The Role of B Corps in the Mexican Economic System: An Exploratory Study

Denise Díaz de León, Igor Rivera (), Federica Bandini and María del Rosario Pérez-Salazar
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Denise Díaz de León: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Ciencias Sociales y, Administrativas (UPIICSA), Ciudad de México 08400, Mexico
Igor Rivera: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Ciencias Sociales y, Administrativas (UPIICSA), Ciudad de México 08400, Mexico
Federica Bandini: Dipartimento di Scienze Aziendali, University of Bologna, 47100 Forlì, Italy
María del Rosario Pérez-Salazar: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Ciencias Sociales y, Administrativas (UPIICSA), Ciudad de México 08400, Mexico

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-30

Abstract: The B Corp certification is a voluntary designation granted by B Lab. This nonprofit organization evaluates two main aspects of a company’s operations: the positive impact generated by its daily activities and how its business model reflects unique practices that yield positive outcomes for its stakeholders. Sistema B is at the forefront of the B movement in Latin America and the Caribbean, working to develop an ecosystem that enables B Corps to harness market forces to address social and environmental challenges. However, the B Corp movement in this region faces significant challenges, primarily due to a lack of government support, including tax benefits and legal recognition. This study aims to advance the existing literature on B Corps by examining sustainability-oriented hybrid organizations that strive to reconcile profit generation with social impact within the context of Mexico’s socioeconomic landscape. Additionally, it seeks to enhance the understanding of how ventures navigate trade-offs between financial and social objectives, and to identify factors that can help address these challenges. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with Mexican B Corps to explore the entrepreneurial motivations related to social objectives, the B Corp movement, and the internal organizational dynamics of balancing social and economic logics. We discuss how tensions arise and are managed, as well as the issues regarding regulatory tensions in Mexico and the challenges that stem from organizational complexities. Future research directions are also outlined.

Keywords: B Corps; B Corp certification; hybrid organization; exploratory study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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