‘We need the activists to be more entrepreneurial’: Global versus local modes of thought on the development of social enterprise support systems in transitioning economies

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

As the processes of market liberalization and globalization increase the confidence of international actors involved in national third sectors, there exists a cosmopolitan tension between ‘mobile elites’ and ‘locked in’ nationals. This paper explores the impact of these tensions on the social enterprise ecosystem in the Republic of Poland and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Focused on the internationalized mechanisms of support, the relationship between the social enterprise incubators and international stakeholders, and power distance inherent to the global versus local debate, the findings suggest that normative isomorphic pressures are causing a fundamental ecosystem shift. The monopolization of support and terms of reference have led to entrepreneurs detrimentally being treated as ‘organizational heroes’ risking burnout, the primacy of international voices within the local context, and the transference of nationals from being ‘locked in’ to national processes to being ‘locked out’ of national support. The research suggests the cosmopolitan-led transformation of activists into entrepreneurs needs to be more carefully considered, to ensure that enforced alignment to international system does not alienate them from other sources and means of sustainability.
Original languageEnglish
Article number12470
Number of pages17
JournalGlobal Networks
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Jan 2024

Data Access Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in PURE at https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/datasets/we-need-the-activists-to-be-more-entrepreneurial-dataset

Keywords

  • economic development
  • interview
  • sustainability
  • transnationalism

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