REGEPE Entrepreneurship and Small Business Journal

From social enterprises to impact businesses: Examining the theoretical debate toward social innovation

Graziela Dias Alperstedt, Carolina Andion, Priscila Keller Pires — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0300

Objective: provide a critical examination of existing theoretical models and their disagreements that arise from divergent political views, imbued with value about what the social is, what is good and what is bad. Methodology/Approach: theoretical essay that examines, on the one hand, the theoretical discussion that encompasses models with different logics and organizational formats, with an emphasis on prescriptive approaches that romanticize this type of enterprise and, on the other hand, critical approaches that interpret the debate not as a rupture, but as a legitimizing and reproducing character of the established social order. Main results: the visions about social enterprises, divergent in many of the existing theoretical models, shift attention from socio-environmental problems by focusing on heroic individuals and miraculous “solutions”. Social innovation would be the way to solve the impasse of how social transformations are generated in practice, involving different actors that go beyond the discussion in question, directing the debate to the notion of social innovation ecosystems. Theoretical/methodological contributions: propose an inclusive framework that involves the acceptance of diversity and pluralism, and that goes beyond the dispute between models, in order to allow greater focus on socio-environmental issues, recognizing the importance of collective approaches, socio-historical, cultural and territorial differences, in addition to hosting multiscale and multisectoral studies in the direction of social innovation as a transforming process. Relevance/originality: The article expands the understanding of the characteristics and typologies of social enterprises and their different interpretations, leading to reflection on their practices and advancing in the study of the real consequences that these organizations promote, bringing to the fore the debate on social innovation as focus. Social contributions: by discussing the practical consequences of social enterprises and bringing to light the social innovations that these actors co-produce in their specific realities, the article sheds light on this broader dimension directed to the serious problems experienced today.

Entrepreneurial Orientation as support in solving the challenges of Agile Methods adoption: A case study in a Brazilian startup

Vanessa Blas Garcia, Cristina Dai Prá Martens, Renato Penha, Mauro Luiz Martens — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0300

Study objective: empirically evaluate how the dimensions of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) can help solve the challenges of Agile Method adoption (AM). Methodology/approach: single case study in a software startup. Key findings: confirmation of challenges in adopting AM across three dimensions (people, processes, and management and organization) in the studied startup, and identification of which dimensions of EO contribute most to solving these challenges. Relevance/originality: although EO and its dimensions are recognized by the interviewees as potential actions to solve the challenges of AM adoption, they are not encouraged when the team is allocated at the client's site due to cultural influence. This research is relevant as it aims to help understand these challenges and suggest ways to overcome them. Theoretical/methodological contributions: as an academic contribution, this study advances research on the adoption of AM and EO, as well as the relationship between these topics. Social/management contributions: understanding the inherent challenges in adopting and using AM and promoting actions that can assist in solving these challenges through the utilization of EO concepts.

Procyclical and countercyclical strategies in MSMes performance in a crisis context: A study based on the COVID-19 pandemic

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0300

Objective: To investigate the impact of procyclical and countercyclical strategies on the performance of MSMEs in the context of the Covid-19 crisis. Methodology/approach: Quantitative sample, with 118 micro, small, and medium-sized companies in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Spearman's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Main Results: In the period dominated by the pandemic (2020/2021), countercyclical strategies performed better than procyclical strategies. Theoretical/methodological contributions: Although the literature explores procyclical strategies, studies that associate the influence of procyclical and countercyclical strategies with organizational performance still need to be made available. This gap is even more evident when MSMEs in crisis contexts are considered. By associating still new dimensions, such as HR, marketing, and production, among others, this article helps to fill gaps associated with, even today, a lack of work that seeks integrated models capable of better understanding the impact that crises, such as COVID-19. Relevance/Originality: The article innovates by associating, in the context of the literature on the crisis, the two types of strategies (countercyclical and procyclical) in the elaboration and testing of an integrated analytical model composed of different variables, and capable of being used not only in new research as well as in the business context. Social/management contributions: By demonstrating that cuts in investments in marketing and other areas produce adverse effects on performance and that organizations benefit by keeping employees instead of firing them, this study sheds light on the relevance of countercyclical strategies, which still need to be explored.