Strategies for Social Venture Growth: Governing the Mean-Ends Dynamics of Social Impact

Research by: Olivier P. Roche, & Nicole Siebold

Abstract

Governing the growth strategies of social ventures is one of the most significant challenges social entrepreneurs face. While social entrepreneurs strive for growth mainly to increase the social venture’s impact on its key stakeholders, pursuing growth may result in mission drift with a detrimental neglect of dual mission objectives and stakeholder needs. In this conceptual article, we aim to contribute to an enhanced understanding of how growth unfolds in social ventures and how the governance of growth can prevent divergence from the venture’s raison d’être in tackling stakeholder needs. Building upon the literature on organizational and social impact growth, we theorize four distinct growth strategies: benevolence-driven, collaboration-driven, skills-driven, and consumption-driven social venture growth. For each strategy, we identify underlying growth dynamics and derive principles for the governance of social venture growth. This way, we add to the emergent literature on social venture growth and dual mission management.

To cite this article: Roche, O. P., & Siebold, N. (2024). Strategies for social venture growth: Governing the means-ends dynamics of social impact. Strategic Change.  https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2592

To access this article: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2592

About the Journal

Strategic Change focuses on the decision-making of change, but generalized in the different disciplines which can speak to this phenomenon. The journal is interdisciplinary bridging management, economics, strategy, organization, entrepreneurship and finance to support better decision-making and business performance.

Strategic Change aims at being unique in publishing micro-centric research that enhance the theoretical and practical understanding of the management of strategic change, and inform entrepreneurial and strategic decision-making. The journal is highly accessible, combining academic depth and rigor with practicality, publishing clear, straightforward articles that are distinctly geared toward the solution of grand challenges and real-world issues.

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