Between the instrumental and the substantive: Paradoxes of a “common” project

The aim of the present study is to investigate the paradoxes concerning the construction ofa social development project run by an NGO and a company in the recycling sector. Thecase study of the Southern Development Project is herein assessed. Data were collectedthrough semi-structured interviews and treated through content analysis. Based on theresults, the company did not fail to meet its commercial requirements, even when it soughtsome social impact; the NGO, in its turn, pursued social ambitions, while seeking financialsupport. The paradox emerged from the social-economic relationship, since organizationalactors find mismatches and dilemma when they struggle to reconcile CSA’s ethical to thebusiness case