Fostering Social Entrepreneurs in Organizations: Nurturing of Social Intrapreneurial Behaviors While Addressing Employees' Concerns

A special issue of Administrative Sciences (ISSN 2076-3387). This special issue belongs to the section "International Entrepreneurship".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1090

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Economics and Business Management, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel
Interests: entrepreneurship; intrapreneurship; organizational strategy; organizational behaviors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The emergence of social entrepreneurship as a transformative force in the corporate landscape has prompted organizations to explore ways to integrate social impact initiatives into their core business strategies (Peredo and McLean 2006; Vázquez-Parra et al. 2023). One way is to encourage employees to suggest social entrepreneurial ideas within the organization, which could be a pivotal step toward achieving this objective.  Encoring employees to suggest new and innovative products and services has been well recognized in former studies, known as intrapreneurship or corporate entrepreneurship (Antoncic and Hisrich 2003; Klein and Zwilling 2022‏).  Intrapreneurial activities are usually aimed at gaining revenue or saving on costs for the firms (Blanka 2019). But it can also contribute to enhancing employee motivation and performance (Ben-Hador and Klein 2020).

As such, less attention has been given to the role of intrapreneurial activities that aim to benefit society and whether organizations are willing to support or inhibit innovations that may not contribute directly to the firm. Fostering social entrepreneurship within the organization can yield numerous advantages. These intrapreneurial activities often offer fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to complex social and environmental challenges. By aligning business objectives with social impact, organizations can enhance their reputation, engage stakeholders, and enhance new market opportunities. Moreover, social entrepreneurship initiatives can encourage employee ethical concerns, attract talented employees, and enhance overall corporate culture, resulting in a more motivated and engaged workforce.

Conversely, employees suggesting social entrepreneurial ideas to their firms may encounter notable difficulties. Among these challenges are organizational resistance, resource allocation, and alignment with existing business strategies. One of the primary hurdles is the potential resistance from traditional corporate structures that prioritize profit maximization. Another challenge lies in ensuring that social entrepreneurial efforts align with the firm's values (Cheliatsidou et al. 2023). Conflicts may arise if proposed initiatives clash with existing business strategies, causing tension and confusion among employees. Moreover, tracking and measuring the social impact of these initiatives can be challenging, making it difficult to assess their effectiveness accurately.

Nurturing social entrepreneurs within organizations presents a promising path toward aligning business interests with social impact. While the benefits are substantial, the challenges cannot be underestimated. Addressing these difficulties requires a delicate balance between encouraging innovation and ensuring alignment with corporate objectives. Therefore, we will discuss the challenges employees may face when promoting social intrapreneurial activities in the current Sepcial Issue.

References

Antoncic, B., and Hisrich, R. D. (2003). Clarifying the intrapreneurship concept. Journal of small business and enterprise development, 10(1), 7-24.‏

Ben Hador, B., and Klein, G. (2020). Act your age? Age, intrapreneurial behavior, social capital and performance. Employee Relations: The International Journal, 42(2), 349-365.‏

Blanka, C. (2019). An individual-level perspective on intrapreneurship: a review and ways forward. Review of Managerial Science, 13(5), 919-961.‏

Cheliatsidou, A., Sariannidis, N., Garefalakis, A., Passas, I., and Spinthiropoulos, K. (2023). Exploring Attitudes towards Whistleblowing in Relation to Sustainable Municipalities. Administrative Sciences, 13(9), 199.‏

Klein, G., and Zwilling, M. (2022). Leader-member exchange theory and its relationship to teachers' intrapreneurial behaviour, teachers' work engagement and entrepreneurial orientation. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 32(2), 199-221.‏

Peredo, A. M., and McLean, M. (2006). Social entrepreneurship: A critical review of the concept. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 56-65.‏

Vázquez-Parra, J. C., Alonso-Galicia, P. E., Cruz-Sandoval, M., Suárez-Brito, P., and Carlos-Arroyo, M. (2023). Social Entrepreneurship, Complex Thinking, and Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy: Correlational Study in a Sample of Mexican Students. Administrative Sciences, 13(4), 104.‏

Dr. Galit Klein
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • entrepreneurship
  • entrepreneurs
  • intrapreneurial behavior
  • employees

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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18 pages, 315 KiB  
Article
Agri-Preneurial Resilience and Success: The Correlation and Demographic Characteristics of Smallholders in South Africa
by Isaac Azikiwe Agholor, Ataharul Chowdhury and Shehu Folaranmi Gbolahan Yusuf
Adm. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14100256 - 12 Oct 2024
Viewed by 688
Abstract
The incentives and subsidies needed to stimulate growth, resilience, and success in agri-preneurial businesses will only be realized through numerous interventions as agri-preneurship contributes significantly to sustainable agricultural development in South Africa. This study provided a novel insight into agri-preneurial resilience and success [...] Read more.
The incentives and subsidies needed to stimulate growth, resilience, and success in agri-preneurial businesses will only be realized through numerous interventions as agri-preneurship contributes significantly to sustainable agricultural development in South Africa. This study provided a novel insight into agri-preneurial resilience and success and evidenced the hypothesis that there is no significant positive correlation between agri-preneurial resilience, farm success, and selected demographic characteristics of smallholders. We surveyed a total of 200 agri-preneurs who were willing and able to participate in this study. This study used a structured questionnaire that was divided into the following sections: (i) demographic information; (ii) agri-preneurial resilience; and (iii) agri-preneurial success. Descriptive statistics and a regression analysis were employed to articulate responses. Four distinct models were employed to ascertain the goodness of fitness and the hypothesis, and assess the relationship between success, resilience, and selected demographic characteristics of agri-preneurs. To determine resilience, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) with 10 items was used because the CD-RISC justifies the best psychometric characteristics that portrays the levels of resilience amongst agri-preneurs. In measuring success, the scale items were graduated and ranked on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5. The reliability of the scale was also tested, and α = 0.93 was obtained. This study obtained a Cronbach alpha value of 0.96, indicating optimum reliability. Additionally, we ran a factor analysis to certify the reliability of the variable, which gave one factor from the four items. Significant positive correlations were found between gender, age, education, income, household size, diversification, and agri-preneurial resilience and success. This study concluded that most of the selected demographic characteristics were predictors of agri-preneurial resilience and success. However, demographic variables may be influenced by numerous factors given the heterogeneity of agri-preneurs in the study area. Full article
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