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<p>Social entrepreneurs inherently face cognitive dissonance due to the conflicting demands of social mission and commercial logic. While existing research has explored the structural aspects of this hybridity, the emotional dimensions and their impact on strategic decision-making remain underexamined. Grounded in cognitive dissonance theory (CDT), this study employs an in-depth case study to investigate how emotional dilemmas form in the digital age and how they influence strategic choices. Our findings reveal a three-stage cognition-emotion evolution driven by social media, leading to a pragmatic hybrid strategy. We further propose a “cognition-emotion-action” evolutionary model, elucidating the dynamic interplay between entrepreneurial perception, emotional response, and strategic action, amplified by social media’s dual role as both a dissonance amplifier and a behavioural regulator. This study contributes to social entrepreneurship and CDT literature by highlighting the critical role of emotions in navigating hybridity tensions and offers practical guidance for entrepreneurs navigating digital visibility.</p>

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Emotional dilemmas and strategic decisions of social entrepreneurs: the role of social media

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月16日

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  • Lai Wei,
  • Qian Yang,
  • Yi Lu

摘要

Social entrepreneurs inherently face cognitive dissonance due to the conflicting demands of social mission and commercial logic. While existing research has explored the structural aspects of this hybridity, the emotional dimensions and their impact on strategic decision-making remain underexamined. Grounded in cognitive dissonance theory (CDT), this study employs an in-depth case study to investigate how emotional dilemmas form in the digital age and how they influence strategic choices. Our findings reveal a three-stage cognition-emotion evolution driven by social media, leading to a pragmatic hybrid strategy. We further propose a “cognition-emotion-action” evolutionary model, elucidating the dynamic interplay between entrepreneurial perception, emotional response, and strategic action, amplified by social media’s dual role as both a dissonance amplifier and a behavioural regulator. This study contributes to social entrepreneurship and CDT literature by highlighting the critical role of emotions in navigating hybridity tensions and offers practical guidance for entrepreneurs navigating digital visibility.