How B Corps Are Hybrid? Unpacking Hybridity in Social Enterprises

Abstract

Researchers have extensively studied the hybrid condition of organizations that simultaneously pursue social and economic goals. Yet, hybridity manifests itself in multiple ways. This paper aims to identify the different facets of the hybrid condition, conducting an empirical study in a specific setting of hybrid organizations: the B corporations (i.e., for‐profit organizations awarded with a prosocial certification). We propose and test a multifactor scale measuring how hybridity (i) occurs, (ii) influences firms' organizational processes, and (iii) shapes firms' social impact thesis. We test the scale on a sample of 101 Italian B Corp firms, identifying four factors that determine the hybrid nature of B Corps and characterizing two ideal types of B Corps. We contribute to the literature on social entrepreneurship and hybrid organizations by capturing the nuances of B Corps' hybridity.