Investigating Management Practices and their Impact on Social Value Creation: A Case Study of Social Enterprises in North East England

The research presented explores links between key quality management practices and social impact creation within small to medium sized social enterprises (SMSEs). In particular, this study investigates workforce management and customer relationship management practices, and their perceived influence on social impact, whilst also considering the influence of external environmental factors. The research adopted a qualitative, single case study design, framing social enterprises in North east England as its unit of analysis. Within which, fourteen distinct social enterprises, and two sector experts represented sub units creating an embedded case study. The research identified three key findings following the template analysis procedure. Firstly, there are perceived links, both implicit, and explicit, between both practices discussed and the ability to provide social impact. Most notably through understanding and being able to respond to customer and stakeholder needs and creating positive working environments which offset resource constraints by increasing motivation. Secondly, the research suggests that where management practices may well be of benefit, such elements are often overshadowed by the availability of funding, especially when SMSEs are beholden to public sector contracts and institutional funders. Finally, the research builds upon current knowledge related to workforce management practices within SMSEs, where pro social motivations appear critical to workforce performance, even in more commercially focussed social enterprises. This research is unique as it begins to build a bridge between social enterprise and quality management discourse, showing the potential importance of practice to performance relationships to social value creation. Furthermore, research on social impact performance is yet to explore the collective importance of internal practices such as those mentioned