TY - JOUR

T1 - Social entrepreneurship orientation

T2 - development of a measurement scale

AU - Kraus, Sascha

AU - Niemand, Thomas

AU - Halberstadt, Jantje

AU - Shaw, Eleanor

AU - Syrjä, Pasi

PY - 2017/10/16

Y1 - 2017/10/16

N2 - Purpose: Despite growing scholarly interest in social entrepreneurs and the social enterprises (SE) they create, few studies have examined the hybridity of SE including, surprisingly, whether they adopt an entrepreneurial orientation (EO). One explanation for this may be the continuing lack of an appropriate scale measuring social entrepreneurship orientation (SEO). The purpose of this paper is to address this research gap by proposing an initial SEO scale based on input from scholars in the fields of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed mixed methods and a two stage design. In stage 1, a Delphi study with 18 researchers with expertise of investigating entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship was used to generate constructs combining aspects of both social and EOs. In stage 2, the authors assessed the face validity of the derived items from the Delphi study by conducting a survey with 82 such experts. Findings: This paper provides fresh empirical insights into how SEO can be measured by proposing, for the first time, a 12 item scale with four dimensions for the first time. Research limitations/implications: The authors recommend that future studies employ quantitative methods, particularly with firms exhibiting differing levels of the “socialness” dimension which the authors propose and that such studies involve a variety of research informants. Statistical analysis of data collected across large sample sizes will help evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale which the authors propose. Practical implications: This paper includes implications for future research based on the proposed SEO measurement scale. Originality/value: This paper develops the first SEO scale based on empirical data collected from experts in the fields of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship.

AB - Purpose: Despite growing scholarly interest in social entrepreneurs and the social enterprises (SE) they create, few studies have examined the hybridity of SE including, surprisingly, whether they adopt an entrepreneurial orientation (EO). One explanation for this may be the continuing lack of an appropriate scale measuring social entrepreneurship orientation (SEO). The purpose of this paper is to address this research gap by proposing an initial SEO scale based on input from scholars in the fields of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed mixed methods and a two stage design. In stage 1, a Delphi study with 18 researchers with expertise of investigating entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship was used to generate constructs combining aspects of both social and EOs. In stage 2, the authors assessed the face validity of the derived items from the Delphi study by conducting a survey with 82 such experts. Findings: This paper provides fresh empirical insights into how SEO can be measured by proposing, for the first time, a 12 item scale with four dimensions for the first time. Research limitations/implications: The authors recommend that future studies employ quantitative methods, particularly with firms exhibiting differing levels of the “socialness” dimension which the authors propose and that such studies involve a variety of research informants. Statistical analysis of data collected across large sample sizes will help evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale which the authors propose. Practical implications: This paper includes implications for future research based on the proposed SEO measurement scale. Originality/value: This paper develops the first SEO scale based on empirical data collected from experts in the fields of entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship.

KW - Delphi study

KW - Entrepreneurial orientation

KW - Entrepreneurs

KW - Social entrepreneurial orientation

KW - Social entrepreneurship

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85031402677&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/IJEBR-07-2016-0206

DO - 10.1108/IJEBR-07-2016-0206

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85031402677

VL - 23

SP - 977

EP - 997

JO - International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research

JF - International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research

SN - 1355-2554

IS - 6

ER -