Transforming Nonprofit Organisations into Social Enterprises: An Experience-Based Follow-Up Study

Abstract

In unstable economic situations, transforming nonprofit organisations into social enterprises is crucial for achieving their social missions under the condition of financial sustainability. Pen and Liang (VOLUNTAS Int J Volunt Nonprofit Org 30(3):460–474, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-018-00071-7 ) indicated that the originality aspect of social entrepreneurial creativity, cognitive empathy, and bonding social capital had positive effects on the social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) of nonprofit organisation workers, whereas the stockholder perspective of social responsibility and affective empathy negatively influenced SEI. However, their study did not address the work-related capacities of nonprofit organisation employees, which are critical to the success of this transformation. Therefore, we tested the effects of prior experience with social problems and work self-efficacy on SEI. The results reveal that the planning and communication aspects of work self-efficacy and prior experience with social problems had significant effects on SEI. Moreover, work self-efficacy mediated the relationship between prior experience with social problems and SEI. The results expand the research framework for this inquiry line and have practical implications for nonprofit organisation transformation.