Suchergebnisse

Purpose
This paper examines the rhetorical strategies of two Indian microfinance organizations as they transformed from non-profit to commercial format. They shifted forms at a time (year 2010), when commercialization had been criticized severely. The purpose of this paper is to understand "How does a microfinance organization justify its action of transformation to retain legitimacy?"


Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts a qualitative case study method to understand the phenomena. Interview, archival documents, and field observations are the major source of data for the study. Data analysis is carried out through coding method.


Findings
Drawing from Suddaby and Greenwood's (2005) work on rhetorical strategies, the paper suggests that these organizations have used two types of rhetorical strategies – cosmological and teleological. These strategies operate in a performative role and link deviant practices with routines. It focuses on institutional maintenance rather than change.


Research limitations/implications
The paper acknowledges two important limitations. First, the rhetorical focus may be influenced by the history of organization. So depending on organization selected, the focus may vary. Second, the paper is constricted by the low-documentation practices prevailing in many civil society organizations.


Originality/value
The paper contributes to the literature on hybrid organization by unpacking the process of sense making in a hybrid form. The paper also reinforces the argument that language operates in a performative role. The paper provides a new context (India) to understand the process of rhetorical strategies.

Contrary to conventional understanding of microfinance delivery approach as either non-profit or for-profit model of delivery, the paper argues that there exists a middle path. The middle path assembles the scalability of a for-profit approach as well as the client-centredness of a non-profit approach. A community-based microfinance organisation, People's Rural Education Movement (PREM), operating as a social movement organisation, has been able to successfully combine the pressure of outreach and sustainability without compromising on the focus on poverty. Through a federated structure, a holistic approach to poverty alleviation, and an emphasis on keeping the poor at the centre of decision making, PREM has been able to create an 'enabling approach' to microfinance which is demand-driven and maneuvered by people at the receiving end.

PurposeSocial enterprises (SEs) have experienced unprecedented uncertainty due to COVID-19, and it has challenged the fundamental assumptions underlying the SEs. Little is known about the strategic response of SEs when their fundamental characteristics are being challenged. The purpose of this paper is to explore – how do SEs respond to a crisis caused by the pandemic?Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a case study approach and reports the response strategy of impulse social enterprises (ISE) from India. Data were collected through interviews, Webinars and organizational reports. To analyze the data, the authors examined the fundamental assumption on SE that was challenged by the pandemic.FindingsThe response strategy of ISE is driven by social and substantive rationality focusing on the relationship with the community and doing what is good for them. The role of communication was vital in gathering support and resources to continue with their function. ISE adapted a mindset of mission agility and created an alternative market for its product.Originality/valueThis study highlights the response strategy of SE in an emerging economy like India, which experienced one of the stringent lockdowns. It is probably one of the few studies that examined the responses of SE under a crisis that challenged their fundamental attributes by adopting the framework of Bacq and Lumpkin (2021).