Abstract
Purpose: Traditional perspectives are insufficient for understanding/framing Social Entrepreneurship Triple Helix arrangements. This paper explores the extent to which specific alternative theoretical perspectives of entrepreneurship might be evident in the context of social entrepreneurship 'ventures' through multisector collaboration amongst university, government and private sector partners. Design/methodology/approach: Within the past twenty years, more established economics-based views of entrepreneurial behavior have been complemented with several alternative theoretical perspectives for entrepreneurship research; including effectuation and entrepreneurial bricolage. This conceptual paper reviews these literatures against the context of multisector collaboration within the triple helix. Findings: Specifically, the paper discusses and illustrates the interplay of effectuation and social entrepreneurship given the fact that resource-constrained environments push social entrepreneurs to employ alternative strategies to compensate the more complex external conditions. Collaborative efforts deemed to be more social entrepreneurship in orientation appear to draw on effectuation and bricolage. Originality/value: With an emphasis on affordable loss rather than expected returns; strategic alliances and collaboration rather than competitive analysis; exploitation of contingencies rather than exploitation of pre-existing knowledge; and controlling an unpredictable future rather than predicting an uncertain one, effectuation and bricolage in the context of social entrepreneurship requires quite different guiding policies. Not necessarily being as resource-constrained, but certainly attempting to address complex societal or social issues, multisector collaboration through social entrepreneurship appears to be a fruitful arena for the application of effectuation and bricolage.
Highlights
An ongoing focus of research interest in the field of entrepreneurship is the entrepreneurial decision-making process [1] and associated behavior [2]
Fisher [6] argues that both effectuation and bricolage reflect the following four dimensions: (1) existing resources serve as a source of entrepreneurial opportunity; (2) taking action is a mechanism for overcoming resource constraints; (3) community is a catalyst for venture emergence and growth; and (4) resource constraints are a source of creative innovation
The underlying logic of an effectual approach to social entrepreneurship necessitates a complete policy re-think since multisector, triple helix collaborative efforts will have a significant role to play in supporting social innovation, yet there is insufficient evidence available to inform government regarding how they can influence, support, and facilitate appropriate multisector collaborative venture creation – where again, it is prudent to remind the reader that the intent in using the term ‘venture’ is to convey collaborative effort/initiative; not necessarily company creation
Summary
An ongoing focus of research interest in the field of entrepreneurship is the entrepreneurial decision-making process [1] and associated behavior [2]. As a theory of entrepreneurship there is a paucity of research on the applicability of entrepreneurial decision-making logics, such as effectuation, to contexts outside of entrepreneurial venture creation as in multisector collaboration, i.e., where organizations from different sectors choose to work together on a particular venture. The triple helix conveys a transformation in the relationship between university, industry and government, and within the individual sectors whereby each increasingly “takes the role of the other” [48] and where learning, knowledge and innovation within the triple helix has the potential to sustain competitiveness for the wider economy and value for society at large [50] This intersection of the spheres fosters innovation, better enabling the triple helix to address complex social problems, which as discussed by Hardy, et al, [34], is what many cross-sectoral collaborations are intended to do. Other examples of literatures mentioning collaboration between the three sectors – either all three directly or between two and one (e.g. government) indirectly – with respect to social problems are: food security [52, 53], healthcare [54, 55], water safety and security [56], and poverty reduction [57]
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