Digital technologies, social entrepreneurship and resilience during crisis in developing countries: evidence from Nigeria

Nakpodia, Franklin; Ashiru, Folajimi; You, Jacqueline Jing; Oni, Oluwasola

Abstract

Purpose: Social entrepreneurship (SE) is a complex phenomenon designed to resolve numerous societal challenges while remaining economically viable. However, how social entrepreneurs in developing countries have deployed digital technologies to address communal challenges during the Covid-19 crisis is largely undocumented. This research examines social entrepreneurs' adoption of digital technologies, the multi-level organisational conditions, and associated innovative outcomes of engaging digital technologies. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the organisational resilience theoretical framework, this research employs a qualitative methodology, comprising 38 semi-structured interviews with Nigerian SE firms, to investigate social entrepreneurs' engagement with digital technologies. Findings: Our findings reveal 19 pathways through which digital technologies enabled organisational resilience outcomes by Nigerian SE firms during the Covid-19 pandemic. This allows us to show, via a 3x3 matrix, how social entrepreneurs deploy digital technologies to build proximate, dynamic, and continuous resilience in a weak institutional context. Originality: Our findings enable us to advance the SE - digital technologies - resilience scholarship in a developing economy.

Citation

Nakpodia, F., Ashiru, F., You, J. J., & Oni, O. (online). Digital technologies, social entrepreneurship and resilience during crisis in developing countries: evidence from Nigeria. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 30, 342-368. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr-01-2023-0012

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 5, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 26, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Jul 4, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 6, 2023
• Journal: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research
• Print ISSN: 1355-2554
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Pages: 342-368
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr-01-2023-0012
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1170459