Balancing growth and impact

This study examines how market-oriented sustainable enterprises in Germany manage growth while maintaining their social and ecological missions. It focuses on the tensions among economic scaling, competitive market pressures, and the risk of mission drift in hybrid organizations. The central research question explores how companies with social and/or ecological goals shape their growth strategies while balancing economic success and impact-oriented objectives. Methodologically, the research follows a qualitative design based on five semi-structured expert interviews with representatives of sustainability-oriented companies.

Using qualitative content analysis according to Kuckartz, the empirical material was systematically evaluated. Findings show that the interviewed companies do not regard growth as an end, but primarily as a means of scaling impact. At the same time, growth is deliberately moderated when rapid expansion threatens ecological transparency, organizational values, or the quality of social impact. Financial independence, participatory governance structures, dual performance indicators, and mission-based decision-making emerge as key mechanisms for safeguarding organizational purpose. The results further indicate that conflicts between profitability and impact cannot be fully resolved but must be continuously managed as persistent organizational tensions. By linking sustainability, innovation, and organizational governance, the study contributes to a better understanding of how hybrid enterprises can combine economic viability with long-term social and ecological transformation in Europe.