The paper aims at explorign hybrid organisations focusing on experiences originated by Italian social entrepreneurship. Moving from the assumption that social co-ops can be considered as “original” hybrid organisations (1), the paper aims to understand new forms of hybrid organisations (so called “second generation hybrids”) as result of social innovation paths. In that sense the paper aims first to highlight “generative mechanisms” (having both exogenous and endogenous origins – e.g. the Italian legislative decree n. 179/2012 on start-up, the promotion of community enterprises, impact investing tools, etc.). Then an additional goal is to point out specific elements to define characteristics of organisational hybrids originated by social co-ops that are, according to literature on hybrids: business model, organisational form, leadership style, governance, and financial resources structure. These topics allow to highlight some key elements useful to advise entrepreneurs and policy makers on social innovation promotion and development.
Hybrid organisations recently introduced a new way in doing enterprise. Hybrids are entrepreneurial entities whose main goal is pursuing systemic social improvements (social innovation) though their business (2). In other terms, they are agents of the so called “systemic innovation”, that is “an interconnected set of innovations, where each influences the other, with innovation both in the parts of the system and in the ways in which they interconnect”(3) whose “benefits can be realized only in conjunction with related, complementary innovations”(4) and “that require significant adjustments in other parts of the business system they are embedded in”(5). Particularly, in Italy a strong attempt in dealing with social needs to develop well-being and growth levels of the community is introducing new forms of social entrepreneurship that could be identify within hybridization processes originated by Italian social co-ops (both individually and within networks/consortia).
The paper is based first on a literature review on hybrid organisations (definition, generative processes, specific elements defining hybrids – business model, organisational form, leadership style, governance, and financial resources structure) at international level. Moreover a database collecting information on 74 hybrid organisations originated from Italian social co-ops (particularly within CGM cooperative network (6)) is the second type of resource used. Finally a relevant Italian case study has been developed in order to explore more in depth hybridization processes’ characteristics.
(1) Grassl, W. (2012), Business Models of Social Enterprise: A Design Approach to Hybridity, «ACNR Journal of Entrepreneurship Perspectives», 1, 1, pp. 37-60; Spear, R. (2011), Co-operative Hybrids, paper presented at the «Conference of Research Committee of the International Co-operative Alliance», September 2-4, 2010.
(2) Haigh, N., Hoffman, A.J. (2012), Hybrid organizations: the next chapter of sustainable business, «Organizational Dynamics», 41, pp. 126-134.
(3) Mulgan, G. (2013), “Joined-up Innovation: What is Systemic Innovation and How Can It Be Done Effectively?”, in G. Mulgan & C. Leadbeater, Systemic Innovation, Nesta Discussion Paper, January.
(4) Chesbrough, H., Rosenbloom, R.S. (1996), When is Virtual Virtuous? Organising for innovation, in «Harvard Business Review», 74, 1, pp. 65-73.
(5) Maula, M., Keil, T., Salmenkaita, J-P. (2006), “Open Innovation in Systemic Innovation Contexts”, in H. Chesbrough, W. Vanhaverbeke & J. West (eds.), Open Innovation: Researching a New Paradigm, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
(6) www.cgm.coop
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