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Unveiling the mission statements in social enterprises: a comparative content analysis of US- vs. Spanish-based organizations

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  • Marta Mas-Machuca
  • Maria Ballesteros-Sola
  • Adrián Guerrero

Abstract

Mission statements are widely considered an effective strategic and communication tool in all types of organization. Specifically, mission statements are also relevant in social enterprises. Our study examines and describes the mission statements in a sample of 117 Spanish social enterprises and compares them with previous research on US-based social enterprises’ mission statements. A manual content analysis of those mission statements was independently performed by three researchers. A two-sample t-test was performed to test the difference between these two independent US-based and Spanish samples. Our findings suggest that the degree of development of Spanish social enterprises’ mission statements is still in an embryonic state. Additionally, results show that there are significant differences between the components of the social enterprises’ mission statements in Spain and the USA. Mission statements in Spain tend to emphasize customers, products, services and the company philosophy. This study has implications for practitioners, as it highlights the need to elevate the quality of Spanish social enterprises’ mission statements, as well as for researchers, as we uncover future research opportunities that are context specific.

Suggested Citation

  • Marta Mas-Machuca & Maria Ballesteros-Sola & Adrián Guerrero, 2017. "Unveiling the mission statements in social enterprises: a comparative content analysis of US- vs. Spanish-based organizations," Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 186-200, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jsocen:v:8:y:2017:i:2:p:186-200
    DOI: 10.1080/19420676.2017.1371629
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Reeti Kulshrestha & Arunaditya Sahay & Subhanjan Sengupta, 2022. "Constituents and Drivers of Mission Engagement for Social Enterprise Sustainability: A Systematic Review," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 31(1), pages 90-120, March.
    2. Giorgio Mion & Cristian Rolando Loza Adaui & Angelo Bonfanti, 2021. "Characterizing the mission statements of benefit corporations: Empirical evidence from Italy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 2160-2172, May.
    3. Pierina Moreno Chacón & Rejina M. Selvam & Frederic Marimon, 2021. "On the Convergence of Collaborative and Social Economy: A Quality Model for the Combined Effects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    4. Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent & Marta Mas-Machuca & Patricia Guix, 2021. "Impact of mission statement components on social enterprises’ performance," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 705-724, April.

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