Technology and Social Impact: the influence of ICTs on hybrid organizations

Hybrid organizations have gained prominence for combining social impact with financial viability. However, reconciling these two missions is a constant challenge. Thus, ICTs have emerged as facilitators of this balance, offering opportunities to optimize processes and increase impact. A recent study by Hélida Norato, PhD from FGV EAESP, in partnership with Marlei Pozzebon, a researcher at the same institution, published in the journal Information Technology & People, explores how ICTs can be used strategically by hybrid organizations to achieve this balance.

The research used the affordances theory and a qualitative approach to analysis. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants from the Brazilian socio-environmental impact business ecosystem, including entrepreneurs, accelerators, foundations and experts.

What is affordance?

Affordance is a concept that describes the possibilities of action offered by an object or environment to an individual. In the context of organizations and technology, affordance refers to the ability of certain technological resources (systems, digital platforms or applications) to enable and facilitate specific actions. In other words, it is the relationship between the potential offered by a technology and the way in which organizational actors perceive and use these resources. In Marlei Pozzebon and Hélida Norato's study, affordance is related to the role of ICTs in mediating the challenges faced by hybrid organizations, especially in balancing social mission and financial logic, introducing the innovative concept of reconciliation affordance.

Results: What affordances do hybrid organizations use to improve their dual mission?

The research revealed three main affordances that arise from the interaction between organizational actors and ICT artifacts, such as digital platforms, mobile applications and enterprise systems.

Structuring resources and networks: ICTs make it possible to integrate planning and automate information flows. Therefore, adopting enterprise systems favors strategic coordination, resource sharing and active stakeholder engagement, positively impacting social and financial objectives.

Boosting replications and balancing resources: the flexibility and ability to scale processes facilitated by ICTs help to collect financial resources and customize actions, thus maximizing impact and profitability.

Pluralizing social impact: through digital platforms and mobile applications, ICTs enable co-creation, the expansion of networks and the attraction of new audiences, extending the reach of social impact.

Innovative Concept: Affordance of Conciliation

The study's main contribution was the introduction of the concept of reconciliation affordance, defined as the ability of ICTs to act as a mediator that minimizes the asymmetries between market and social welfare logics. Therefore, this concept proposes that ICTs reduce the organizational effort to balance the dual mission, facilitating adaptation and consistency between different objectives.

Finally, the study shows that ICTs play an essential role in helping hybrid organizations overcome challenges and optimize their resources. The affordance of conciliation offers an innovative model for exploiting the potential of ICTs. This promotes coordinated actions and facilitates strategies focused on social impact and financial performance. However, it is important to always keep a critical eye on the influence of ICTs in different organizational contexts, since their impacts are often different from those expected.

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