Business Models for SME’s Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

In the last 20 years, numerous scholars have focused on the importance of sustainable value creation by companies as a source of global competitive advantage. The latest crisis due to COVID-19 has accelerated the debate around the non-sustainability of the current business approach, pressing for new sustainable business models.

European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are recognized by the European Commission as the backbone of the European economy, constituting 99% of the total European business and 85% of total European employment (Eurostat, 2018). The transition toward a more sustainable development of companies requires a deep change in strategic thinking and in the ways that business is conducted. Unfortunately, SMEs are burdened by their limited resources and the various barriers that they face, all of which impede their transition to a sustainability which is consistent with their dimensions and the respective industries in which they operate. For this reason, the existing literature on SMEs must be extended to include studies related to SMEs’ contribution to sustainability.

Hence, in this Special Issue, we invite papers that address the challenges SMEs face when it comes to identifying paths to sustainable development that involve changes to their business models. Original theoretical research papers and case studies are welcome.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

- Sustainability business models

- Circular economy

- Sustainability performance assessment

- Sustainability and innovation

- Barriers to sustainability strategies in SMEs

Prof. Dr. Francesca Gennari
Prof. Dr. Raffaella Cassano
Prof. Dr. Fabio La Rosa
Guest Editors

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