

Trader associations and urban food systems in Ghana: institutionalist approaches to understanding urban collective action

This article explores the activities and functioning of urban food trader associations in Ghana. These associations are strong indigenous groups of women traders who have been able to sustain cooperation over many years in contrast to many other forms of collective action. They shape urban food systems and link urban consumers with rural producers. The analysis relates the findings to the literature on socio-economics, institutional economics and collective action. Of particular interest are the social relations and networks within associations that allow traders to access informal credit and information with contracts based on trust. The factors that contribute to the ability to sustain collective action are explored. These include leadership structures and acceptance of the authority of market queens by other women traders, as well as the need to have the benefits that come from membership of associations. Copyright Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2003.

Beyond green niches? Growth strategies of environmentally-motivated social enterprises

The article examines the strategies by which environmentally-motivated social enterprises seek to scale up their positive impacts, drawing on a theoretical understanding of the role of entrepreneurial agency in transitions to a more sustainable economy and society. Case study evidence is used to explore different forms of enterprise growth, contributions to economic, environmental and social value, and the capabilities involved in their realisation. A typology of three distinct approaches or modes is introduced to help explain orientations and strategies that reflect both conventional conceptions of growth and alternative ways of growing social and environmental value. The role of values, capabilities and relational learning in shaping strategies and addressing the tensions and challenges encountered within each category is highlighted.

Strategies for scaling up social enterprise: lessons from early years providers

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the strategies social enterprises can use to scale up their impact. A traditional view has been for growth to occur through expanding operations or setting up new sites owned by a single organisation. However, a range of other strategies of scaling impact outside of organisational boundaries is explored.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an analysis of one detailed and three less intensive case studies of social enterprises in the early years sector supporting children and families. These were selected purposefully to represent a cross section of types of organisation. In the detailed case study, interviews were conducted with ten nursery managers, four of the senior management team and other key stakeholders.Findings – This paper examines alternatives for scaling up social impact ranging from maximising the impact internally (through new activities, and more sites) to growth beyond the confines of the organisation (through social franchises, use of k...

Managing Co-operation: Trust and Power in Ghanaian Associations

Through a rich empirical study of forms of collective action in Ghana, this paper examines how groups sustain co-operation in the absence of strong legal institutions and mechanisms (such as legal contracts or regulated loan finance) that are often taken for granted in most ‘western’ economies. It presents evidence from case studies of micro-saving groups, palm oil processing groups and transport associations, which indicate that co-operation is based on trust and power, both of which are based on culturally specific norms. Decisions to co-operate are shaped by a combination of conscious calculations, habitual actions and unquestioning compliance or obedience. The way that trust and power are articulated also varies according to local context, and attempts to facilitate and support co-operative activities have to build on the existing co-operative structures that are embedded in the local, culturally specific, social relations.