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Over the past decade, the proliferation of entrepreneurial ventures and small firms with sustainable business models have pushed the sustainability agenda in the fashion industry. Despite prominent success stories, these companies often encounter significant operative challenges that hinder growth or even cause business failure. This paper adopts a qualitative research design and uses data gathered during 18 expert interviews with entrepreneurs and executive managers of 18 firms from 13 countries to identify and explore the dominant challenges that micro- and small-sized sustainable fashion companies struggle with. The results indicate that communicating with consumers is perceived as surprisingly difficult, especially because sustainable brands need to justify higher prices and explain the added benefits of their products. Second, resource constraints lead to operative friction and overburdening of the decision makers and their small management teams. Third, sustainable sourcing and production processes are economically difficult in an industry that continues to occupy a mass and low-cost logic. Against the background of these insights, a range of managerial recommendations are developed and contextualized in the framework of the Business Model Canvas. This novel approach makes the suggestions which are rooted in the resource-based view actionable and supports sustainable businesses to better manage their operations and achieve growth. For example, collaborative approaches with different stakeholders may mitigate constraints across all three identified problem areas.
Sustainable Digital Entrepreneurship : Examining IT4Sustainability as Business Development Path
(2022)
There is an increasing interest within the field of Information Systems as well as political agendas to identify the potential of digital technologies to promote sustainable development. Nonetheless, sustainable entrepreneurship and digital entrepreneurship are widely treated separately within the literature, suggesting that there is little understanding of how entrepreneurs could employ digital technologies to promote sustainable development. Based on an empirical, qualitative research approach, relying on Grounded Theory methodology, this paper identifies characteristics of sustainable digital entrepreneurs. An investigation of the manifestations of the sustainable digital orientation reveals a rather diffuse understanding of the relation and potential synergy effects. In response to this gap, the paper presents examples on how sustainable digital entrepreneurs employ digital and disruptive technologies to tackle sustainability challenges (IT4Sustainability development path), including information and communication technology, such as digital platforms, artificial intelligence, or drone technology. The presented approaches range from second-mover approaches associated with low digital maturity limited to the business level to the development of new business models facilitating the sustainable transition of whole sectors. These insights are summarized in an IT4Sustainability maturity model, which presents different starting points for entrepreneurs. Relevant theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed, especially concerning the education on IT4Sustainability, including Corporate Digital Responsibility.
Sustainable Brand Washing
(2023)
Studien zeigen, dass die Kommunikation von Unternehmen noch immer nachhaltige Markenversprechen gegenüber den Verbraucher:innen beinhaltet, die einer Überprüfung jedoch oft nicht standhalten. Das europäische Verbraucherschutz-Netzwerk CPC (Consumer Protection Cooperation Network) hat dazu Angaben zur Nachhaltigkeit von Produkten oder Dienstleistungen auf Webseiten in Europa überprüft. Hierbei wurden von den EU-Mitgliedstaaten 344 Aussagen aus unterschiedlichen Branchen (z. B. Kleidung, Kosmetik, Lebensmittel, Haushaltsgeräte und Reisedienstleistungen) dahingehend überprüft, ob sie übertriebene, nicht korrekte oder irreführende Angaben mit Blick auf das EU-Verbraucherschutzrecht tätigen. In 42 % der Fälle wurden vage und/oder irreführende Aussagen zur Nachhaltigkeit identifiziert. Besonders häufig wurden Aussagen wie „umweltfreundlich“ oder „nachhaltig“ verwendet. Auf Basis einer Literaturanalyse (1986–2022) geht der vorliegende Beitrag der Frage nach, welche Auswirkungen dieses Verhalten auf die Marke, den Markt und die Gesellschaft im Allgemeinen hat. Ziel ist es, Ansatzpunkte aufzuzeigen, wie sich mittel- bis langfristig irreführende, nachhaltige Markenkommunikation vermeiden lässt. Im Ergebnis wird der Begriff Sustainable Brand Washing (SBW) als Teil der Markenidentität erstmalig systematisch beschrieben und abgegrenzt. Zu den diskutierten Vermeidungsansätzen des SBW zählen z. B. eine strengere Auslegung des UWG (Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb), erweiterte Regularien des Deutschen Werberates oder die Integration unterschiedlicher Stakeholder in die Prozesse der Markenplanung.
The paper presents and analyses the structure and consequences of limits to growth for the global economy. Apart from the famous report for the Club of Rome, a wide range of related literature, which all caution against the idea of unrestricted growth, is also covered. In presenting side tracks in economics, major differences towards standard economic reasoning are highlighted; these are particularly centred on the concepts of technology, sustainability, and resources. One of the central conclusions is that technological progress alone cannot be the knight in shining armour to save the day amid increasing stress on the sides of sources and sinks of the global system. Further, oil production, consumption, and reserve patterns are discussed, emphasising that a continuous underestimation of the challenges ahead would be distressing. Finally, the development of non-advanced countries is hindered, as the diminishing availability of oil reserves could prove as a significant constraint.