The impact of technologies on society through NPO-social enterprise value co-creation

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the impact of technologies on the welfare of society through the value co-creation processes that Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) carry out with social enterprises. Based on the literature on Cross-Sector Social Interactions, the research was aimed at evaluating to what extent certain technological variables (innovation orientation, omnichannel, and ICTs) condition the fact that an NPO, a key agent of social innovation, cocreates (programmes, projects, activities or services) with a social enterprise to improve the social impact and the achievement of the organizational mission of both entities in favour of society. To this end, a research model was developed and its main hypotheses tested with data collected from a sample of Spanish 104 NPOs that collaborate, to a greater or lesser extent, with social enterprises. The study employs partial least squares structural equation modelling in SmartPLS. The article is framed within the most current lines of research on the identification of resources, in this case technological, conditioning the impact of NPOs on the welfare of society. In this sense, this research concludes that the development of a real innovative culture by NPOs and the general use of ICTs are key factors, through the full implementation of an omnichannel strategy, in driving the development of co-creation processes that have a strong transformative impact on the well-being of society.