Search

Refugee entrepreneurs play an increasingly important role in the ecosystem. However, they may find themselves unable to use their potential because they lack relevant skills, encounter language barriers, have weak local networks and deal with personal problems. Start-up incubators for refugees address these challenges by offering programmes that empower them to develop and deploy entrepreneurial skills for business creation. This work-in-progress paper presents initial insights on skill-related programme elements which will be extended into a detailed analysis of resulting types of economic impact.

This case tells the story of the start-up Essento, which develops, produces and markets insect-based foods, and the nascent sustainable entrepreneur behind the company. Essento contributed significantly to shaping the legal basis for the consumption of edible insects in Switzerland and rises to the challenge of creating an entirely new market and lacking customer acceptance.

Purpose This paper aims to describe an innovative approach of integrating sustainability into the structures and processes of a business school without creating resistance. Design/methodology/approach A sustainable entrepreneurship competition was embedded as an independent programme in an already existing business plan competition at the School of Business FHNW. The paper shows, which structural elements of the competition had to be adapted to the needs of sustainable entrepreneurs. Findings The paper outlines aspects that need to be considered and steps that need to be taken to run a sustainable entrepreneurship competition supporting as many high-quality projects as possible. It describes the importance of developing an independent instrument that meets the specific needs of sustainable entrepreneurs in project planning. The sustainable innovation plan is explained. Social implications The student projects are developed at the School of Business FHNW as part of the entrepreneurship competition, which has been successfully carried out twice. They have numerous measurable positive social and ecological effects, which are described by the students in their sustainable innovation plans and are subsequently reflected in the realization of the projects. Originality/value Using the example of the Swiss Student Sustainability Challenge, the paper demonstrates under which conditions a sustainability project can be successfully integrated into the existing structures of an institution of higher education and develop into a beacon project of the university. Other universities can make use of these findings to launch comparable projects at their institutions.

Digital technology and innovations are transforming our economy and society as never before. However, business leaders and managers are at a point where they need to rethink the way business can leverage digital transformation in order to support engagement with sustainability challenges. As organizations operate in the context of society, many factors such as social structures, political decision-making, general economic trends, and technological development, influence their operations. To be successful, an organization must be aware of these changes and at the same time be able to engage with them. Based on this viewpoint, we outline an integrated framework linking different levels of “digitalness” with necessary changes in managerial practice to support organizational inquiry. More research is necessary to better understand how the practice of management needs to transform in order to leverage digital technologies for an on-going, learning-based engagement strategy. This requires awareness of one’s own thinking, suspension of one’s prior beliefs, and engagement in organizational learning and experimentation with stakeholders.

Antecedent research has recognized a difference in the participation in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices between big companies and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Certain characteristics of SMEs create challenges which influence the manner with which they treat the CSR topic. However, literature has failed to provide solutions as to how these challenges can successfully be overcome or avoided by SMEs. In an attempt to contribute to these solutions, this paper explores the reasons why some SMEs face challenges as well as how such problems can be mastered. Furthermore, this article provides input that could encourage more SMEs to incorporate CSR practices into their business strategies. The research follows a qualitative approach, data being collected in 2018 through a total of 12 interviews with managers of SMEs in the food industry within the DACH-region as well as with experts in the field of study. The paper reveals that if the managers and owners of SMEs become committed towards CSR and if sufficient resources are allocated and advice on how to implement CSR is obtained, the opportunity certainly exists to persuade larger numbers of SMEs to adopt CSR practices as a core company strategy.

In March 2019, German-speaking scientists and scholars calling themselvesScientists for Future, published a statement in support of the youth protesters in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland(Fridays for Future, Klimastreik/Climate Strike), verifying the scientific evidence that the youth protestors refer to. In this article, they provide the full text of the statement, including the list of supporting facts (in both English and German) as well as an analysis of the results and impacts of the statement. Furthermore, they reflect on the challenges for scientists and scholars who feel a dual responsibility: on the one hand, to remain independent and politically neutral, and, on the other hand, to inform and warn societies of the dangers that lie ahead.

A growing number of companies worldwide face practical challenges in their sustainability and integrated reporting. This is mainly due to two reasons. First, new voluntary reporting guidelines have been published, such as the Sustainability Reporting Standards of the Global Reporting Initiative, the guideline for integrated reporting by the International Integrated Reporting Council and the sector standards of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. Second, new binding reporting regulations have been adopted, such as Directive 2014/95/EU on non-financial reporting issued by the European Commission. This article analyzes current practical challenges in sustainability and integrated reporting and suggests tools to overcome them, based on desktop research, an experience-based consultancy view, and two case studies, from banking and tourism, respectively. The article is the result of a two-year research project funded by Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency. Reporting involves several major practical challenges: (i) identifying the issues with the greatest sustainability impact along the value chain, (ii) prioritizing sustainability topics in accordance with both the Global Reporting Initiative and the International Integrated Reporting Council, (iii) clarifying the sustainability context of corporate activities, and (iv) developing reports that can influence the decisions of key target groups with regard to purchasing and investments, for instance. Based on its analysis, the article makes several recommendations for the enhancement of sustainability reporting, including an analysis grid to identify sustainability issues along the value chain, a multicriteria analysis tool for the materiality criteria of the Global Reporting Initiative and International Integrated Reporting Council, and tools for target group-specific reporting. Case studies provide indicative evidence that the developed tools can help companies to enhance their sustainability reporting.

Sustainable Development (SD) is a global role model that claims to function as a general orientation for shaping societal processes, i.e. , local, regional, national and international development. This is in line with the Brundtland and justice-oriented understanding of the term. It is understood as a role model and sometimes also interpreted as a regulative ideal. However, it does not state how exactly “sustainable” societies will or should look. It does not give us a step-by-step pattern to follow, but something like a frame of what ought to be done in order to transform today’s societies, including their economies. [...]

The numerous empirical and conceptual studies that have been conducted over recent years concerning the social responsibility of enterprises and their contributions towards sustainable development have given very little consideration to non-profit organizations (NPOs). This is surprising, because NPOs are confronted with very similar challenges to profit-orientated enterprises regarding their evolution into sustainable organizations. This paper is a preliminary conceptual study and explores the question of why the corporate social responsibility, or corporate sustainability, of NPOs has to date been both neglected by research establishments and also extensively ignored by the NPOs during their day-to-day practical management. The example of church and pastoral institutions in Germany is used to demonstrate the extent to which they take account of ecological and social aspects in their management systems and processes and, thus, implement sustainable management within their day-to-day practice. The paper concludes with some proposals for further empirical and conceptual research projects, which are designed to analyze developments within NPOs with relation to the integration of sustainability into their management systems and processes.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate the role of sociology in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR). It presents a case study conducted by a research group consisting of two University partners in association with a Swiss SME. This project attempted to draw conclusions from a specific sociological consultancy research project on the general possibilities and opportunities of sociology in applied research and operational sustainability consulting. On the basis of the project findings, the article reflects on the extent to which sociology could profitably intervene, on the limitations for sociological research and consultations in this field and on the conclusions that can be drawn for future analyses.

Corporate Social Responsibility ist eine Antwort von Unternehmen auf die Nachhaltigkeitsherausforderung. Anfangs nur von wenigen Pionieren angewendet, erfreut sich das CSR-Konzept mittlerweile groser Beliebtheit. Tatsachlich nachhaltig agierende Unternehmen zwingt diese Entwicklung dazu, innovative Potenziale zu erschliesen, um sich gegenuber der Konkurrenz zu differenzieren. Eines dieser Potenziale sind sogenannte gesellschaftsorientierte Engagementswenn sie richtig ausgewahlt werden und ein Beurteilungsinstrument ihre Wertschopfung deutlich macht.

Against the background of the growing importance in corporate sustainability reporting, the Institute for Sustainable Management at the University of OAS in Aargau, North-Western Switzerland, instigated a research project in 2003. This represents one of the first attempts to perform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of corporate sustainability reporting in one country (Switzerland) and is the second and, at the time, most comprehensive national study worldwide on reporting practices. The object of this paper is to reflect the methodology of the Swiss study independent of other procedures used to-date. The extent to which the new methodological approach overcomes the weaknesses of other approaches will primarily be demonstrated. Secondly, the research team's findings from the results of the study and interviews with managers from 25 Swiss companies in connection with the study will be presented.

This paper presents and compares the outcomes of an annually repeated project, assessing the corporate reporting practice in the 250 largest Swiss companies, over a time frame of three years (2003–2005). Focusing on the quantitative and qualitative corporate sustainability disclosure, the study attempts a review of the Swiss corporate reporting practice by using a benchmark approach, as an alternative to content analysis, in order to supply best-practice examples for companies and open the door towards a more dialogical approach. Supported by the findings of Kolk, Gray, Unerman etc. as well as critique aired by Thomson and Bebbington and by Solomon and Darby, the study and its results are discussed and reflected upon in a conceptual and practical context. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Over 20 years ago the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) brought together two hitherto separate global discourses, the discourse on global justice and the discourse on the growi...

The state of the art and the progress of sustainability management were surveyed among 205 companies with headquarters in the German-speaking part of Switzerland; 25 of those companies responded to the ICSB questionnaire. Compared to the international average, the sample included a larger number of small companies (between 250 and 10,000 employees) and from the finance & services sector, but fewer companies from the industry sector. For many questions, the results indicate similar trends compared to the international average, but values from Swiss companies are often lower. Some differences were noticeable. Although social and environmental issues were considered less important for the management than on international average, a substantial knowledge and relatively high level of application of management tools is striking. Also the influence of many external stakeholders is considered less promoting for the implementation of corporate sustainability. The findings are discussed in relation to the particularities of the Swiss sample.

Unternehmen können ihre Legitimation nur sichern, wenn sie den öffentlichen Forderungen nach einem verantwortungsvolleren Umgang mit ihrer sozialen und ökologischen Umwelt gerecht werden. Dazu müssen sie glaubwürdige Kommunikationsstrategien entwickeln. Die Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung ist Kernstück einer solchen Strategie.

Responding to the ever-changing business climate and new consumer aware- ness, more and more companies have completed the shift towards more trans- parent reporting practice. The change includes an adjustment from exclusively reporting on economic performance (in the annual report), to an integrated re- porting in which performance with respect to the natural environment and society is outlined. This new type of reporting is termed 'sustainability report- ing'. Although a comparatively new phenomenon which has been observed only since the end of the nineties, it is to be assumed that this form of report- ing is replacing separate environment and/or social reports in the future.

Wenn von der Notwendigkeit einer größeren Verantwortung von Organisationen gegenüber ihrer Umwelt die Rede ist, so bezieht sich diese Forderung zumeist ausschließlich auf Wirtschaftsunternehmen. Allerdings sind Nonprofit-Organisationen (NPO) mit ähnlichen Herausforderungen konfrontiert wie gewinnorientierte Unternehmen.