Institutional Complexity and Social Entrepreneurship: A Fuzzy-Set Approach

This study examines the local institutional complexity of social entrepreneurship. Building on a novel fuzzy-set analysis of 407 social entrepreneurs in the UK, the study identifies five configurations of local institutional forces that collectively explain the confidence of social entrepreneurs in successfully managing their business. The findings demonstrate that local authorities are a dominant condition; yet combinations of other complementary—more and less formalized—local institutions need to be in place to promote the development of social entrepreneurship.