Navigating stigma while balancing between the social and the commercial: An account of Clarity & Co

Abstract

This study focuses on Clarity & Co., one of the UK’s oldest social enterprises (SEs), and offers insights into social entrepreneurship through historically analysing its 166-year effort in de-stigmatisation (1854–2020). Specifically, the study examines social entrepreneurship as a dynamic process through which SEs manage stigma over time to pursue both their social mission and economic self-sufficiency. Our findings contribute to social entrepreneurship theory by reframing de-stigmatisation as a strategic organisational resource that fundamentally shapes how SEs navigate their dual social and commercial objectives. We also demonstrate that stigma in SEs is not merely a barrier to overcome but can also be strategically harnessed as a source of organisational strength and differentiation. Importantly, our historical perspective advances the understanding of social entrepreneurship by highlighting that SEs must confront stigma as a systemic phenomenon, requiring the co-creation of participatory architectures and the mobilisation of diverse social actors for broader and sustained transformation.