Assembling social enterprise: how and why social movements become part of the state apparatus

Abstract

This article explores why revolutionary social movements eventually become part of the state apparatus. Centring upon the case of the historical evolution of Scotland’s social enterprise ecosystem using the lens of assemblage thinking, we reframe the ecosystem as a shifting configuration of actors, values, organizations, and policies shaping desire for social change. We demonstrate how heterogeneous coalitions redefine what counts as social enterprise, with consequences for public value. The article advances public management scholarship by problematizing a structural tension between the values of social movements: in our case autonomy and collective self-help and democratic commitments to openness and inclusivity.