Mission Creation and Vitalization – A Forgotten Fundament in the Governance of Social Enterprises?

Even though ‘governance’ embraces topics as different ‘as new ways of ruling ‘ and ‘network based deliberation’ (Enjolras 2011), it has to a large extent replaced and taken over a slightly extended meaning of... [ view full abstract ]

Even though ‘governance’ embraces topics as different ‘as new ways of ruling ‘ and ‘network based deliberation’ (Enjolras 2011), it has to a large extent replaced and taken over a slightly extended meaning of management including also some aspects of how society is governed in studies of different types of civil society organizations (Lambert & Lapsley 2010; Maier & Meyer 2011; Steen-Johnsen, Eynaud & Wijkdström 2011). It is ascribed a central role in spite of the lack of clarity over exact meanings for different types of ventures (Hyndman & McDonnell 2009; Enjolras 2011).

Another aspect highlighted in the field(s) of social enterprise and civil society is the mission of different types of social ventures. The ideas behind a mission can even be seen as affecting the way we view both our selves and others (Spinosa, Flores & Dreyfus 1997). Organizations and their missions are however, more or less taken as given in institutional theory that is highly influential in organizational theory related to the third sector (Ahrne 1994, Ahrne & Papakostas 2002; Czarniawska 2004; DiMaggio & Anheier 1990; Dimaggio & Powell 1991). When the notion of governance is applied in this framework, there is a bias towards measurements through which established organizations are directed, established missions preserved and strategies are set to respond to threats and to optimize organizational performances. These measurements are of great importance to many civil society organizations. But ideas, and thereby the mission, are not only there to “pick”. They are constructed in an intricate interplay of ‘traveling ideas’ (Czarniawska & Sevon 2005).

New initiatives and emerging organizations do for instance not relay on established constructions and/or structures. They rather challenge ‘the establishment’, and at times dynamically interplay in a construction of future structures (Gawell 2013). Ideas are constructed and articulated in interaction between people with more or less different cognitive and socio-political frameworks (Gawell 2006). They are, so to speak, related to on going multilevel conversations, and therefore more or less to be seen as arguments in overarching debates (Bruner 1990). Subsequently ideas and organizational missions are many times supported and contextualized by narratives giving further meaning, strength and guidelines to the articulated mission and discussions on priorities etc (Czarniawska 2004).

The aim of this paper is to elaborate and analyse the role of mission creation and vitalization in relation to the notion of governance of social enterprises and civil society organizations. The paper draws on studies of emerging ventures and the creation of missions as well as on studies of older ventures where established management systems are in place. Empirically the paper is based on two social entrepreneurship cases where mission creation has been highly relevant yet coped with in different ways. It is furthermore based on two cases of historically older social enterprises/civil society organizations and their struggle to revitalize their mission to engage and govern members as well as staff.

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