Hybrid organisations and regional development: implementing change agency through place-based leadership

This study theorises hybrid organisations as change agents employing place-based leadership to promote regional development. By integrating the concepts of the trinity of change agency and agency–structure duality, we triangulate qualitative evidence on 38 change actions implemented by four hybrid organisations. We conceptualise three distinct transformative strategies contributing to regional development: guiding, realising and orchestrating change. This research bridges the literature on agency and hybrid organisations, offering a deeper understanding of how emerging organisational forms can drive place-based initiatives that transform social structures and address contemporary challenges.