Resilience behaviors as mechanisms for scaling impact in social enterprises

Purpose This study examines how social enterprises build organizational resilience during scaling processes, extending the Nonprofit Resiliency Framework beyond crisis contexts to scaling scenarios. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research based on 21 in-depth interviews with Spanish social enterprises. Systematic thematic analysis of 489 pages of transcripts using hybrid inductive-deductive coding identifies resilience behaviors enabling sustainable scaling while preserving social mission. Findings Analysis reveals 36 resilience behaviors across eight tactical themes. Beyond the five original Nonprofit Resiliency Framework themes, three additional dimensions emerge: partnership-driven innovation (18.85%), culture and mission (15.26%), and governance model (9.01%), collectively representing 43.12% of all resilience behaviors. Strategic collaborative networks constitute the single most referenced behavior (9.88%). Social enterprises demonstrate sophisticated financial management practices including conservative debt approaches, values-based financing through ethical banking, internal cross-subsidization systems, and strategic leveraging of public contracts. Originality/value Extends resilience theory in growing contexts; demonstrating that sustainable scaling requires distinctive capabilities beyond survival. Develops expanded framework incorporating partnership-driven innovation, culture and mission, and governance as core dimensions. Enriches geographic diversity through rigorous Spanish case examination, demonstrating how to respond to the context with appropriate organizational management processes supports resilience-scaling dynamics.