Social bricoleur entrepreneurs – exploring the case of John Hall and his White Rose Boxing Club

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to explore the human condition of social bricoleur entrepreneurs and the role they perform in their contexts. The result of a lifetime performing such a role reveals the importance of various forms of bricolage as a fundamental activity for the social enterprise’s survival. This paper extends social bricoleur entrepreneur theory. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted an inductive single ethnographic retrospective constructivist case study approach underpinned by a pragmatic philosophy. It used a combination of data collection techniques, such as interviews, observations and documents, and adopted a plurality of approaches extracted from a range of qualitative schools of thought. The data were analysed using qualitative coding, which then led to theorisation. Findings The findings present the two main roles of John Hall, a social entrepreneur bricoleur behind an amateur boxing club. His role as a surrogate father to the boxers and as an entrepreneur led to significant contributions to the White Rose Boxing Club in the UK. Both of these roles were motivated by the longstanding objective of the club since the 1940s to create champions (also known as “pugilistic capital”) and to create good citizens within the local community (capturing the generativity of the club). For Hall, a lifetime of time and energy enabled him to hone his ability to perform various forms of bricolage (entrepreneurial, network and social). Research limitations/implications This research is limited by its small sample; however, the insights can be used for future work. Studies can take a broader view of the role of social bricoleur entrepreneurs in amateur sports clubs, who strive to achieve social positives while maintaining the economic demands of their social enterprises. Practical implications This case can be used as evidence to further current policy efforts to provide social bricoleurs with the financial capital, time and skills that can have a positive impact in local communities. Firstly, financial and human resources can be made available to social bricoleur entrepreneurs who can demonstrate their commitment. Secondly, time can be made available to social bricoleurs who have full-time jobs alongside their enterprises by compensating their employers with an amount reflecting the time they spend on their social enterprises. Social implications Local sports organisations are increasingly seen as an antidote to public concern regarding the well-being and development of the next generation. Specifically, in the amateur boxing community, it is widely known that clubs create positive social outcomes, such as improved confidence, self-esteem and health, in the next generation and produce positive outcomes for deprived societies, such as reduced crime and the increased performance of students in school. This study can be used to strengthen the rationale for economically supporting amateur boxing clubs. Hall’s story demonstrates the power of bricolage in an interesting context. It can be used as an example for other social entrepreneurs and for those interested in the power of sport to transform lives. Originality/value This study is novel for two reasons. Firstly, it uses a qualitative approach on a revelatory case, thereby delivering unique meaningful insights into a context that is underutilised in social entrepreneurship – that of research on the impact of amateur sports clubs. Secondly, it sheds light on the human condition of social bricoleur entrepreneurs and the different forms of bricolage they use. This deepens the understanding of the concept of the social bricoleur, reshaping and refining existing understanding.