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Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises
Armstrong, R. M. 2025. Toward Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework for South African Social Enterprises. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/657d961d-22d4-4b7d-93ae-e234f0598f69
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613904660594688 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Armstrong, Ridge McGibbon |
| author2 | Grobbelaar, Sara |
| author_browse | Armstrong, Ridge McGibbon Grobbelaar, Sara |
| author_facet | Grobbelaar, Sara Armstrong, Ridge McGibbon |
| author_sort | Armstrong, Ridge McGibbon |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Armstrong, R. M. 2025. Toward Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework for South African Social Enterprises. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/657d961d-22d4-4b7d-93ae-e234f0598f69 |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132103 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:33.723Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132103 Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises Armstrong, Ridge McGibbon Grobbelaar, Sara Dijksterhuis, Marjolijn Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa Economic development -- South Africa -- Social aspects Nonprofit organizations -- South Africa Sustainable development -- South Africa UCTD Armstrong, R. M. 2025. Toward Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework for South African Social Enterprises. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/657d961d-22d4-4b7d-93ae-e234f0598f69 Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In recent decades, social needs have exceeded what governments can effectively address. Traditionally, NGOs would resolve such needs, but they increasingly struggle to secure funding. Further, solving social problems can be considered outside of the business mandate. This failure of the state and market has led to the rise of social enterprises (SEs), which tackle social problems while generating revenue in the pursuit of self-sustainability. Bringing a social mission together with revenue generation is not simple, and previous research has explored hybrid organising and sustainable business models as mechanisms for SE sustainability, where sustainability includes financial self sustainability and the creation of social impact. Hybrid organising looks at the tensions SEs experience, while sustainable business models look at how social value can be captured alongside financial value in a business model. Still, few studies have offered a practical framework SEs can use to guide their sustainability journey. This study aims to fill that gap, especially in the under-researched context of SEs in developing countries like South Africa. The study's core research question is: How can social enterprises achieve sustainability? It seeks to develop a conceptual framework that guides SEs toward sustainability by identifying the key components of sustainable business models and strategies to mitigate hybrid tensions. The study employed a pragmatic research paradigm, leveraging Design Science Research and the Design Science Research Methodology to develop a conceptual framework. The process began with a conceptual review, identifying key concepts in the literature related to business models, hybrid organising, and sustainability. A structured literature review followed, forming the foundation of the conceptual framework. The framework underwent several evaluation stages: 1) top-down restructuring of the framework using existing frameworks, 2) a theoretical evaluation of the framework using sustainable business model and hybrid organising frameworks, 3) semi structured interviews with ten SE experts, 4) framework ranking interviews with twenty SE founders and team members, and 5) an event history analysis of a scaled and sustainable SE. The result is a management tool consisting of several canvases: the SE identity canvas, SE typology canvas, SE lifecycle canvas, and the comprehensive SE canvas. The identity canvas defines characteristics that identify SEs, while the typology canvas categorises different SE types. The SE lifecycle canvas outlines three phases: product-market fit, sustainability, and growth, each with distinct priorities. The comprehensive SE canvas comprises the social business model, social impact,\ and hybrid organising layers. Empirical evaluations revealed key insights. The framework ranking interviews identified the importance and implementation difficulty of the framework components. The event history analysis case study highlighted innovation, financial modelling, and mission-profit alignment as critical elements in achieving sustainability. This research contributes to literature and practice by providing a conceptual framework that SEs can use to identify their identity and understand the lifecycle phases they can progress through. The SE canvas provides a comprehensive framework that highlights the key concepts relating to business models, social impact, and hybridity as they pertain to SEs. Additionally, by focusing on South African SEs, the study offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities SEs face in developing countries. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In onlangse dekades het sosiale behoeftes die vermoëns van regerings oorskry om dit effektief aan te spreek. Tradisioneel sou NRO's sulke behoeftes oplos, maar hulle sukkel dikwels om volhoubare befondsing te bekom. Hierdie mislukking van staat en mark het gelei tot die opkoms van maatskaplike ondernemings (MOs), wat sosiale probleme aanpak terwyl hulle hul eie inkomste genereer, wat hulle in staat stel om self volhoubaar te word. Vorige navorsing het hibriede organisering en volhoubare sakemodelle ondersoek as meganismes vir MO volhoubaarheid, maar min studies het 'n praktiese raamwerk aangebied wat MO's kan gebruik om hul volhoubaarheid reis te lei. Hierdie studie poog om daardie gaping te vul, veral in die onder-ondersoekte konteks van MO's in ontwikkelende lande soos Suid-Afrika, in reaksie op die groeiende oproep vir navorsing oor MO-volhoubaarheid. Die kern navorsingsvraag van die studie is: Hoe kan maatskaplike ondernemings volhoubaarheid bereik? Die studie poog om 'n konseptuele raamwerk te ontwikkel wat MO's rig op volhoubaarheid deur die sleutelkomponente van volhoubare sakemodelle te identifiseer, strategieë om hibried spanninge te verminder, en gereedskap wat MO's kan toepas oor hul lewensiklus stadia. Die studie gebruik 'n pragmatiese navorsing paradigma, wat ontwerp-wetenskap-navorsing en die ontwerp-wetenskap-navorsing-metodologie benut om 'n konseptuele raamwerk te ontwikkel. Die proses het begin met 'n konseptuele oorsig, wat sleutel konsepte en literatuur rakende sakemodelle, hibried organisering, en volhoubaarheid geïdentifiseer het. 'n Gestruktureerde literatuuroorsig het gevolg, wat die grondslag van die konseptuele raamwerk gevorm het. Die raamwerk het verskeie evaluasie-stadiums ondergaan: 1 herstrukturering met bestaande raamwerke, 2) 'n teoretiese evaluering met volhoubare sakemodel en hibried organisering raamwerke, 3) semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met tien MO-deskundiges, 4) raamwerk-ranglys-onderhoude met twintig MO-stigters en spanlede, en 5) 'n gebeurtenis-geskiedenis-analise van 'n groot en volhoubare MO. Die resultaat is die finale bestuur instrument bestaande uit verskeie raamwerke: die MO-identiteit raamwerk, MO-tipologie raamwerk, MO-lewensiklus raamwerk, en die omvattende MO raamwerk, wat die sosiale sakemodel, sosiale impak, en hibried organisering lae omvat. Die identiteit raamwerk definieer kenmerke wat MO's identifiseer, terwyl die tipologie raamwerk verskillende MO-tipes kategoriseer. Die MO-lewensiklus raamwerk skets drie fases; produk-mark-passing, volhoubaarheid, en groei; elk met duidelike prioriteite. Empiriese evaluerings het belangrike insigte onthul. Die raamwerk-ranglys-onderhoude het die belangrikheid en implementerings moeilikheid van die raamwerk komponente geïdentifiseer. Die gebeurtenis-geskiedenis-analise gevallestudie het innovasie, finansiële modellering, en missie-wins belyning as kritieke elemente in die bereiking van langtermyn volhoubaarheid beklemtoon. Hierdie navorsing dra by tot beide literatuur en praktyk deur 'n nuwe konseptuele raamwerk te voorsien wat volhoubare sakemodelle, hibried organisering en MO-lewens-siklus-insigte integreer. Die raamwerk is 'n praktiese hulpmiddel om MO's te help met die evaluering van hul strategieë en om lewensiklus-spesifieke uitdagings aan te spreek. Sy sleutel bydraes sluit in 'n roete plan vir die navigasie van MO-ontwikkelings fases, prioritisering van kritieke sakemodel, sosiale impak en hibried organisering komponente, en lesse uit die gebeurtenis-geskiedenis-analise van 'n volwasse MO. Boonop, deur op Suid-Afrikaanse MO's te fokus, bied die studie waardevolle insigte in die uitdagings en geleenthede wat MO's in ontwikkelende lande in die gesig staar. Doctoral 2025-05-23T12:57:20Z 2025-05-23T12:57:20Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132103 en Stellenbosch University xix, 357 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa Economic development -- South Africa -- Social aspects Nonprofit organizations -- South Africa Sustainable development -- South Africa UCTD Armstrong, Ridge McGibbon Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises |
| title | Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises |
| title_full | Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises |
| title_fullStr | Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises |
| title_short | Toward sustainability: a conceptual framework for South African social enterprises |
| title_sort | toward sustainability a conceptual framework for south african social enterprises |
| topic | Social entrepreneurship -- South Africa Economic development -- South Africa -- Social aspects Nonprofit organizations -- South Africa Sustainable development -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132103 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT armstrongridgemcgibbon towardsustainabilityaconceptualframeworkforsouthafricansocialenterprises |