From Survival to Sustainability
A Qualitative Event History Analysis of a Non-Profit Organisation’s Transition to Social Enterprise
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22430394 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Suné Schoonwinkel (Stellenbosch University), Marjolijn Dijksterhuis (Stellenbosch University), Sara S Grobbelaar (Stellenbosch University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-33 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Social Entrepreneurship (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1942-0676 • E-ISSN: 1942-0684 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/19420676.2026.2644276 |
| OpenAlex | W7155617329 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 69 |
Social enterprise offers a pathway to strengthen financial resilience for non-profit organisations (NPOs) facing mounting financial pressure, whilst maintaining their social purpose. Yet, little is known about how established NPOs transition under resource constraints. This study analyses a 12-year transformation of a rural South African NPO using qualitative event history analysis of 449 events. Applying the Organisational Transformation Cube, we identify four phases: formation, crisis catalyst, commercial integration, and transformation realisation. We find that transition often unfolds unevenly, with experimentation preceding consolidation. Under constraints, this lag enables testing of viability and legitimacy, offering a process-based explanation for NPO-to-social enterprise transformation.
Qualitative research · Social enterprise · Community and Sustainable Development · Management and Organizational Studies · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering
Systematic Reviews in the Social Sciences
Bridging Institutional Entrepreneurship and the Creation of New Organizational Forms
Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship in and around institutional voids
Social entrepreneurship research
Quo Vadis, Dynamic Capabilities? A Content-Analytic Review of the Current State of Knowledge and Recommendations for Future Research
Social Enterprises as Hybrid Organizations
Building Sustainable Hybrid Organizations
Social entrepreneurship
Advancing Research on Hybrid Organizing – Insights from the Study of Social Enterprises
Social Bricolage
Inside the Hybrid Organization
Systematic methodological review
Organizational Change and Organizational Mortality
Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainable Growth
Partnership Dynamics That Support Social Innovation by Nonprofits
NGOs, States, and Donors Revisited
Analysis of the functional dynamics of innovation for inclusive development systems
NGDOs as a moment in history
Alternative Approaches for Studying Organizational Change
Structural Inertia and Organizational Change
What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for
The financial sustainability challenges facing the South African non-profit sector
Sequence Analysis
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |