Abstract
This topic paper examines whether engaging commercial customers through a shared social mission improves the success of social enterprises. It is based on an examination of a subset of the information technology and business process outsourcing (ITO/BPO) industries, known as impact sourcing service providers (ISSPs). ISSPs are social enterprises – B2R Technologies and Digital Divide Data are two examples – that provide call center, transaction processing, data entry, and other technology-enabled services for commercial customers from remote locations around the globe. What is unique about ISSPs is that they do this with a social mission of creating jobs and economic development in disadvantaged and marginalized communities. The analysis presented in this paper is based on an examination of academic research on ISSPs published in peer-reviewed journals from 2013 through 2022. The findings are that ISSPs that engage commercial customers through a shared social mission develop stronger bonds at both the personal and organizational levels. These bonds, in turn, strengthen the overall relationship between the companies and improve the ISSP’s success. Although specific to the case of ISSPs and the outsourcing industry, these findings offer lessons that can inform other industries and other types of relationships between commercial and social enterprises.
Recommended Citation
Corbett, Michael F.
(2023)
"Does Engaging Commercial Customers in a Shared Social Mission Improve Impact Sourcing Service Provider (ISSP) Success? A Critically Appraised Topic,"
Engaged Management ReView: Vol. 7
:
Iss.
1
, Article 1.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.28953/2375-8643.1127
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