Benevolent Leader as a Social Entrepreneur

Abstract

This research, done at the intersection of benevolent leadership style and for-profit social entrepreneurship, examines the research question: How does a benevolent leader, concerned for ecological sustainability, drive a for-profit social enterprise? Adopting a case approach, the phenomenon has been probed within the bounded context of SOS Organics—a for-profit social enterprise—located in a remote village of Uttarakhand state of India. The data was collected from multiple sources and thematic analysis was used to identify themes. The study produced three key findings. First, the study could extract two themes of benevolent leadership—striving for the common good and concern for others. Second, it could extend the understanding of social entrepreneurship by identifying two themes—social value creation and developing innovative business models. Third, it proposed a process framework by capturing the journey of SOS promoters towards the benevolent social entrepreneur over two decades. This study contributes to the literature on the intersection of benevolent leadership and social entrepreneurship by creating a deeper meaning of the constructs. Finally, the study offers suggestions for managers and practitioners to adopt a benevolent leadership style in the social entrepreneurship context to achieve their social mission.

Characteristics of the leaders of social and environmental enterprises in Latin America and the relationship with the success of their businesses

“…A good leader also shows empathy and concern for the well-being of employees, which improves morale and job satisfaction (Tautiva, 2022). In addition, Chamola et al (2022) stated that this interest contributes to the creation of trust among external and internal stakeholders, which promotes the achievement of the organization’s goals. Authentic commitment to a social or environmental cause: The inspirational leader communicates the company’s purpose and goals (Maignan and Ferrell, 2004) and keeps all employees emotionally connected to the company. This commitment creates a sense of purpose and shared values throughout the organization, which can strengthen team cohesion and improve collaboration (Víquez-Paniagua et al , 2022).…”

“…A good leader also shows empathy and concern for the well-being of employees, which improves morale and job satisfaction (Tautiva, 2022). In addition, Chamola et al (2022) stated that this interest contributes to the creation of trust among external and internal stakeholders, which promotes the achievement of the organization’s goals.…”