@article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {When Innovation Goes Wrong}, series = {Stanford Social Innovation Review}, volume = {14}, journal = {Stanford Social Innovation Review}, number = {4}, issn = {1542-7099}, pages = {27 -- 33}, abstract = {Efforts by social enterprises to develop novel interventions receive a great deal of attention. Yet these organizations often stumble when it comes to turning innovation into impact. As a result, they fail to achieve their full potential. Here's a guide to diagnosing and preventing several "pathologies" that underlie this failure.}, language = {en} } @article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {When business becomes a tool for fighting poverty}, series = {Business Digest, UK edition}, journal = {Business Digest, UK edition}, edition = {193}, abstract = {Can we continue to categorically dismiss consumers in Southern countries at a time when companies are struggling to find new markets? Based on « Profitable Business Models and Market Creation in the Context of Deep Poverty: A Strategic View », by Christian Seelos and Johanna Mair, Academy of Management Perspectives, November 2007, and the interviews of Iqbal Quadir, founder and director of the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT (USA), February 2009.}, language = {en} } @article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Water is Power}, series = {Impact India. Stanford Social Innovation Review}, volume = {2}, journal = {Impact India. Stanford Social Innovation Review}, number = {Spring 2017}, pages = {24 -- 29}, language = {en} } @incollection{RadekeMairSeelos, author = {Radeke, Joanna and Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Waste Concern: Fixing Market Failures}, series = {Managing Sustainable Business}, booktitle = {Managing Sustainable Business}, editor = {Lenssen, Gilbert G. and Smith, N. Craig}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, isbn = {978-94-024-1142-3}, doi = {10.1007/978-94-024-1144-7}, publisher = {Hertie School}, pages = {557 -- 574}, language = {en} } @incollection{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {The Sekem initiative: a holistic vision to develop people}, series = {New Social Entrepreneurship : What awaits social entrepreneurship ventures?}, booktitle = {New Social Entrepreneurship : What awaits social entrepreneurship ventures?}, editor = {Perrini, Francesco}, publisher = {Edward Elgar}, address = {Cheltenham}, isbn = {9781845427818}, pages = {210 -- 223}, language = {en} } @misc{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {The Sekem Initiative}, series = {Improving management}, journal = {Improving management}, publisher = {IESE Estudios y Ediciones}, isbn = {9788486851620}, pages = {269 -- 297}, language = {en} } @article{SeelosMairTraeger, author = {Seelos, Christian and Mair, Johanna and Traeger, Charlotte}, title = {The future of grand challenges research: Retiring a hopeful concept and endorsing research principles}, series = {International Journal of Management Reviews}, volume = {25}, journal = {International Journal of Management Reviews}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1111/ijmr.12324}, pages = {251 -- 269}, abstract = {Editorial notes in leading management journals have urged scholars to address Grand Challenges (GC) as an opportunity for producing knowledge that matters for society. This review explores whether current conceptualizations of GC support a productive path for management and organizational scholarship by guiding empirical inquiry, facilitating cumulative theory development, and informing practice. We systematically examine scholarly articles, calls for papers, and editorial notes published in management journals for consistency in how researchers use and define the concept of GC and the scope of associated phenomena and attributes. We find three prominent conceptual architectures in use: discursive, family resemblance, and phenomenon driven. The variety and incoherence of current uses of the GC concept and the lack of efforts to improve its analytical competence lead us to suggest its retirement. Instead, we propose building on the enthusiasm around GC research and using GC as a term to define research principles that collectively help align research efforts and improve theoretical development and practice. The principles we propose capture a genuine origin story for management research on GC.}, language = {en} } @incollection{SeelosMairBattilanaetal., author = {Seelos, Christian and Mair, Johanna and Battilana, Julie and Dacin, M. Tina}, title = {The embeddedness of social entrepreneurship: Understanding variation across geographic communities}, series = {Communities and Organizations}, volume = {33}, booktitle = {Communities and Organizations}, editor = {Lounsbury, Michael}, edition = {Research in the Sociology of Organizations}, isbn = {978-1-78052-284-5}, issn = {0733-558X}, pages = {333 -- 363}, abstract = {Social enterprise organizations (SEOs) arise from entrepreneurial activities with the aim of achieving social goals. SEOs have been identified as alternative and/or complementary to the actions of governments and international organizations to address poverty and poverty-related social needs. Using a number of illustrative cases, we explore how variation of local institutional mechanisms shapes the local "face of poverty" in different communities and how this relates to variations in the emergence and strategic orientations of SEOs. We develop a model of the productive opportunity space for SEOs as a basis of and an inspiration for further scholarly inquiry.}, language = {en} } @article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Sustainable development, sustainable profit}, series = {European Business Forum}, volume = {20}, journal = {European Business Forum}, issn = {1469-6460}, pages = {49 -- 53}, abstract = {Social entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool for corporations to gain entry and build loyalty in developing markets. While economic growth has led to tremendous improvements in personal freedoms and well-being for people in industrialised societies, it has left too many behind. The images of hunger, disease and human misery refuse to disappear from our television screens. How can growth be made more sustainable while at the same time including and benefiting all of society? The paradox is painful: while traditional markets are saturated, billions of people are desperately waiting for companies to cater to their most basic needs and wants. Social entrepreneurs act as change agents that enable the poor to participate in economic life. Entrepreneurs invent business models that can be scaled up and possibly repeated elsewhere: the Grameen Bank model has been replicated all over the world, with huge success. Social entrepreneurship initiatives also constitute local resources that lend themselves to new configurations for novel forms of value creation.}, language = {en} } @incollection{SeelosMair, author = {Seelos, Christian and Mair, Johanna}, title = {Social Innovation: Specifying Pathways for Impact}, series = {Research Handbook of Responsible Management}, booktitle = {Research Handbook of Responsible Management}, editor = {Laasch, Oliver and Jamali, Dima and Freeman, R. E. and Suddaby, Roy}, publisher = {Edward Elgar Publishing}, address = {Cheltenham,UK}, isbn = {9781788971959}, publisher = {Hertie School}, abstract = {Outlining both historical foundations and the latest research trends, this Research Handbook offers a unique and cutting-edge overview of the numerous avenues to responsible management. Opening with a conceptual mapping of the field, thought leaders such as Henry Mintzberg and Archie Carroll present foundational and controversial views. Frameworks such as sustainability management, responsible leadership, humanistic and biomimetic management are introduced. Glocal approaches include responsible management with Chinese characteristics, West African Yoruba, and American Pragmatism. Exploring frameworks for the responsible management process, such as theories of practice, and for responsible management learning and innovation, readers are introduced to key methods responsible management research, such as participatory action research. Groundbreaking in scope and depth, this Handbook caters to the responsible management research community, particularly to the Academy of Management and to United Nations PRME signatory business schools. Policymakers and practitioners will benefit from its insight into the latest advances in responsible management research.}, language = {en} } @techreport{SeelosMair, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Seelos, Christian and Mair, Johanna}, title = {Social entrepreneurship. The contribution of individual entrepreneurs to sustainable development}, series = {Working Paper, WP No 553}, journal = {Working Paper, WP No 553}, publisher = {IESE Business School}, address = {Barcelona}, pages = {19}, abstract = {Social entrepreneurship is a phenomenon that has resisted attempts to establish a clear definition. A focus on organizational structures and/or what constitutes a worthy social cause has created a diverse set of terminology. Observing the positive social impact of entrepreneurs catering to basic needs, this paper recognizes their unique role in efficiently contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals. From this perspective, the term social can be much better defined. The frameworks proposed in this paper should guide much-needed further research and facilitate decision making about more focused support from a financial as well as a learning perspective.}, language = {en} } @article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Social Entrepreneurship : Creating new business models to serve the poor}, series = {Business Horizons}, volume = {48}, journal = {Business Horizons}, number = {3}, issn = {0007-6813}, doi = {10.1016/j.bushor.2004.11.006}, pages = {241 -- 246}, abstract = {The term "social entrepreneurship" (SE) is used to refer to the rapidly growing number of organizations that have created models for efficiently catering to basic human needs that existing markets and institutions have failed to satisfy. Social entrepreneurship combines the resourcefulness of traditional entrepreneurship with a mission to change society. One social entrepreneur, Ibrahim Abouleish, recently received the "Alternative Nobel Prize" for his Sekem initiative; in 2004, e-Bay founder Jeff Skoll donated 4.4 million pounds to set up a social entrepreneurship research center; and many social entrepreneurs have mingled with their business counterparts at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Social entrepreneurship offers insights that may stimulate ideas for more socially acceptable and sustainable business strategies and organizational forms. Because it contributes directly to internationally recognized sustainable development (SD) goals, social entrepreneurship may also encourage established corporations to take on greater social responsibility.}, language = {en} } @incollection{MairSeelosGanly, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian and Ganly, Kate}, title = {Social entrepreneurs directly contribute to global development goals}, series = {Social Entrepreneurship}, booktitle = {Social Entrepreneurship}, editor = {Mair, Johanna and Robinson, J. and Hockerts, K.}, publisher = {Palgrave Macmillan}, address = {Basingstoke}, isbn = {978-1-4039-9664-0}, doi = {10.1057/9780230625655}, pages = {235 -- 275}, language = {en} } @article{MairSeelosBorwankar, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian and Borwankar, Anjaney}, title = {Social entrepreneurial initiatives within the sustainable development landscape}, series = {International Journal of Entrepreneurship Education}, volume = {2}, journal = {International Journal of Entrepreneurship Education}, number = {4}, issn = {1649-2269}, pages = {431 -- 452}, abstract = {Over the last few years many business schools have been active in developing courses on social entrepreneurship. The case studies used are typically based on non-profit initiatives aimed at alleviating social problems in the community. Yet social entrepreneurship is not limited in scope and structure. It is neither geographically nor culturally centered. To avoid the dilemma of defining what social entrepreneurship is or what it is not, we argue that the most fruitful approach is to adopt a specific perspective that illuminates the role and the unique contribution of social entrepreneurship. The perspective we propose is 'sustainable development'. This approach also permits the positioning of social entrepreneurship alongside existing organizations that participate in the global efforts to achieve sustainable development. We describe initiatives by social entrepreneurs and established corporations, highlight the social, economic and environmental impact, and draw out commonalities from the examples given.}, language = {en} } @misc{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Sekem: Liberating a Vision, an Artistic Approach to Entrepreneurship}, publisher = {IESE Business School}, pages = {21}, abstract = {This case portrays a complex set of circumstances that frames Sekem's decisions to further grow and develop the initiative along its historical path of holistic development in the social, economic and cultural spheres. The case documents the history of the initiative and lays out the major constituents and their internal and external relations. Sekem was founded by Ibrahim Abouleish, an Egyptian who had been living, studying and working in Austria prior to his return to Egypt in 1977, the year he established Sekem. Literally starting from nothing, ie, a piece of desert land north of Cairo, Abouleish showed tremendous resourcefulness, creativity, and perseverance. Driven by a strong belief in his personal mission, Abouleish built up the Sekem initiative that in 2003 consisted of three main parts: the Sekem group of companies, the Egyptian Society for Cultural Development and the Co-operative of Sekem Employees, together employing more than 2,000 people. Sekem was also a hub managing a large network of associated farmers and companies within Egypt and abroad. It also ran a medical centre for the local community, a kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, an adult training centre, special needs education programmes, and an academy for applied arts and sciences. In 2003, Abouleish won the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize', in recognition of Sekem being the blueprint of the organisation of the 21st century. Abouleish has also received an award as an 'outstanding social entrepreneur' from the Schwab Foundation of the World Economic Forum. Abouleish's objective was to heal Egyptian society from the wounds of the past and to initiate holistic development able to create economic, social and cultural value in a sustainable manner.}, language = {en} } @article{MairWolfSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Wolf, Miriam and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Scaffolding: A Process of Transforming Patterns of Inequality in Small-Scale Societies}, series = {Academy of Management Journal}, volume = {59}, journal = {Academy of Management Journal}, number = {6}, issn = {0001-4273}, doi = {10.5465/amj.2015.0725}, pages = {2021 -- 2044}, abstract = {This study advances research on organizational efforts to tackle multidimensional, complex, and interlinked societal challenges. We examine how social inequality manifests in small-scale societies, and illustrate how it inheres in entrenched patterns of behavior and interaction. Asking how development programs can be organizing tools to transform these patterns of inequality, we use a program sponsored by an Indian non-governmental organization as our empirical window and leverage data that we collected over a decade. We identify "scaffolding" as a process that enables and organizes the transformation of behavior and interaction patterns. Three interrelated mechanisms make the transformation processes adaptive and emerging alternative social orders robust: (1) mobilizing institutional, social organizational, and economic resources; (2) stabilizing new patterns of interaction that reflect an alternative social order; and (3) concealing goals that are neither anticipated nor desired by some groups. Through this analysis, we move beyond conventional thinking on unintended consequences proposed in classic studies on organizations, complement contemporary research about how organizations effect positive social change by pursuing multiple goals, and develop portable insights for organizational efforts in tackling inequality. This study provides a first link between the study of organizational efforts to alleviate social problems and the transformation of social systems.}, language = {en} } @article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Quand le business devient un outil contre la pauvret{\´e}}, series = {Business Digest, French edition}, journal = {Business Digest, French edition}, edition = {193}, abstract = {{\`A} l'heure o{\`u} tout nouveau d{\´e}bouch{\´e} est un enjeu strat{\´e}gique de taille, peut-on ignorer {\`a} la masse de consommateurs des pays du Sud ? Focus r{\´e}alis{\´e} d'apr{\`e}s « Profitable Business Models and Market Creation in the Context of Deep Poverty: A Strategic View », de Christian Seelos et Johanna Mair, Academy of Management Perspectives, novembre 2007, et l'interview d'Iqbal Quadir, fondateur et directeur du Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship (US), f{\´e}vrier 2009.}, language = {fr} } @article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Profitable business models and market creation in the context of deep poverty: A strategic view}, series = {Academy of Management Perspectives}, volume = {21}, journal = {Academy of Management Perspectives}, number = {4}, issn = {1558-9080}, doi = {10.5465/AMP.2007.27895339}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b1570-opus4-21813}, pages = {49 -- 63}, abstract = {The bottom of the pyramid (BOP) in the global distribution of income has been promoted as a significant opportunity for companies to grow profitably. Under the BOP approach, poor people are identified as potential customers who can be served if companies learn to fundamentally rethink their existing strategies and business models. This involves acquiring and building new resources and capabilities and forging a multitude of local partnerships. However, current BOP literature remains relatively silent about how to actually implement such a step into the unknown. We use two BOP cases to illustrate a strategic framework that reduces managerial complexity. In our view, existing capabilities and existing local BOP models can be leveraged to build new markets that include the poor and generate sufficient financial returns for companies to justify investments.}, language = {en} } @incollection{BattilanaButlerKimseyetal., author = {Battilana, Julie and Butler, Brittany and Kimsey, Marissa and Mair, Johanna and Marquis, Christopher and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Problem, person, and pathway: A framework for social innovators}, series = {Handbook of Inclusive Innovation}, booktitle = {Handbook of Inclusive Innovation}, editor = {George, Gerard and Baker, Ted and Tracey, Paul and Joshi, Havovi}, publisher = {Edward Elgar Publishing}, address = {Cheltenham}, isbn = {9781786436009}, doi = {10.4337/9781786436016}, publisher = {Hertie School}, pages = {61 -- 74}, language = {en} } @article{MairSeelos, author = {Mair, Johanna and Seelos, Christian}, title = {Organizations, Social Problems, and System Change: Invigorating the Third Mandate of Organizational Research}, series = {Organization Theory}, volume = {2}, journal = {Organization Theory}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1177/26317877211054858}, pages = {1 -- 22}, abstract = {Organizations across sectors appear to be shifting their ambitions from solving social problems to changing entire social systems. This phenomenon offers a timely opportunity to revisit what came to be known as the third mandate of organizational theory. In this paper we interrogate how organizational scholarship can productively explore and theorize the relationship between organizations and social systems in organized system change - an effort by organizations to alter the conditions that generate the characteristics of social problems and their dynamics of change. As a basis for theorizing organized system change, we develop an analytical scaffold that helps researchers to attend to fundamental aspects of the phenomenon and to achieve parsimony without blanking out complexity. Grounded in realist metatheory and principles, the scaffold reduces ambiguity, provides a backbone for empirical analysis, and favours mechanism-based explanation. We suggest that generating theoretically interesting and practically adequate knowledge on organized system change requires attention to three system realms: First, the subjectively constructed problem realm of systems concerned with processes of evaluating and problematizing situations. Second, the objectively constituted situational realm that attends to factual characteristics of situations and their dynamics of change. And third, the realm of causality understood as the mechanisms that generate both the objective characteristics of situations and the subjective criteria by which situations are evaluated as problems. In concluding, we reflect on the topics of boundaries and power as two promising areas for theorizing organized system change.}, language = {en} }