Social bricolage and social business model in uncertain contexts: insights for the management of minor cultural heritage in Italy

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to analyse how social entrepreneurship organizations that use approach of social bricolage adapt their business model to develop social innovation. The past decade has witnessed a surge of research interest in social entrepreneurship organizations (SEOs). This has resulted in important insights concerning their role in fostering social challenges. The crisis of both public and private profit-driven models meet the arising of new initiatives designed to meet the minor and often abandoned cultural heritage consumption need. Drawing on the domain of SEOs and social bricolage framework, these initiatives are able to pursue the social and the economic mission together and to produce social innovation. Design/methodology/approach This paper aims to analyze how SEOs that use strategies of social bricolage can improve the development and diffusion of social innovation. Employing in-depth multiple comparative case studies of 15 cultural SEOs in the South of Italy, through the analysis of semi-structured interview, the study enhance current understanding of the social dimension of SEOs. Findings First results show that SEOs in the domain of minor cultural heritage adopt an innovative business model and in particular a social business model unraveling organizational dimensions falling into the social bricolage. The relation between social bricolage dimensions and social business model criteria produces outcomes in which social innovation can be expressed. Originality/value This study enhances current understanding of the social dimensions of business model involved in social innovation production of cultural SEOs. This research aims to be a benchmark of the social innovation initiatives in the field of minor cultural heritage management.

Managing knowledge in non-profit organisations.

“…In activities carried out by NGOs, one can notice in-depth knowledge concerning the local environment and experiences as well as locally available resources to meet local social needs on a small scale and connections to the community. They share common characteristics of social entrepreneurs, including skilfully managing unexpected opportunities, spontaneous innovation, improvised risk-taking, and rearranging resources to create social value (Bacq and Janssen, 2011 ;Zollo et al, 2018;Scuotto et al, 2023). The limited nature of purchasing knowledge on the market leads to imitation or an inability/impossibility to make effective use of it through lack of adaptation and integration into the organisation's structures, of which non-profit organisations are unfortunately a frequent example.…”

Partnerships in Heritage Governance and Management: Review Study of Public–Civil, Public–Private and Public–Private–Community Partnerships

“…The advantages of public-private-community partnerships span a wide spectrum. Such partnerships transcend traditional public-private models by facilitating social innovation and allowing local community involvement in decision-making [72], as well as increased awareness and social participation in heritage protection [51]. The benefits extend to opportunities for collaboration, heightened cultural awareness, co-ownership of heritage, increased accessibility, job creation [1] and knowledge exchange, especially when the local stakeholders have knowledge of the opportunities of the heritage area [73].…”

“…In the context of challenges, there is limited interest from local communities and private partners to engage in a PPCP [72,77]. There is a lack of institutional capacity to sustain the partnerships long-term due to public partners often lacking long-term vision [1].…”