Abstract: Does the 2010 advent of the new “benefit corporations” (BCs) – now available as a legal status in 27 states – portend important new institutional safeguards for companies that pursue social missions, that can in turn provide financial or other market benefits? We propose to compare the corporate attributes of a large sample; those with mandatory financial disclosuresunder the legal doctrine of “shareholder primacy and wealth maximization” and no further corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure (conventional corporations, CCs); those with mandatory disclosures of financial performance as well as voluntary CSR disclosures of their (hybrid corporations, HCs); and those with mandatory disclosures of financial and non-financial performance, and which must incorporate a social purpose mission in their corporate charter under benefit corporation law (BCs).

Abstract: A characteristic feature of social entrepreneurship is the social mission around which the venture is built. The success of the venture, therefore, crucially depends on the structure of the social mission within the business model. We identify with the help of prominent real-life cases alternative sustainable structures of social missions covering a broad spectrum of self-help groups, volunteer supported missions, market-oriented social ventures, and donor supported missions. We distinguish these alternative forms of ventures by focusing exclusively on the structure of the social mission within the business model. Our simplistic graphical characterization follows a “napkin” approach that facilitates direct comparisons between different business models and, thereby, serves as an intuitive tool for social business development and business-model innovation.

Abstract: Among other challenges, hybrid organizations face a legal one as the law divides organizations into nonprofit and for-profit structures. For a few years however, new legal forms of enterprises have emerged, whose claim is to overcome this challenge: multi-purpose enterprises, such as the Benefit Corporation. Their very existence directly questions the necessity of such legal categorization, and we argue that behind the legal way to solve the challenge, it proposes a managerial model through the specification of the corporate purpose. From this model, we derive innovative guidelines to create and manage hybrid organizations. Conversely, we argue that management research on hybrid organizations may open new avenues to contribute to the development of appropriate legal structures for hybrid organizations.

Abstract: Logics of organizations operating under new forms such as B-Corporations, Low Profit Companies, are based on multiple types of value. Usage of the term ‘value’, however, has been economically focused and axiomatic, leaving much room for subjectivity, contention, and misunderstanding. Recognizing the role of business models as central element for value creation in organizations, we provide a critical review of value from the business model literature. Drawing upon the understanding of value from multiple fields, including economics, sociology, and environmental studies, we identify a number of ‘blind spots’ and propose how they can be addressed for consistent theory building and managerial application, and therefore assisting organizations in addressing demands to adopt an extended perspective on value.