Scaling impact: a conceptual framework for ambitious social entrepreneurship

Most social enterprises remain small in size as well as in impact. According to some studies, social enterprises do not scale by choice, while others state that although there is the will to scale, several internal and... [ view full abstract ]

Most social enterprises remain small in size as well as in impact. According to some studies, social enterprises do not scale by choice, while others state that although there is the will to scale, several internal and external factors impede growth. This paper draws on the insights from the strands of literature on ambitious entrepreneurship and business modelling to derive key determinants of growth ambitions and realised growth in the domain of social entrepreneurship. Factors such as attitude, ability, resources, opportunities and institutional context are believed to exert an influence on the ambition to scale, which in turn is considered an essential condition for realised growth. We argue that the business model is key for analysing ambitious value creation and value sharing by social enterprises. More specifically, business models emphasising scaling beyond the boundaries of the organisation tend to suit ambitious social entrepreneurs aiming for large-scale system change. Combining the literatures on social entrepreneurship, ambitious entrepreneurship and business models, a comprehensive framework is developed to improve understanding of the interdependencies of factors affecting ambitious social entrepreneurship.