Collaborations for Social Value Creation : MNCs’ involvement in collaborations with social enterprises

Arising social challenges ask for solutions that are too complex to be solved by one single actor. Social collaborations between MNCs and SEs provide a promising approach for value creation, which has not been acknowledged in previous research. By adopting a qualitative research design, this study follows the methodological tradition of using multiple case studies to investigate collaborations. Interviews with six SEs that collaborate with MNCs are used to identify the MNCs’ level of involvement and the value created for the SE on an organizational level. This study is based on a framework describing NPO - business collaborations adapted to the context of MNC-SE collaboration, leading to the development of a new stage of involvement: the supportive stage, which replaces the “philanthropic stage”. A strategic development of the studied collaborations over time is discovered and two different roles of the MNC in creating social value in collaborations with SEs are identified: MNCs as the SEs’ clients or MNCs as the SEs’ supporter. Value creation for the SEs on an organizational level mainly occurs in form of visibility, public awareness and business expertise that enable them to scale their social impact.