Title: Social Entrepreneurship Perspectives. Triangulated Approaches to Hybridity
Autor: Othmar M. Lehner

Social Entrepreneurship Perspectives. Triangulated Approaches to Hybridity
Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2012, 94 p.
(Jyväskylä Studies in Business and Economics
ISSN 1457-1986; 111)
ISBN 978-951-39-4661-6 (nid.)
ISBN 978-951-39-4662-3 (PDF)

The main argument in this study is that social entrepreneurship is not a neu- tral and static phenomenon, but socially constructed and loaded with meanings. Hence, it needs to receive adequate attention from more contextual, critical and constructionist viewpoints to deal with the inherent hybridity and ambiguity. It is discussed and argued that –a) current research on social entrepreneurship needs to acknowledge and even put a special emphasis on the cultural, societal and situational contexts in which it is conducted;b) concepts that are produced through social interaction should receive ap- propriate research attention that also acknowledges the ontological and paradig- matical nature of these phenomena; andc) while a variety of entrepreneurial approaches can be identified in social en- trepreneurship, such as for example opportunity recognition, these approaches differ in their actual application, partly due to the double bottom-line between the social and commercial goals.

Keywords: social enterprise, methodology, hybridity, social entrepreneurship, entrepreneural orientation

Journal of Social Entrepreneurship

Title: The Phenomenon of Social Enterprise in Austria: A Triangulated Descriptive Study
Autor: Othmar M. Lehner

link to this article: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19420676.2011.555775#.UiRQYBbNAmQ

There is little to no existing research on the phenomenon of social enterprises (SEs) in Austria. To enable subsequent comparative studies, the author first traces social enterprises’ conceptual underpinnings from most current research found in leading journals and subsequently creates a framework based upon social origins theory for use on Austria’s social enterprises. In order to validate the findings, the author employs a triangulated research approach, including an online-based survey, semi-structured interviews and two panel discussions. Social enterprises in Austria are characterized through social activities, organizational types, legal forms, the society sector, the outcome emphasis, and the strategic development base. The social entrepreneur him/ herself was included as a source for a qualitative triangulation as well as a distinctive item. Austria’s SEs are found to work in a multitude of fields, are independent, use market-based approaches, employ improvisation and innovation for the creation of social good and incorporate a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

Keywords: social entrepreneurship, Austria, social enterprise, triangulation, social innovation