NPI in China: Organizing for Social Good

NPI is a Shanghai-based social venture that actively promotes social innovation and cultivates social entrepreneurs by granting crucial support to start-up and small- to medium-sized grassroots non-profit and non-governmental organizations. The company was founded in 2006 when the Chinese government had loosened its restrictions on private donations to charitable causes and cautiously welcomed private non-profit organizations to enter the social welfare sector. Its founder’s ability to enlist support not only from national and local government officials but also from foundations and other grassroots not-for-profit organizations has led to its success in the areas of incubation of start-up social enterprises, venture philosophy, resource integration, capacity building, showcasing, outreach and social innovation. However, in 2013, NPI is threatened by a combination of rapid growth, mushrooming projects and limited means to attract and retain professional staff. The founder is faced with devising a three-year strategic transformation of NPI at a critical tipping point for social enterprise in China.

The case is well-suited for strategy and/or entrepreneurship courses and highly recommended for sessions on social enterprise or social innovation, especially in the Chinese context. Students are asked:<br><br><ul><li>To explore the Chinese context and culture for enterprise and entrepreneurship and trace their evolution in China.</li><li>To understand the impact a single organization can have in restructuring context and culture in order to motivate and support social good.</li><li>To introduce market and non-market strategies and to model the growth of social enterprise.</li><li>To explore the intermediation function of social enterprises at the interface between government, business and society.</li></ul>

• Social enterprise
• innovation
• social change
• China