The Ecosystem of Scaling Social Impact: A New Theoretical Framework and Two Case Studies

• In Event: 3483 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 05. Organizations: Structure and Practice

Abstract

How to scale social impact without maximizing organizational growth? This article provides a systematic review on existing research on scaling social impact, and proposes a new theoretical framework to understand the system of scaling impact beyond organizational growth. By searching scale-related keywords in Google Scholar and Google Book, we have identified the top 100 academic literature based on the citations. We collected and analyzed the literature, built a conceptual framework of scaling, and categorized multiple theories and models of scaling into five groups of theoretical frameworks (supply-demand model, three-strategy model, spiral model, multi-factor model, and pathway model). Each model has overlooked one or several enabling factors of scaling. By synthesizing existing research, we propose a new theoretical framework, namely “a system model of scaling”, which identified six key factors - financing, organization, technology and data, strategies of scaling, government policy, and institutional infrastructure - that enable scaling impact beyond organizations. Two understudied factors, government policy and institutional infrastructure, are highlighted in this model. This framework can be tested empirically and employed to analyze the ecosystem of scaling social impact.

Author

• Jun Han, Georgetown University