LEADERSHIP IN SOCIAL ENTERPRISES: DO WE REALLY KNOW ?

Le Thai Phong - Benedicta Lusk - Tran Mai Anh

Abstract

Abstract
The aim of this research is to discover leadership styles in some social enterprises and differentiate them from those of selected for-profit companies. Qualitative case study method is used through in-depth interview with a leader and a follower from 04 companies, including 02 social enterprises and 02 for-profit ones. The findings of the study show that 02 selected social enterprises have various things in common which do not exist in 02 for-profit companies including (i) many traits of the leaders such as responsibility, determination, self-confidence, high specialized knowledge and friendliness; (ii) the Team Management Leadership style and Theory Y style in terms of Behavioral theory; and (iii) the same position in the middle of transformational and transactional level from this perspective. This study offers an interesting view on leadership, supplementing the shortage in current literature on social enterprises, and provides basis and suggestions for further investigations.
Key words: leadership, social enterprises, leadership style, qualitative research.
Date of submission: 6 Jun 2014; Date of Revision: 13 Sep 2014