Multilevel causal mechanisms in social entrepreneurship: the enabling role of social capital

Hu, Xiaoti; Zimmermann, Angelika; Marlow, Susan

Abstract

We take a new mechanism-based approach to explain how social entrepreneurship emerges from the interaction of multilevel elements, based on case study evidence from China. Informed by Coleman’s ‘boat model’ of social mechanisms, social capital theory and a critical realist ontology, we highlight three mechanisms–the sparking, manifesting and scaling mechanisms–which collectively generate the social entrepreneurship phenomenon. When enabled by social capital, these mechanisms explain the causal relations between the multilevel elements of social entrepreneurship: social needs, social entrepreneurial ideas and practice, market creation and social impact. This framework generates novel insights into the multilevel nature of social entrepreneurship, and the central role of social capital in enabling its underlying mechanisms.

Citation

Hu, X., Zimmermann, A., & Marlow, S. (2024). Multilevel causal mechanisms in social entrepreneurship: the enabling role of social capital. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2024.2422368

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 23, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Oct 29, 2024
• Publication Date: Oct 29, 2024
• Deposit Date: Oct 29, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 31, 2024
• Journal: Entrepreneurship and Regional Development
• Print ISSN: 0898-5626
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-5114
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 1-23
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2024.2422368
• Keywords: Social entrepreneurship; boat theory; Causal mechanism; social capital; critical realism; China
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/41138026
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08985626.2024.2422368
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tepn20; Received: 2023-10-23; Accepted: 2024-10-23; Published: 2024-10-29