Organizations Driving Positive Social Change A Rev

Organizations Driving Positive Social Change

Abstract

• Paper discusses how market-based organizations can drive Positive Social Change (PSC).

• Integrates fragmented research on projects aiding PSC across various management fields.

• Two PSC strategies are identified with specific mechanisms and organizational practices.

Authors

• Ute Stephan - King's College London

• Malcolm Patterson - The University of Sheffield

• Ciara Kelly - Loughborough University

• Johanna Mair - Hertie School of Governance, Stanford University

Key Concepts

• Positive Social Change (PSC):

  • Process involving transformation of thoughts, behaviors, and social relationships beyond benefits for instigators.

  • Proactively initiated through market-based organizations.

• Change Mechanisms:

  • Stimulate behavioral change in targets affected by PSC projects, categorized into surface- and deep-level strategies.

• Integrative Framework:

  • Conceptual framework includes distinct combinations of change mechanisms and organizational practices that stimulate PSC.

Major Research Streams

1. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):

• Focuses on understanding organizational policies and the impact on society and financial performance.

2. Social Entrepreneurship:

• Leverages market-based activities to address social issues, yet limited in linking to PSC.

3. Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP):

• Explores how businesses can create profits while alleviating poverty through innovative business models.

Key Findings

• Nature of PSC:

  • Clarified as multilevel and includes bottom-up dynamics affecting social structure and institutions.

  • Addresses significant challenges in public health, education, inequality, and environmental issues.

• Change Mechanisms and Practices:

  • Deep-level strategies are developmental and supportive of intrinsic motivation, leading to more sustainable impacts.

  • Surface-level strategies rely on extrinsic motivators and generally yield quicker, but less sustainable, results.

Organizational Practices

• Motivation Mechanisms: Include shared visions and feedback mechanisms to enhance team motivation.

• Capability Mechanisms: Focus on building skills and confidence for effective PSC engagement.

• Opportunity Mechanisms: Create conditions for behavior change by restructuring decision environments and social connections.

Research Gaps Identified

• Limited research on how organizational activities impact targets outside firm boundaries.

• Fragmentation across literature; the need for integrated research approaches to understand PSC dynamics.

Future Directions

• Encourage extensive inquiry into how organizations drive PSC effectively through defined mechanisms.

• Investigate the interplay between deep- and surface-level strategies for comprehensive insight into PSC processes.

Conclusion

• This research aims to redefine organizational roles in societal contexts and promote deeper scholarly inquiry into the relationship between market-based organizations and positive social change.