Knowledge-based societies are boosting interconnectivity and interdependence, generating an environment characterized by the existence of multiple relationships in which the boundaries between the traditional sectors (for-profit, public, and nonprofit or third sector) are blurred, with ‘hybridity’ becoming a salient consequence. Our research focuses on one particular typology of a hybrid organization, the social enterprise, defined as a firm whose purpose is to achieve a social mission through the use of market mechanisms. The study attempts to analyze whether the development of partnerships between these companies and nonprofits encourages social innovations. Grounded on quantitative-based research with 200 Spanish social enterprises, the results confirm that the presence of social innovations in social enterprises is enhanced when there are also close partnerships embedded within the core goals and activities of the social enterprise. Moreover, insights point to the relevance of these partnerships in fostering the long-term sustainability and transformational impact of the innovation, therefore countervailing the short-term orientation of firms, and balancing the different institutional logics derived from the dual value focus of social enterprises (social versus economic value).

以知识为基础的社会正在促进互联互通和相互依存，创造了一个以存在多种关系为特征的环境，其中传统部门（营利性、公共性和非营利性或第三部门）之间的界限变得模糊，“混合”成为一种突出的后果。我们的研究侧重于混合组织的一种特定类型，即社会企业，其定义为旨在通过使用市场机制实现社会使命的公司。该研究试图分析这些公司与非营利组织之间合作伙伴关系的发展是否会鼓励社会创新。基于对 200 家西班牙社会企业的定量研究，结果证实，当社会企业的核心目标和活动中也嵌入了密切的伙伴关系时，社会企业中社会创新的存在就会得到加强。此外，见解指出这些伙伴关系在促进创新的长期可持续性和转型影响方面具有相关性，因此抵消了公司的短期导向，并平衡了源自社会企业双重价值焦点的不同制度逻辑（社会价值与经济价值）。