‘(Un)intended consequences of the big society for social enterprise organisations

Ciaran Connolly, Martin Kelly

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper draws upon institutional and legitimacy theories to consider whether the Big Society may lead to unintended consequences for social enterprise organisations (SEOs). Policy pressures are forcing not-for-profit organisations (NFPOs) to become more business-like through the social enterprise model. However, in doing so, NFPOs risk ‘mission drift’, with their traditional roles being threatened due to capacity constraints. Moreover, there are concerns that the increasing privatisation of public services may crowd out genuine SEOs. While focusing on SEOs operating in the United Kingdom, the issues raised are also pertinent to academics and policy-makers within the Republic of Ireland.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)19-36
JournalAccounting, Finance and Governance Review
Volume20
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 2013

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