Hybrid partnerships in the system of International Development Cooperation

The International Development Cooperation system has recently been enriched by opening the possibility for for-profit enterprises to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals through inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial projects in the target countries of cooperation. However, the entrepreneurial system does not yet seem ready to take up the organizational challenges implicit in the "Profit for Development" paradigm: the creation of inclusive businesses and/or hybrid organizations to create shared value. Through the analysis of the projects presented to the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, the article highlights the reality, rather distant from the myth. In particular, traditional enterprises still lack the mindset and required competencies to engage and manage hybrid partnerships that put together for-profit and not-forprofit organizations at both national and international levels. This is also testified by the conservative approach in human resources management (HRM) strategies and policies. The paper discusses the empirical results while offering a nove