IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/buseth/v34y2025i4p1913-1927.html

Counter‐hegemonic ethics for sustainable business

Author

Listed:
  • Joshua Hurtado Hurtado
  • Pasi Heikkurinen
  • Toni Ruuska
  • Sophia E. Hagolani‐Albov
  • Kari Koppelmäki

Abstract

Business ethics scholarship proposes alternatives for making companies sustainable. While these models may have advanced business practice, the alternatives rarely challenge the hegemony of the economic system. This article develops a new normative frame for sustainable business by investigating articulations of counter‐hegemony and their ethical implications. Employing political discourse theory and drawing insights from a case in food production, the article finds three articulations of counter‐hegemonic ethics: (1) the virtue of socio‐ecological embeddedness, (2) the duty of local provisioning, and (3) the utility of regeneration. These findings reflect the three generic normative ethical theories and are proposed to support advancing sustainability. As its main contribution, the study contributes to the field of business ethics by offering a novel normative foundation that challenges power relations in the society, especially those concerning the hegemonic articulations of industrial economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Hurtado Hurtado & Pasi Heikkurinen & Toni Ruuska & Sophia E. Hagolani‐Albov & Kari Koppelmäki, 2025. "Counter‐hegemonic ethics for sustainable business," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(4), pages 1913-1927, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:buseth:v:34:y:2025:i:4:p:1913-1927
    DOI: 10.1111/beer.12745
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12745
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/beer.12745?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anna Clare Bull & Jagjit Plahe & Lachlan Gregory, 2021. "International Investment Agreements and the Escalation of Private Power in the Global Agri-Food System," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 519-533, May.
    2. Stephen Allen & Ann L. Cunliffe & Mark Easterby-Smith, 2019. "Understanding Sustainability Through the Lens of Ecocentric Radical-Reflexivity: Implications for Management Education," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 781-795, February.
    3. Roberta Sebastiani & Francesca Montagnini & Daniele Dalli, 2013. "Ethical Consumption and New Business Models in the Food Industry. Evidence from the Eataly Case," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 473-488, May.
    4. Tarja Ketola, 2010. "Five leaps to corporate sustainability through a corporate responsibility portfolio matrix," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(6), pages 320-336, November.
    5. German, Laura A. & Bonanno, Anya M. & Foster, Laura Catherine & Cotula, Lorenzo, 2020. "“Inclusive business” in agriculture: Evidence from the evolution of agricultural value chains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    6. Giulio Malorgio & Francesco Marangon, 2021. "Agricultural business economics: the challenge of sustainability," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-4, December.
    7. David Detomasi, 2008. "The Political Roots of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 82(4), pages 807-819, November.
    8. Antonio Tencati & Laszlo Zsolnai, 2012. "Collaborative Enterprise and Sustainability: The Case of Slow Food," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(3), pages 345-354, October.
    9. Matthias Pelster & Stefan Schaltegger, 2022. "The dark triad and corporate sustainability: An empirical analysis of personality traits of sustainability managers," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 80-99, January.
    10. Poole, Nigel D. & Chitundu, Maureen & Msoni, Ronald, 2013. "Commercialisation: A meta-approach for agricultural development among smallholder farmers in Africa?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 155-165.
    11. Sibylle Bui & Ionara Costa & Olivier De Schutter & Tom Dedeurwaerdere & Marek Hudon & Marlene Feyereisen, 2019. "Systemic ethics and inclusive governance: two key prerequisites for sustainability transitions of agri-food systems," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 277-288, June.
    12. Felipe Alexandre de Lima & Daiane Mülling Neutzling & Stefan Seuring & Vikas Kumar & Marilia Bonzanini Bossle, 2023. "Analyzing the implications of organic standardization and certification in alternative food networks: The capability approach," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 1547-1562, October.
    13. Koppelmäki, Kari & Parviainen, Tuure & Virkkunen, Elina & Winquist, Erika & Schulte, Rogier P.O. & Helenius, Juha, 2019. "Ecological intensification by integrating biogas production into nutrient cycling: Modeling the case of Agroecological Symbiosis," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 39-48.
    14. Martin Fougère & Nikodemus Solitander, 2020. "Dissent in Consensusland: An Agonistic Problematization of Multi-stakeholder Governance," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(4), pages 683-699, July.
    15. Jay, Mairi, 2007. "The political economy of a productivist agriculture: New Zealand dairy discourses," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 266-279, April.
    16. Subhabrata Bobby Banerjee & Annabel‐Mauve Bonnefous, 2011. "Stakeholder management and sustainability strategies in the French nuclear industry," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 124-140, February.
    17. Olivier Boiral, 2016. "Accounting for the Unaccountable: Biodiversity Reporting and Impression Management," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 135(4), pages 751-768, June.
    18. Markus Schermer, 2015. "From “Food from Nowhere” to “Food from Here:” changing producer–consumer relations in Austria," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(1), pages 121-132, March.
    19. Urša Golob & Klement Podnar & Franzisca Weder, 2024. "Reimagining the sustainable consumer: Why social representations of sustainable consumption matter," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(4), pages 847-859, October.
    20. Brett Clark & Daniel Auerbach & Stefano B. Longo, 2018. "The bottom line: capital’s production of social inequalities and environmental degradation," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 8(4), pages 562-569, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pasi Heikkurinen & Jukka Mäkinen, 2018. "Synthesising Corporate Responsibility on Organisational and Societal Levels of Analysis: An Integrative Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 589-607, May.
    2. Ada Domańska & Remedios Hernández‐Linares & Robert Zajkowski & Beata Żukowska, 2024. "Family firm entrepreneurship and sustainability initiatives: Women as corporate change agents," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 217-240, April.
    3. Aziz Omar & Martin Hvarregaard Thorsøe, 2024. "Rebalance power and strengthen farmers’ position in the EU food system? A CDA of the Farm to Fork Strategy," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 41(2), pages 631-646, June.
    4. Alysha Kate Shivji, 2024. "Rightsholder-Driven Remedy for Business-Related Human Rights Abuse: Case of the Fair Food Program," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 193(2), pages 363-382, August.
    5. Batat, Wided, 2020. "Pillars of sustainable food experiences in the luxury gastronomy sector: A qualitative exploration of Michelin-starred chefs’ motivations," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    6. Alessandro Bonadonna & Simona Alfiero & Massimo Cane & Edyta Gheribi, 2019. "Eating Hamburgers Slowly and Sustainably: The Fast Food Market in North-West Italy," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-14, April.
    7. Chin‐jung Luan & Chengli Tien & Pei‐hua Wu, 2013. "Strategizing Environmental Policy and Compliance for Firm Economic Sustainability: Evidence from Taiwanese Electronics Firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(8), pages 517-546, December.
    8. Kelly Gerard, 2023. "Doing aid chains differently: Evaluating the potential of Multi‐Stakeholder Partnerships," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(1), January.
    9. David Talbot & Olivier Boiral, 2021. "Public organizations and biodiversity disclosure: Saving face to meet a legal obligation?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 2571-2586, July.
    10. Azizi, Leyla & Scope, Christoph & Ladusch, Anne & Sassen, Remmer, 2025. "Biodiversity disclosure in the European finance sector," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    11. Lan Guo & Ling Yang, 2023. "The Corporate Economic Influence and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-22, July.
    12. Bianchi, Lara & Passetti, Emilio & Contrafatto, Massimo, 2025. "The (non)enactment of intelligent accountability through stakeholder engagement: A micro-processual perspective," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 57(6).
    13. Catherine Le Roux & Marius Pretorius, 2016. "Conceptualizing the Limiting Issues Inhibiting Sustainability Embeddedness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-22, April.
    14. Mamen Cuéllar-Padilla & Ernesto Ganuza-Fernandez, 2018. "We Don’t Want to Be Officially Certified! Reasons and Implications of the Participatory Guarantee Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-15, April.
    15. Doole, Graeme J. & Romera, Alvaro J., 2014. "Implications of a nitrogen leaching efficiency metric for pasture-based dairy farms," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 10-18.
    16. Hannah Charlotte Joos, 2019. "Influences on managerial perceptions of stakeholder salience: two decades of research in review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 69(1), pages 3-37, February.
    17. Patient Rambe & Takawira Munyaradzi Ndofirepi, 2016. "Influence of Small Business Ethics on Buying Decisions of Customers: A case of Indigenous Owned Fast-Food Outlets in Zimbabwe," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 8(5), pages 169-183.
    18. Wen Li & Chenying Liu & Qizhi Yang & Yulan You & Zhihang Zhuo & Xiaolin Zuo, 2023. "Factors Influencing Farmers’ Vertical Collaboration in the Agri-Chain Guided by Leading Enterprises: A Study of the Table Grape Industry in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-14, September.
    19. Mitzi Cubilla‐Montilla & Ana‐Belén Nieto‐Librero & Ma Purificación Galindo‐Villardón & Ma Purificación Vicente Galindo & Isabel‐María Garcia‐Sanchez, 2019. "Are cultural values sufficient to improve stakeholder engagement human and labour rights issues?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(4), pages 938-955, July.
    20. Erdinc Akyildirim & Shaen Corbet, 2025. "Examining the Financial Impact of Biodiversity‐Related Reputational Disasters," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(4), pages 4500-4522, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:buseth:v:34:y:2025:i:4:p:1913-1927. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/26946424 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.