How can we support SMEs on their sustainability journey? Addressing the gaps in research and practice
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Autor:in (Körperschaft)
Publikationsdatum
2025
Typ der Arbeit
Studiengang
Sammlung
Typ
04B - Beitrag Konferenzschrift
Herausgeber:innen
Herausgeber:in (Körperschaft)
Betreuer:in
Übergeordnetes Werk
Conference proceedings. 10th International conference on new business models NBM 2025
Themenheft
DOI der Originalpublikation
Reihe / Serie
Reihennummer
Jahrgang / Band
Ausgabe / Nummer
Seiten / Dauer
Patentnummer
Verlag / Herausgebende Institution
Háskóli Íslands
Verlagsort / Veranstaltungsort
Reykjavik
Auflage
Version
Programmiersprache
Abtretungsempfänger:in
Praxispartner:in/Auftraggeber:in
Zusammenfassung
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in the transition toward sustainable business practices. However, they face significant barriers, including financial constraints, limited internal expertise, and fragmented regulatory support. Despite the increasing focus on corporate sustainability, a significant gap remains in the literature regarding structured support mechanisms for SMEs in their sustainability transitions. Existing research often fails to account for the highly context-dependent challenges SMEs face. This study addresses this gap by examining the key barriers and enablers of SME sustainability and proposing a concrete methodological approach to co-develop tailored support mechanisms in collaboration with stakeholders.
Through a systematic literature review, this study identifies financial and regulatory incentives, capacity-building initiatives, and multi-stakeholder collaboration as critical enablers of SME sustainability. Additionally, it highlights the shortcomings of current research, which largely relies on cross-sectional analyses and lacks iterative, practice-oriented methodologies. By integrating theoretical insights with real-world applications, this study contributes to both academic discourse and practical sustainability strategies for SMEs. By leveraging Action Research, this study advocates for an adaptive, participatory approach that enables SMEs to navigate sustainability transitions through continuous feedback loops and stakeholder engagement. The findings emphasize the need for long-term, context-specific interventions and call for further research into collaborative support mechanisms that align with SMEs’ unique operational realities. Ultimately, this study provides a structured pathway for advancing SME sustainability while addressing a critical methodological gap in existing literature.
Schlagwörter
Fachgebiet (DDC)
Veranstaltung
10th new business models conference 2025
Startdatum der Ausstellung
Enddatum der Ausstellung
Startdatum der Konferenz
25.06.2025
Enddatum der Konferenz
26.06.2025
Datum der letzten Prüfung
ISBN
978-9935-9789-1-2
ISSN
Sprache
Englisch
Während FHNW Zugehörigkeit erstellt
Ja
Zukunftsfelder FHNW
Publikationsstatus
Veröffentlicht
Begutachtung
Peer-Review des Abstracts
Open Access-Status
Closed
Lizenz
Zitation
Pavlova, P., Schmid, R., Besançon, E., & Daub, C.-H. (2025). How can we support SMEs on their sustainability journey? Addressing the gaps in research and practice. In L. Jóhannsdóttir, Þ. S. Þórisdóttir, & A. Akmal (Eds.), Conference proceedings. 10th International conference on new business models NBM 2025. Háskóli Íslands. https://doi.org/10.33112/TYEU6589