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Topic: This paper reports on our experiences in running a pilot ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) project that addresses the issue of ‘sustainable growth’ by engaging SME owners and managers in facilitated workshop discussions on this important, yet highly contested topic. If the UK and other countries are to meet their carbon reduction obligations, it is clear that SMEs will need to make significant, and in some cases radical changes, not only in terms of their day-to-day operational practices but also in their longer-term trajectories. However, policymakers face substantial obstacles in communicating with this audience, including: the scale and diversity of the SME population, competing priorities, competitive pressures and resource constraints. This project combines published research on SMEs, their growth processes and environmental behaviours, with specialist expertise in SME engagement and climate change communication.\ud \ud Aim: The multi-partner collaboration is designed to co-create new knowledge on environmentally sustainable growth in SMEs. Its primary aim is to help SMEs and intermediaries gain a better understanding of sustainable growth and its implications for their businesses. The team designed and trialled an innovative approach engagement, based on facilitated workshop discussions, creating an initial evidence base that will be coupled with a set of practical recommendations. The project builds on the academic and external partners’ complementary research insights into SMEs, organisational growth, climate change communication, energy use and associated policy-making. By incorporating the expertise of the practical insights of practitioners and intermediary organisations, the project seeks to initiate a vigorous knowledge exchange about the conceptualisation and practical application of sustainable growth.\ud \ud Methodology: Prior to engaging with SMEs, the team conducted a review of the literature on sustainable growth, which informed the engagement phase of the project. We also conducted a small survey of SME owners and managers and engaged in an informal consultation with stakeholders that informed the design and contents of the pilot workshops. Two half-day workshops were organised with SME owner and manager participants, facilitated by the communications specialists, Climate Outreach, and drawing on previous engagement projects with hard to reach groups. The workshops provided a forum for participants to engage in grounded, ‘peer to peer’ discussion about sustainable growth, expressed in their own terms and drawing on their own values and narratives. Audio recording of the workshops provided the basis for a thematic analysis, which has been combined with the other sources to construct this working paper.\ud \ud Contribution: The project is generating new insights into SME perspectives on sustainable growth that are grounded in relevant theory and evidence, coupled with practical tools that will be of value to practitioners and policymakers. The project team has also developed audio-visual resources, which will be used to raise awareness and help to provide the foundations for future engagement activity. The aim of the next phase of the project is to further refine this approach to engagement in the form of a more fully developed ‘toolkit’ and associated resources.

Environmental degradation is one of the major challenges of this ear. Alongside other actors, SMEs are taking various measures to address this issue. However, their environmental engagement varies across countries and industry sectors. Nevertheless, the majority of SMEs find it hard to take environmental protection measures proactively. Often it is attributed to their internal capacity constraints and lack of support from actors operating in their business environment. This research is about the leatherworking industry of Pakistan, an under-research economy context, where SMEs face a number of internal and external environmental barriers which limit their effective environmental engagement. Internal environmental barriers relate to limited financial resources, labour related issues and shortage of physical area. External environmental barriers range from policy related challenges to poor infrastructural facilities, societal barriers and inconsistent support from cleaner production centres. To deal with such environmental barriers some pragmatic policy measures are offered which if operationalised effectively are hoped to provide the much needed support to leatherworking SMEs for proactive engagement with environmentally responsible business practices. These policy measures relate to addressing the institutional voids in the country, improving infrastructural facilities, raising environmental awareness amongst masses, institutionalising cleaner production practices, providing platform to SMEs for getting environment-specific loaning facilities and improving the governance of tannery clusters. The paper makes an empirical contribution by uncovering the environmental barriers in an under-researched developing economy context, Pakistan. Its practical contributions are twofold. First, it offers insights to SME owner-managers for developing better strategies to address the identified barriers. Second, its findings can be useful for those formal and informal actors (local as well as international) engaged in formulating interventions focused at supporting SMEs to become environmentally responsible.

This article forms part of a larger study examining how contemporary designer-makers are helping to develop the next generation, through apprenticeships, shorter internships and other forms of engagement. It is a collaborative project, involving an established furniture designer-craftsman and an academic researcher and educator with interests in craft business organisation, environmentally sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship.\ud \ud Our article responds to the 2017 Making Futures conference theme: the role of studios and workshops as learning environments and/or modes of learning, which can encourage independence, personal responsibility and agency. It reports on an empirical study that compares and contrasts the experiences of practitioners who have been active over the last six decades. We focus on two domains of craft production, ceramics and furniture-making, but the analysis includes references to similar learning processes in other domains of craft practice. The article takes the form of parallel narratives, based on interviews with two practitioners who established their own workshops, along with two of their former apprentices.

This chapter examines one of the more prominent features of the complex and often highly contested relationship between contemporary forms of craft and their earlier incarnations. It responds to a persistent conceptual challenge that also has significant practical implications: \ud \ud ‘This false choice of modern craft, between present and past, complicity and detachment, is a discursive trap. Only by traversing that dialectic can craft be a powerful agent of change, both morally and economically.’ (Adamson, 2013: 210)\ud \ud The chapter considers how craft researchers might draw fresh insights from historical studies in order to bridge this temporal divide. I hope that the examples might also prove helpful to practitioners as they seek to incorporate and transcend the legacies of previous generations.\ud \ud The chapter is divided into three sections. First, I summarise the main themes identified in the existing body of research and illustrate how historically-informed studies have shed new light on craft practice and modes of organisation in the modern era. The second section is concerned with the different ways in which craftsmen and others, such as market intermediaries and connoisseurs, have enrolled historical narratives and associations as a resource, typically with the aim of either promoting or defending particular craft products, practices or values. The third section offers some concluding remarks on the scope and limitations of historical research methods, and how they might contribute to future work in this area.

Industrialization, the historical development that saw cheesemaking transformed from a largely craft-based or artisanal activity, often located on a dairy farm, to a production process that, for the most part, takes place in large ‘cheese factories’ or creameries [See ARTISANAL]. The principal features of modern industrialized cheesemaking, which set it apart from traditional approaches include: high production volumes; sourcing of milk from multiple dairy herds; pasteurization and re-balancing of milk supplies to minimize variability; use of standardized, bought-in starter cultures and rennet; mechanization and automation of manual processes such as stirring and cutting the curd; detailed ‘recipes’ and procedures; and the precise measurement and control of key variables such as temperature and acidity using specialized instruments [See PASTERURIZATION, RENNET, STARTER CULTURES]. This transformation of long-established cheesemaking practices was accompanied by equally radical innovations in product marketing and distribution. Together, these changes have exerted a profound influence on the quality and variety of cheese available and in overall patterns of cheese consumption.

Artisanal, a term used to describe production systems that are relatively small-scale and where hand-working and the skilled, intuitive judgment of the maker takes precedence over mechanized and automated methods. Common synonyms include: ‘craft’, ‘handmade’, and ‘traditional’. Artisanal cheese is often made on-farm with milk from the farmer’s own herd (in North America, these varieties are usually known as farmstead cheese).

Objectives: To examine how human capital influences the environmental engagement of SMEs in Pakistan’s leather industry. Another objective is to explore the different motivations of SME owners and managers for adopting the pro-environmental behaviour in this industry sector. \ud \ud Prior Work: The research is informed by literature on SMEs and environmental responsibility. Previous research has identified a number of internal and external drivers of, and barriers to, the environmental engagement of SMEs, but much of this research has focused on developed economies. Moreover, research looking specifically at the resources, capabilities and internal processes remains limited. Developing economy-focused research can complement and counterpoint the developed economy orientation of existing work. A focus on environmental practices of SMEs in less familiar cultural settings can also provide new insights. \ud \ud Approach: The research study adopts a qualitative approach and uses multiple case study research design. Guided by the evidence collected in a preliminary literature review, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select a suitable sample of SMEs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcript evidence was combined with observational and documentary sources, and the cases were refined using thematic analysis technique. \ud \ud Results: Contrary to prior research, which regards regulatory compliance as the leading motivation for environmental engagement among SMEs in developed economies such as the EU, this study suggests that, in Pakistan, a primary factor is the presence of, and commercial pressure from, environmentally-conscious customers. The variation in findings can be attributed in part to context-specific factors. Drawing on the human capital literature, this study found that owner managers with higher educational attainment, tended to be more aware of both the challenges and the opportunities in adopting new environmental practices. However, some of the educated owner-managers had a lower level of environmental awareness, which hindered the environmental engagement of their businesses. It also appears that the owner-managers in this study would be more likely to invest in such initiatives through economic incentives, rather than as a consequence of adopting a sustainability agenda or acknowledging a wider responsibility for the natural environment.\ud \ud Value: The findings of the study are important in policy terms, given their focus on the enabling features of human capital in promoting environmental practices in developing economies. There is considerable scope for national governments and international donor agencies to launch environmental awareness programmes for SMEs, which should not simply educate entrepreneurs and employees, but also inspire them to pursue environmental opportunities.

This chapter introduces the volume, Social and Sustainable Enterprise: Changing the Nature of Business, which is edited by Sarah Underwood, Richard Blundel, Fergus Lyon and Anja Schaefer. The book draws together contemporary research contributions that seek to critically explore a range of issues in the specific context of social enterprise, sustainable entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Collectively, the chapters in this volume consider the challenges facing social enterprises globally, their environmental impact and the difficulties for policy makers in their efforts to tackle complex international environmental problems. The volume contributors draw on a range of research themes, methodological approaches and international contexts to enhance our understanding of the meaning, critical nature and value of social and sustainable enterprise development. Thus, this volume speaks directly to the core objectives of this book series by providing an opportunity for the ISBE [Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship] community of interest to challenge current thinking and create a research agenda for future inquiry.

The paper conducts a critical review of the ‘single argument’ that underpins Penrose’s (1959) study, The Theory of the Growth of the Firm (TGF). It summarises six components of the argument, tracing their inter-connected journey towards TGF’s two relatively neglected concluding chapters. In doing so, it highlights Penrose’s broader concern with the economic and social consequences of the unconstrained growth of large firms. This theme is developed through a reflection on the ways in which Penrose’s extended argument can be applied in contemporary economic development research. This section builds on insights from research that extends the Penrosean learning dynamic to incorporate inter-organisational relationships and regional growth dynamics. It re-examines Penrose’s subsequent critiques of M-form organisations and of economic liberalisation policies in developing countries and opens up a discussion about the ways these disparate ideas might be combined to inform policy debates in areas such as inclusive innovation and environmentally sustainable economic growth.

This paper explores the growth trajectories of two specialist food producers and the business networks in which they are embedded. The context is provided by a brief overview of today’s complex and dynamic food industry supply chain, seen from the perspective of a small, craft-based firm. The sector chosen for this study, English regional cheese making, is characterised as displaying a long-standing tension between industrial and artisanal modes of production. The conceptual framework combines insights from the network and resource-capability literatures. This blend of ideas prompts several questions relating to the transfer and appropriation of artisanal knowledge in a network setting. The empirical section provides some illustrations of the processes in action. It charts the development of two regional farm-based cheese makers from their inception in the early 1950s up to the year 2000. The analysis identifies distinct ‘episodes’ characterised by significant structural and processual changes at both firm and inter-firm levels. A series of network maps is used to highlight the distinct pattern of linkages formed by each firm. The maps are supported by a commentary that draws on the managers’ own perceptions of the changes, including the reasons why they occurred, and the consequences for their businesses. The discussion section points to underlying structures and mechanisms that appear significant in explaining the surface-level events. The paper concludes by outlining the practical implications for firms in similar situations and assessing the extent to which the findings may be generalised to other business networks.

This article traces the uneven development of English cheesemaking from its early commercialization to the eventual triumph of the 'cheese factory'. The narrative shows how contemporary actors initiated and adapted to changes in technology, distribution, consumption, and regulation. It indicates that artisanal practices have both borrowed from and become integrated with industrial logics and strategies, exemplifying a process that Charles F. Sabel and Jonathan Zeitlin termed the 'recombinablility and interpenetration' of different forms of economic organization [World of Possibilities: Flexibility and Mass Production in Western Industrialization, Cambridge, U.K., 1997), 2–3]. International comparisons are introduced to clarify the reasons for England’s halting and idiosyncratic transition to industrial-scale cheese-making.

This chapter reports on a recent educational initiative involving academics from Ghanaian universities and members of an informal sector community of woodworking artisans. This pilot project examined how social and technological innovations, including open educational resources (OERs) might be used to create new learning experiences that were capable of addressing the artisans’ context-specific enterprise development needs. The concluding discussion identifies a number of practical lessons from the project. These findings are related to current debates regarding the potential role of education and training interventions in addressing the persistent policy challenge of transitioning enterprises to a more formal basis, and of promoting their growth and resilience.

This is a new advanced undergraduate/postgraduate text, which combines a practical focus on the challenges of new venture creation with a focused review of the latest research evidence.

We began our work at the first residential meeting in Accra (January 2010) by discussing the nature of SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and entrepreneurship in a Ghanaian context, clarifying our understanding of the informal sector, and identifying priority areas for curriculum development. At an early stage, we recognised that there was a need to develop more appropriate courses to support enterprise education within our universities and also entrepreneurial learning beyond the campus, particularly in relation to the informal sector. This work informed the first phase, in which we began to engage with SMEs and their associations and to establish their various requirements through dialogue and knowledge sharing. This information was brought back to the second residential meeting in Kumasi (July 2010) as the basis for designing new types of provision. At Kumasi, we worked on two projects that are reported in more detail in the following sections:\ud \ud ♦ A problem-based design for the informal sector: the Sokoban Wood Village Project (Section 1.2)\ud \ud ♦ Strategies for curriculum review and course design in Ghanaian universities (Section 1.3)

This case has been written in order to provide a basis for class discussion. It is presented in three parts and could be run over several class meetings. In keeping with the OER approach, it could easily be re-versioned – for example, to provide the basis for an assignment.

In this paper, we examine the ways in which the phenomenon of entrepreneurial agency has been represented in the transitions literature with particular reference to purposive sustainability transitions. The aim of the paper is to encourage critical reflection on the relationship between transitions and entrepreneurship research. We present provisional findings from a content analysis conducted on sample publications, covering historical transitional and contemporary purposive transitions. We find that while entrepreneurial agency is clearly evident in both conceptual and empirical works, there are a number of limitations regarding: i) the role of context in relation to the dynamics of entrepreneurial agency; ii) differences in the types of entrepreneurs engaged in socio-technical transitions and the ways in which they interact with other key actors; iii) the predominantly individualistic interpretation accorded to entrepreneurship in the literature. We also review recent developments in entrepreneurship research, including work on: entrepreneurial opportunity, dynamic capabilities, networks and institutions, and indicate how these ideas might be integrated into transitions research, with reference to two sample studies. In the concluding remarks, we suggest ways in which a closer engagement with entrepreneurial agency might contribute to future transitions research and policy-making.