Many a Slip: the Challenge of Impact as Boundary Object in Social Finance

  • 1 January 2020
  • Case Study
  • Publisher : Social Finance, Impact Investing, and the Financialisation of the Public Interest
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This chapter explores the concept of “impact” as a boundary object within social finance, particularly in impact investing. It examines how impact, despite its central role, often presents challenges due to varying interpretations and measurement approaches across different stakeholders. The author discusses “judgement devices” and “boundary work” to understand how this ambiguous concept is managed and negotiated among diverse actors in the United States’ social finance ecosystem, often leading to complexities in achieving shared understanding and accountability.

Author(s) :

Emily Barman

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Innovative Finance/ Blended Finance

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