Understanding social enterprise organizations and the causes of organizational tensions and conflicts : a case of Camara Education

Abstract

Social enterprises are hybrid form of social purpose organizations that use a commercial strategy to achieve their social mission. These organizations display entrepreneurial behaviors in their strategic thinking and decision making while also dealing with tensions and conflicts that arise as a result of balancing two often competing institutional logics. This research explores these behaviors, conflicts and tensions within these organizations using the Social Entrepreneurship Orientation (SEO) framework as a basis for analysis using a single-case study approach. Data was collected using an online survey, analyzed using qualitative and quantitative analysis. The study affirms social enterprise (SE) organizations’ behaviors of innovativeness, proactiveness, risk management, effectual orientation and social mission orientation. In addition, human resources, organizational identity and external factors were determined to be key variables that cause tension and conflicts within these types of organizations. Therefore, in addition to exhibiting these SEO characteristics at organization level, successful SE organizations must learn to strategically manage these inherent conflicts and tensions as part of their core strategy.