From Governance to Action: Measuring the Engagement of Active Stakeholders in the Social Enterprise

Abstract

Purpose

Based on stakeholder theory, human resource management literature, and the main research streams on engagement, this study aims to develop and validate a scale of stakeholder engagement specifically suitable for the social enterprise domain. Despite the evidence that stakeholder management is crucial and specific for the social enterprise domain, there is not yet an established measure of stakeholder engagement that can be used to foster the design of the effective organizational practices to manage the specific stakeholder relationship in the social enterprise context.

Methodology/approach

A survey among 328 social enterprise stakeholders working in a variety of enterprises, roles, jobs (i.e., employees, social entrepreneurs, and volunteers) enables us to validate a comprehensive and multidimensional scale of stakeholder engagement.

Findings

The new measure includes dimensions of job, enterprise, organizational formula, professional, and social engagement. Results advance some practical and theoretical considerations both for the social enterprise research and for the engagement literature.

Citation

Bissola, R. and Imperatori, B. (2016), "From Governance to Action: Measuring the Engagement of Active Stakeholders in the Social Enterprise", Governance and Performance in Public and Non-Profit Organizations (Studies in Public and Non-Profit Governance, Vol. 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 159-179. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-663020160000005007