The Potential of Social Entrepreneurship

Abstract

The first proposed presentation is a paper co-authored by Julie Battilana, focusing on how imprinting at founding influences paradoxical performance tensions between social and economic goals faced by mature social enterprises. Investigating the nature and development of these paradoxical tensions in a growing social enterprise, Marya Besharov offers to paint a rich and dynamic picture of how the social enterprise and its leaders managed issues around hiring, growth, and leadership. Rolf Hoefer, delving into Battilana et al.'s argument about the criticality of the founding phase, plans to zoom into how nascent entrepreneurial actors build and maintain productive social networks over time to advance their social business ventures. Finally, Peter Roberts aims to provide a broader perspective by discussing the promise that his ongoing, large-scale data-collection effort for a new database holds for scholars interested in conducting research within the context of social entrepreneurship. Building Productive Networks: A Longitudinal Study of Nascent Entrepreneurial Actors Presenter: Rolf Lorenz Hoefer; INSEAD Harnessing Productive Tensions in Hybrid Organizations Presenter: Julie Battilana; Harvard U. Testing Ideas About Social Entrepreneurship: The Case for a Comprehensive Program Presenter: Peter W Roberts; Emory U. Sustaining Paradoxical Tensions over Time: A Longitudinal Study of a Global Social Enterprise Presenter: Marya L. Besharov; Cornell U. Presenter: Wendy K. Smith; U. of Delaware