The impact of social identity and social alliance on economic performance in social enterprise

• Main Author: KANG, Hye Young
• Format: text
• Language: Korean
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2019
• Subjects: Social enterprises; Economic performance; Social identity; Social alliance; Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6486
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The present study investigates the relationship between social competence and economic performance in social enterprises. Social enterprises simultaneously pursue social value creation and economic value creation, two of which are not easily compatible each other. This study explores the conditions under which these two values can synergize with each other and thereby, positively affect each other’s performance. In particular, I examine how two important social competences, that is, social identity and social alliance, influence economic performance of social enterprises. Using the secondary data on social enterprises from Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency, I run OLS regression analyses to test hypotheses. I find that investment on social value creation, only when it aligns with social identity, has a statistically significant and positive relationship with economic performance of social enterprises. Further, the study finds evidence that social alliance in and of itself does not affect economic performance of social enterprises. However, social alliance does have a positive influence on social enterprises’ economic performance, only when taking into account social alliance partners’ organizational attributes and a focal social enterprise’s degree of readiness to absorb expected gains from social alliance altogether. The present study improves our understanding on social entrepreneurship research by suggesting how social enterprises can enhance two seemingly incompatible values in a simultaneous manner. I also discuss potentially fruitful future research agenda based on the present paper’s findings.