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Institutional dynamics in the emergence of hybrid organisational fields in the Global South — Multi-scalar perspective in the evolution of social enterprises in Kenya
Most countries in the Global South are characterised by persistent sustainable development challenges related to resource scarcity, persistent poverty and ever-increasing social inequality. Neither governments nor markets, in this region, have been able to create sufficient socio-economic opportunit...
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| Format: | Dissertation |
| Sprache: | Englisch |
| Veröffentlicht: |
Philipps-Universität Marburg
2023
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| Zusammenfassung: | Most countries in the Global South are characterised by persistent sustainable development challenges related to resource scarcity, persistent poverty and ever-increasing social inequality. Neither governments nor markets, in this region, have been able to create sufficient socio-economic opportunities for the rapidly growing populations. In response, alternative economic forms, such as hybrid organisations, aimed at addressing unmet socio-economic and ecological needs in an inclusive manner are gaining much attention. Until now, there are limited insights into the emergence of hybrid organisations in different forms in many territorial contexts. Especially, it is not entirely clear how institutional dynamics spatially shape the emergence and unfolding of hybrid organisations, particularly in different contexts of the Global South.
Drawing on conceptual and theoretical insights from social innovation, economic geography, and neo-institutional organisation theory, the dissertation investigates as a general research question the field configuring processes of hybrid organisations in the Global South using Kenya as a case study. In particular, the research aims:
1) To investigate the processes encouraging hybrid organisational field formation and collective agency,
2) To gain empirical insights into the strategies that hybrid organisations operating, within resource-constrained contexts of the Global South, use to address hybridity as well as place-based challenges and
3) To explore how hybrid organisations, contribute to developing capabilities of their beneficiaries.
To capture the institutional dynamics in the emergence of hybrid organisational fields, as envisioned by the general research question, the concept of institutional work was key (Lawrence & Suddaby, 2006; Lawrence et al., 2011, p.52). Specifically, the concept is credited with considerable potential to explain institutional change through its focus on the connection between agency and institutions. In this study, the concept was used to explain institutional change processes and the role of the involved actors. Concurrently, the theoretical concepts of organisational capabilities and individual capabilities were adopted to understand strategies for coping with hybridity tensions as well as the social impacts of hybrid organisations, as per the specific research questions.
The study explores the organisational field of impact sourcing service providers (ISSPs) in Kenya. ISSPs are hybrid organisations in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. Their social mission is to employ disadvantaged youth and develop their skills to enable them to enter the formal labour market.
An empirically grounded model explaining institution building and its drivers was developed. The model helps visualise the multi-scalar processes involved in the evolution of the hybrid organisational field in Kenya. Markedly, the model reconstructs the interaction between macro- and micro-level processes, institutional work and the resulting institutional change in a temporal-spatial setting. This was instrumental in revealing the dynamics, policies, and interventions of actors behind the pathway of institutional change that ISSPs took from pre- to semi-institutionalisation.
In addition, the study sheds light on an empirically developed typology of - “standardised” and “individualised”- skills development, showing how hybrid organisations strive to develop the capabilities of their beneficiaries as well as maintain financial sustainability. Simultaneously, it underscores the essential role of learning, resilience, and constant experimentation for hybrid organisations facing place-specific challenges associated with operating in resource- scarce contexts of the Global South. So far, the thesis makes an empirical and conceptual contribution to the neo-institutional organisation theory and hybrid organisational field specifically. It helps gain detailed insights into the micro-dynamics underlying institutional change in the early processes of institutionalisation of emerging hybrid organisational fields. Practically, the study underlines the basis for fostering such processes. |
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| DOI: | 10.17192/z2023.0654 |