Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-1-2011

Abstract

Social-purpose entrepreneurs in achieving the “middle-ground” of social-mission and profits, face unique legitimacy-related challenges. Regardless of the legal structure and the specific social-mission, they need to demonstrate behaviors and undertake activities which satisfy both mission and business stakeholders. This research explores the relationships between entrepreneurial behaviors, organizing activities and early stage venture performance. Results show that entrepreneur’s proactiveness positively effects both mission and business performance. Contrary to intuition mission organizing activities dampen the effect of experimentation on mission performance particularly for entrepreneurs with prior for-profit experience. Entrepreneurs with for-profit experience may maintain caution regarding how much they do to achieve mission results. This is one of the first studies to measure and predict social entrepreneurial venture performance.

Keywords

social venture, performance, entrepreneurial behaviors, organizing activities, human capital, proactiveness, experimentation, alertness

Rights

© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Department/Center

Design & Innovation

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