The Flows of Social Entrepreneurialism: A Case Study in Organizational Constitution

This study examined the communication-based entrepreneurial practices that constitute social enterprises, often colloquially known as nonprofits, enabling them to come alive, survive, and thrive. Utilizing a case study model and ethnographic data collection, findings are conceptualized through the four flows model of communication constitutes organization theory (CCO). Analysis revealed the presence of three communication-based entrepreneurial practices in the origination phase of the organization under study: (a) sharing the story, (b) creating and naming necessary organizational texts and partnerships, (c) generating bona fides perceptions through early, often incomplete, collective action, with two additional practices discovered in the maintenance and reproduction phases of organizational life, (d) networking for partnerships, and (e) normalizing routine process adherence and adaptation. Implications for social entrepreneurialism and CCO theory are discussed, as well as practical implications for social entrepreneurial leaders.