Abstract Social entrepreneurs globally confront constraints, but those operating in developing countries face a distinct set of complexities. Pakistan, plagued by poverty, unemployment, social inequality, environmental degradation, and human resource underutilization, presents a unique challenge. Despite these hurdles, social entrepreneurs in resource-scarce contexts innovate through social bricolage. Recent literature on social bricolage focuses on developed world contexts, overlooking the acute resource challenges in developing economies. Bridging this research gap, the study offers a reconceptualization of social bricolage within the context of developing economies, illuminating the innovative strategies adopted by Pakistani social enterprises to navigate and respond to deeply rooted socio-economic challenges. Through an in-depth qualitative analysis of 20 social enterprises, this research identifies five context specific constructs – Social mindset, resources at hand, recombination of resources, unconstrained by the limitations, and strategic use of short-term financial resources – each construct is operationalized in ways that challenge and extend traditional understandings of social bricolage. The findings reveal how social entrepreneurs mobilize informal networks, intrinsic capabilities, and local knowledge to overcome institutional voids and foster sustainable development. This study offers a significant theoretical contribution by contextualizing social bricolage within the socio-economic realities of developing countries. The study’s implications inform policy, practice, and future research, highlighting the transformative potential of social bricolage in fostering resilient, prosperous communities in developing economies.
Sharif et al. (Tue,) studied this question.