Unpacking microlevel social-purpose organisation in a less affluent economy: The cases of type 2 social business

Abstract The objectives of the study are to analyze micro Type II Social Business SPOs’ pre-venture and post-venture experiences, and to demonstrate how they contribute to capturing value while simultaneously pursue two goals, i.e. to uplift the underprivileged and, at the same time, grow into self-sustaining businesses. The research also examines value creation through the focus of their goals on beneficiaries/investors and customers through high and low engagement. The study engages a four-year-long ethnographic approach and conducts in-depth interviews with 28 micro Type II Social Business SPOs in Bangladesh. By exploring the pre-venture stage, the findings illustrate how their drive, obstacles, skill development and gaining of self-dependence motivate social entrepreneurs to leverage their SPO ventures within this context. The post-venture stage identifies four types of business models (non-traditional non-profit, holistic social business, subsistence, and traditional small business), and addresses how Type II Social Business SPOs shape business model value creation.