Wensink, Nick (2025) Paradoxical Leadership and Strategic Tensions: A Qualitative Study of Social Enterprise Growth. Master thesis, Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SE).
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Abstract
This study explores how leaders of Dutch social enterprises enact paradoxical leadership and hybrid organising when navigating tensions between social impact and financial sustainability during organisational growth. Addressing a key gap in literature, the research examines how paradoxical tensions are experienced and managed in daily leadership practice as social enterprises scale. Drawing on paradox theory and a qualitative, interpretivist approach, the study is based on in-depth interviews with eight leaders from diverse, growing Dutch social enterprises. Thematic and abductive analysis reveals that tensions between mission and market are not isolated challenges, but persistent and emotionally charged aspects of day-to-day decision-making. Leaders respond to these tensions through acceptance, dynamic sensemaking, pragmatic micro-decisions, and seeking integration where possible. Rather than offering definitive solutions, they normalise paradoxes and foster organisational resilience by embedding reflection and open dialogue in team culture and by contextually adapting strategies throughout the growth process. These findings extend paradox theory by demonstrating that paradoxical leadership in social enterprises is a relational, collective, and context-sensitive practice, particularly salient during phases of organisational growth. Practical implications include the need for leadership development that fosters paradoxical thinking, and for policy reforms that reduce institutional ambiguity. This research advances conceptual and practical understanding of how paradoxical leadership is enacted in the scaling of hybrid organisations, and sets a research agenda for multi-actor and longitudinal studies.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Name supervisor: | Folmer, E.C. |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Jan 2026 14:57 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Jan 2026 14:57 |
| URI: | https://campus-fryslan.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/778 |
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