Strategizing on behalf of social enterprises: the case of the Metropolitan Economic Development Association and Catalyst

This article adds to the literature on social enterprise by drawing on the strategy-as-practice tradition of strategy research. There, strategy is seen as something an organization does, not as something that it has. Little in the public and non-profit literature at present focuses on exactly what strategizing is, let alone how it relates to social enterprise. A framework for understanding strategizing is illustrated with case examples. Conclusions from this attempt at theory-building include: strategizing involves an interconnected ensemble of strategic thinking, acting, and learning activities; strategizing ultimately involves group effort; and changing an organizational ecosystem is very hard indeed.