Entrepreneurship and the Sustainable Development Goals: Volume 8

This book explores the interaction between entrepreneurship and UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). Our existing knowledge of how entrepreneurship can contribute to the SDGs and how their implementation can transform enterprises is limited. This is due to several factors including the recent launch of the SDGs and the rapidly growing and changing global economic, social and environmental challenges. Entrepreneurship, however, can be the engine for transforming our world and overcoming the diverse nature of these global challenges. Beyond the rationale of this book, the organisation and structure of the book is presented. All chapters are introduced and their key points highlighted. At the end of this chapter, the editors provide concluding remarks, future research avenues and policy implications arising from this collective volume.

This chapter aims at discussing sustainable development goals (SDGs) and entrepreneurship from an economic and social perceptive. More specifically, this chapter aims at discussing the challenges facing small & medium enterprises (SMEs) applying the goal of ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns to their day-to-day operations. In this chapter, a synthesis of a field of research related to sustainable developmental goals SDGs and SMEs is provided, with a focus on entrepreneurs who believe their SME needs to act as a “good corporate citizen” with the responsibility to (1) sustain the environment for future generations and (2) care about the well-being of society at large. This field of research is presented to identify important opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs with SDGs within a Multiple Framework Approach.

In the recent 2015 report by Social Enterprise UK – Think Global Trade Social – it is argued that social enterprises have an important role to play in the achievement of the UN’s new sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, with 17 SDGs and no less than 169 associated targets, understanding how social enterprises can contribute to the achievement of these goals remains challenging, particularly given the diversity of social enterprise models that exist globally. This chapter contributes toward addressing this problem by introducing a framework for conceptualising how social enterprises can contribute to the SDGs, illustrated with global examples. The chapter begins by reviewing what has been written about social enterprises and the SDGs. This is followed by the development and presentation of the conceptual framework. Finally, conclusions and areas for future research on social enterprises and the SDGs are identified.

New mindsets and innovative thinking (ABIS, 2017; Moon, 2013, 2014, 2015; Moon, Walmsley, & Apostolopoulos, 2018) are needed to deliver on everything from good health and well-being to affordable and clean energy. This chapter reviews the latest trends globally to tackling pressing social and environmental problems (2016–2018), focuses on a sample of 100 projects, mapped against the UN SDGs and evaluated on their ‘innovation’ and scalability and selects 25 projects related to ‘circular economy’ solutions for a more in-depth consideration. The projects cover a range of applications including Buildings, Food, Energy, Transportation, Resources and Education. The key research question is: what strategic policy support is needed for enterprise & entrepreneurship education to develop the necessary multi collaborative and cross disciplinary mindsets and skills that such projects require? Reference is made to global risks and sustainability solutions, skills needed for the green economy and implications for enterprise development and entrepreneurship education. Findings reveal the need for new measures of eco and social mindset that will support the development of the creative and innovative solutions necessary for tackling the UN SDGs.

This chapter examines the bamboo-based livelihoods of the tribal artisans of Tripura and studies entrepreneurship, through the perspective of innovative small and medium enterprises, as a way to achieve sustainable development. Under a cluster-based approach of the Tripura Bamboo Mission, this chapter intends to understand how tribal entrepreneur’s belief in sustainability motivates them to develop and enhance livelihood opportunities. It is in addressing this basic question of an entrepreneur’s ‘drive’ in achieving sustainable livelihood that the development goals are met.

This chapter aims to understand whether and how impact investment, a novel approach to financing social and sustainable entrepreneurship, is aligned with, and contributing to, the sustainable development goals (SDGs). We theorise the SDGs as a ‘field-level frame’, a cultural template guiding social and environmental change. We analyse performance data of impact investors both in Australia and globally and map this impact data to the 17 SDGs. We find that impact investors are engaging with language consistent with the SDGs a possible field-level frame to guide impact strategy and measurement. To date, impact investors measure social outcomes more frequently than environmental outcomes; this may be explained, in part, by our analysis that reveals some SDGs create greater points of leverage to generate layers of impact across SDGs. This chapter explains how impact investors are engaging with the pursuit of the SDG agenda.

Greater access to financial services is a key enabler of many of the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs). This chapter examines the role of digital financial services (DFS) in the actualisation of the UN SDGs in Nigeria by presenting a series of illustrative cases of DFS-based public and private sector enterprises driving critical SDGs in Nigeria. These enterprises are not only driving economic growth, they are also enabling value chains addressing the broad-ranging needs of the poor. Tracing possibilities around impact is important here, a context in which over 60 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. Statistics on poverty reflect not only lack of income but also the lack of access to essential services. Approximately 44 per cent of Nigeria’s adult population is financially excluded and could benefit from DFS in enabling an inclusive economy.

The main objective of this chapter is to explore how the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices is associated with firm innovativeness, utilising a rich data survey of 3,500 Greek SMEs. Furthermore, by classifying SMEs into two groups, the high-performing and low-performing in terms of CSR, we explore whether and in which way the application of CSR moderates the relationship between innovation inputs (such as R&D expenditure and R&D collaboration) and innovation output. The findings obtained from the first stage of our analysis suggest that CSR practices drive the innovation process as well as the innovation output of SMEs, supporting thus SDG9. The empirical results obtained from the second stage of analysis indicate that the wide adoption of CSR practices may stand as an alternative way to established and more expensive drivers of innovation output in adverse times when firms lack financial resources especially in crisis-hit economies such as the case of Greece.

One way to support the livelihoods of refugees and their families is to support them in regard to labour market integration, including as entrepreneurs, through which they in turn can contribute to the society and economy of their host country. As they may lack specific knowledge of and information about the respective business and regulatory environment, effective and targeted business support schemes have an important role to play in this process. This chapter is the result of qualitative research on the pilot phase of such a programme in the Netherlands called ENPower. Based on semi-structured interviews, the participants and triangulation of findings with observations of key stakeholders, the results show that this programme managed to achieve its goal of supporting refugees to develop a viable business plan. Moreover, participation reinforced the refugees’ personal development and empowerment, showing the potential of such support to contribute to the fulfilment of SDG 8.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment are considered core development objectives (SDG 5) and instrumental in achieving other SDGs such as economic growth and food security and improved health and education. Cocoa is seen as a ‘man’s crop’ and there is entrenched gender bias in its value chain. However, women play a crucial role in the tending and post-harvesting of cocoa which are key to the price paid. This chapter investigates, via a 20-year in-depth case study, the partnership between Fair Trade Social Enterprise Divine Chocolate Ltd and Kuapa Kokoo (KK) cocoa farmer’s cooperative in Ghana. The case takes an in-depth look at women’s role in the cocoa value chain and how their strategic interests, practical needs and power can be addressed.

The Divine–Kuapa Kooko partnership, which implemented a clear resourced gender equality strategy, has made a positive contribution to reducing inequality, empowering women cocoa farmers and improving their rights. Setting quotas for women’s representation at all levels of KK’s structure has improved the strategic interests of women cocoa farmers and transformed the political structures of the cooperative. Also setting gender equality as part of the KK’s constitution enhances the empowerment and power of women cocoa farmers. Providing equal access to training and resources also enhances the practical capabilities of women.

The chapter proposes a framework of how to achieve improvements in gender quality and women’s empowerment. This case will assist other organisations who have targeted Sustainable Development Goal 5 of gender equality and women’s empowerment as part of their strategy.

This chapter examines the impact of national membership in international organizations on female entrepreneurship. Drawing on the institution-based view from global strategy and civil society theory from international relations, we show how international organizations can promote entrepreneurship opportunities for women with respect to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs). This research has both practical and social implications. From a practical perspective, it provides important insights for policy makers and entrepreneurs. Policy makers can use the findings to understand how the international organizations that countries join affect entrepreneurship, particularly the United Nation’s SDGs Entrepreneurs can also use the findings to advocate mutually beneficial conditions for host environments, particularly those dedicated to female empowerment. A sample of 44 countries, 5 years of data, and 130 country-year observations finds robust support for our assertions.

The economic growth and women’s empowerment nexus features prominently within United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). While the gendered view of inclusive economic opportunities has received significant attention in recent years, the gap between men and women in developing countries remains significant. Under the assumption that there are fertile prospects to bridge social responsibility and SDGs judiciously, this chapter explores the question: ‘what insights into women’s employment and empowerment can be generated from the state of cooperative enterprises in Nepal?’ The focus is on aspects of women’s employment and empowerment under goal 8, which promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Learning from the Nepalese experiences, the chapter contends that cooperative enterprise social responsibility (CESR) needs to be approached as the vital link between the internal and the external interests of cooperatives to achieve SDGs.