Nexus between strategic fit and social mission accomplishment in social enterprises: does organizational form matter?

Abstract

Organizations commonly use their mission statement as a strategic tool. In social enterprises the mission contains social and economic elements (hybrid mission). Centrality of the social component of the mission over the economic dimension is generally acknowledged, but few investigations focus on its achievement. To address this gap, this study identifies which combinations of mission fit are needed to achieve a social mission, analysing 143 social enterprises using qualitative comparative analysis. We find that irrespective of the organizational form, social enterprises should align the formal content, stakeholder motivation, and organizational practices perspectives of their mission to create a desired social impact. The simultaneous absence of (1) fit between mission content and organizational practice related to mission and (2) fit between mission content and stakeholder motivation was found to go hand in hand with social mission non-achievement. The results are consistent among different organizational forms, albeit for different reasons. By examining the configuration of social mission accomplishment, the authors offer managerial recommendations and future research directions for social enterprises.