Managing Sustainable Hybrid Organisations: A Case Study in the Agricultural Sector
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. The Sustainability-Driven Hybrid Business Model
2.1. Social and Environmental Change as Organisational Objective
2.2. Mutually Beneficial Relationships with Stakeholders
2.3. Progressive Interaction with Markets, Competitors and Industry Institutions
3. Material and Methods
- The grape producer has received a fair price.
- The grape has been produced according to good agricultural practices (GAP), from local strains, and with respect for the ecosystem.
- The cellar is an active member of its local community, and it gives to and cooperates with its environment.
- Its promotion activities are designed to take into account the local culture.
- The cellar has active contact with local schools and/or universities and uses education as a driver of sustainable development in the territory.
4. Results
4.1. Social and Environmental Change as Organisational Objective
4.2. Mutually Beneficial Relationships with Stakeholders
4.2.1. Smallholders
It is a wine that is produced with affection; it has my sun and my soil. It has all the values of our environment and all the work that we have done with our own hands, mine and those of my family. We do not pursue quantity, but quality, [we want it] to have the flavour of here, to describe our mountains and, above all, to transmit all the love that we have put into it (Juan Fuster).[55]
This isn’t going to feed us. But it’s something more romantic. It’s about restoring the value of this land that was abandoned (Beatriz Vicent).[56]
4.2.2. Distributors/Customers
A project like that of Celler La Muntanya is something we can relate to. It’s a commitment to the future, but at the same time it’s a return to our origins and the regeneration of an identity that we would probably have lost (Alberto Redrado, L’Escaleta –Restaurant, Cocentaina, Alicante).
When one hears about this project and such a romantic adventure that is the recovery of the smallholdings, and specifically the Microvinya project, one doesn’t want to be left out; one wants to participate in this project. I think that the good has to be shared (José Luis G. Sirvent, El Sequé –Restaurant, Rural house hotel, El Pinós, Alicante).
The priority in our rural hotel is to spread our culture, our gastronomy, our environment, and for this reason, we buy Celler La Muntanya’s wines, because the Microvinya project fits perfectly with our enterprise’s philosophy (Raquel Soler, Casa Rural Bons Aires Hotel, Alcoi, Alicante).
At Celler la Muntanya the grapes are supplied by friends, we manage the winery among friends, and now we need more friends to enjoy our wines.
4.2.3. Local Community
4.3. Progressive Interaction with Markets, Competitors and Industry Institutions
5. Discussion and Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Social and Environmental Change as Organisational Objective | Mutually Beneficial Relationships with Stakeholders | Progressive Interaction with Market and Industry Institutions |
---|---|---|
—CLM’s mission focuses on social and environmental issues: “Regenerate abandoned vineyards and restore and replant autochthonous vineyards; pay producers a fair price for their work; promote the business in coherence with the culture of the land where the grapes are grown and establish close links with education”. —Paradigm shift from “produce to sell” to “produce to generate value for society”. —Harmonisation of quadruple profitability: social, environmental, cultural and economic. —Links with Slow Food and Economy for the Common Good (ECG) movements. | Smallholders —Fair prices are set. —Technical support. Distributors/customers —CLM tries to attract distributors that share its values and that can successfully spread its philosophy. —The firm prefers more direct distribution channels and attending customers in person at the cellar (dealing with consumers directly). Local community Education (‘driver of change’): —Agreements with universities for the development of research activities related to viticulture as well as courses. —Didactic micro-vineyards in secondary schools. —Organisation of courses and conferences to disseminate smallholder culture and the Microvinya project philosophy. Culture: —Links with people related to the cultural and social life of the region and organisation of events in various fields: poetry, music, painting, etc. Other stakeholders Proximity strategy—maximum use of local resources. Whenever possible, local suppliers provide all products such as boxes, pallets, labels, etc. | —Extensive promotion of change through agreements with universities. —Relationships with public institutions in order to obtain support for new and more sustainable business models as an alternative to the dominant industrial agriculture model. The company acts as an institutional entrepreneur. —Through the Microvinya project, and the associated label, the company encourages other companies in geographical areas with similar structural characteristics to emulate its business model in order to contribute to the good of society. |
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Díaz-Correa, J.E.; López-Navarro, M.A. Managing Sustainable Hybrid Organisations: A Case Study in the Agricultural Sector. Sustainability 2018, 10, 3010. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093010
Díaz-Correa JE, López-Navarro MA. Managing Sustainable Hybrid Organisations: A Case Study in the Agricultural Sector. Sustainability. 2018; 10(9):3010. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093010
Chicago/Turabian StyleDíaz-Correa, Jennifer E., and Miguel A. López-Navarro. 2018. "Managing Sustainable Hybrid Organisations: A Case Study in the Agricultural Sector" Sustainability 10, no. 9: 3010. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10093010