Social enterprises in electronic markets: web localization or standardization

The question of how social enterprises (SEs)—organizations that work to solve social issues through innovative ideas and strategies—utilize the web to internationalize has received little attention in electronic business literature. We address this issue by examining whether SEs pursue a web globali...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electronic markets 2021-03, Vol.31 (1), p.215-231
Main Authors: Benmamoun, Mamoun, Alhor, Hadi, Ascencio, Christine, Sim, Woojong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brands
Business and Management
Companies
Content analysis
Donors
Donors (electronic)
e-Commerce/e-business
Electronic commerce
Empirical analysis
Entrepreneurship
Globalization
IT in Business
Legitimacy
Localization
Markets
Private sector
Purchase intention
Research Paper
Social entrepreneurship
Social factors
Social issues
Standardization
Trade
Uniqueness
Volunteers
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Summary:The question of how social enterprises (SEs)—organizations that work to solve social issues through innovative ideas and strategies—utilize the web to internationalize has received little attention in electronic business literature. We address this issue by examining whether SEs pursue a web globalization strategy that is standardized across national markets or localized and culturally customized to individual locales. Accepted knowledge about e-commerce corporations predicts that these firms would be better off with web localization. However, an investigation using content analysis and two case studies complemented with face-to-face and digital interviews reveals that SEs differ inherently from for-profit businesses in web globalization. Specifically, this paper shows that SEs adopt a web strategy high on standardization to mobilize, educate, advocate, and recruit would-be donors, influencers, and volunteers. Such a strategy allows SEs to build legitimacy and reinforce their global brand. Our empirical findings show the uniqueness of SEs’ digital context from profit-oriented e-commerce corporations and the need for a suitable theoretical framework.
ISSN:1019-6781
1422-8890
DOI:10.1007/s12525-020-00430-7