More sustainable future? Understanding the role of digital technology adoption in addressing SEs’ organisational sustainability
Understanding of the link between social enterprises’ (SEs’) organisational sustainability and digital technology adoption is limited though over 50% of SEs in the UK have introduced innovative products and services powered by digital technologies. Further, the extant literature on SEs shows inconsistent findings on the organisational performance impacted by digital technology. Some highlight the beneficial role of technology, while others consider it risky. The ambiguity points out a puzzle: under what contingencies SEs’ organisational sustainability is affected by digital technology adoption? Specifically, considering SEs’ sustainable development is complex due to their hybrid nature, does the hybridity evolve when technology adoption introduces extra complicity? Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of technology adoption on SEs’ organisational sustainability through the lens of hybridity. This investigation will contribute to the SE literature by bridging organisational hybridity and operational technology adoption to extend the knowledge on SEs’ organisational sustainability. The detailed research questions are below:
To what extent are SEs engaging with digital technology, and how does its adoption affect their organisational sustainability? If so, what are the contingencies?
1) To what extent are SEs adopting digital technology?
2) How does digital technology adoption affect SEs’ organisational practices?
3) Do the digital-enabled organisational practices affect SEs’ hybridity, and in what ways and with what consequences?
4) How do the above consequences affect SEs’ organisational sustainability, and how might SEs optimise these effects?
Han-Ju (Emma) Yang
I am Han-Ju (Emma) Yang, a doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh Business School. My current research is focused on the digitalisation of social enterprises (SEs) and the broader voluntary sector.
Specifically, I am interested in how digitalisation may affect SEs’ organisational sustainability and in what ways. By answering these questions, I aim to advance the understanding of digitalisation in facilitating the hybrid nature of SEs.
Before embarking on this academic journey, I worked on digital consulting in KPMG Hong Kong and IBM Taiwan, which nurtured my interest in exploring different types of digitalisation that organisations experienced.