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Aligning Corporate Social Responsibility with the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals: Trickier than it Seems?: A Study of Social Entrepreneurship in Sweden

Author

Listed:
  • Thörnqvist Christer

    (Skövde Business School, Skövde University, Sweden)

  • Kilstam Jonna

    (Skövde Business School, Skövde University, Sweden)

Abstract

This article explores the profound mismatch between the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and fundamentals for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The common survival of human life, society, and the global order as we know it, and the need for companies to make profit is not easy. The intractability of the problem is often underestimated in public as well as scientific debate. This article discusses the problem and possible ways to cope with it through ‘social entrepreneurship’ illustrated here by a study of nine firms in Sweden. The study draws on an amalgamation of Schumpeterian theory about “creative destruction” and the concept of “Emerging Davids vs. Greening Goliaths.”

Suggested Citation

  • Thörnqvist Christer & Kilstam Jonna, 2021. "Aligning Corporate Social Responsibility with the United Nations’ Sustainability Goals: Trickier than it Seems?: A Study of Social Entrepreneurship in Sweden," Economics, Sciendo, vol. 9(1), pages 161-177, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:econom:v:9:y:2021:i:1:p:161-177:n:12
    DOI: 10.2478/eoik-2021-0009
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hockerts, Kai & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2010. "Greening Goliaths versus emerging Davids -- Theorizing about the role of incumbents and new entrants in sustainable entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 481-492, September.
    2. Hung Vu Nguyen & Cuong Hung Nguyen & Thoa Thi Bao Hoang, 2019. "Green consumption: Closing the intention‐behavior gap," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(1), pages 118-129, January.
    3. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    4. Carroll, Archie B., 1991. "The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 39-48.
    5. Tim Jackson, 2011. "Societal transformations for a sustainable economy," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 35(3), pages 155-164, August.
    6. James Austin & Howard Stevenson & Jane Wei–Skillern, 2006. "Social and Commercial Entrepreneurship: Same, Different, or Both?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(1), pages 1-22, January.
    7. Lena Partzsch & Rafael Ziegler, 2011. "Social entrepreneurs as change agents: a case study on power and authority in the water sector," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 63-83, March.
    8. Archie B. Carroll, 2016. "Carroll’s pyramid of CSR: taking another look," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. William Young & Kumju Hwang & Seonaidh McDonald & Caroline J. Oates, 2010. "Sustainable consumption: green consumer behaviour when purchasing products," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(1), pages 20-31.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social entrepreneurship; 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Archie Carroll’s CSR pyramid; Emerging Davids vs. Greening Goliaths;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q59 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Other

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