Between a rock and a hard place: the hybrid character of social enterprises

In this article we focus on the hybridity of social enterprises, on how social entrepreneurs and local government deal with hybridity and what it means for social enterprises’ contributions to processes of social innovation.... [ view full abstract ]

In this article we focus on the hybridity of social enterprises, on how social entrepreneurs and local government deal with hybridity and what it means for social enterprises’ contributions to processes of social innovation. We discuss the results of a study of social enterprises in Rotterdam, The Hague and the Drechtsteden region the Netherlands. In this study, we use document analysis, interviews and a survey to identify what drives social entrepreneurs, how they generate results and deal with the tensions due to hybridity. In our study, we also focus on how local governments as important stakeholders and partners view the efforts of social entrepreneurs and the impact of their actions. Our aim is to understand what is going on within a social enterprise and what it means to be a hybrid by using an inductive approach. We will compare our findings with the literature on the motivations, processes and outcomes of social entrepreneurship. By comparing our results with the experiences and insights of our peers at the conference we together can come to a more nuanced perspective on social innovation and social entrepreneurship based on empirical data.