How to Digitalize Social Enterprises: Evidence from Private Museums in China

A social enterprise may attempt to digitalize its value chain to better fulfil its dual mission; however, the outcomes depend on boundary conditions such as its emphasis on diverse stakeholders, a factor that is rarely examined in the extant literature. Drawing upon stakeholder theory and prior research on digital transformation, this study empirically investigates the strategic fit between stakeholder orientation and value chain digitalization of social enterprises. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and data collected from 103 private museums in China, this study identifies multiple equifinal configurations of stakeholder orientations (including visitor, donor and collaborator orientations) and value chain digitalization for social and economic value creation. This study also proposes a sand cone model for the digital transformation of private museums. It extends the application of stakeholder theory in the social enterprise context by highlighting the heterogeneity in stakeholder orientations and revealing the unique contribution of collaborator orientation to the dual mission. In addition, this study offers practical implications for social entrepreneurs and managers concerning digital transformation and value creation.