Kim Poldner

Embodied Multi-Discursivity: An Aesthetic Process Approach to Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Sustainable entrepreneurship is a vital and growing area of entrepreneurship studies. Although charged with multiple potentially conflicting discourses, sustainable entrepreneurship is usually viewed from a binary logic of business versus sustainability. This article uses an aesthetic process approach to sustainable entrepreneurship to move beyond this binary logic and unearth the tensions between multiple discourses. The authors introduce the construct of embodied multi-discursivity that addresses this issue methodologically as well as conceptually. By combining discourse analysis with aesthetic inquiry, the article pushes the boundaries of “traditional” qualitative methods. The aim is to encourage sustainable entrepreneurship scholars to expand their methodological horizon to capture the emotionally charged, value-laden processes they study. Embodied multi-discursivity shows how multi-discursive processes of entrepreneurship come into being, how they are disrupted, and how they can break into a duality that ignores the variety of discourses. The authors conclude by drawing some implications for sustainable entrepreneurship.

Shecopreneuring: Stitching Global Ecosystems in the Ethical Fashion Industry

This chapter extends the literature on socially and ecologically minded entrepreneurship (Nicholls 2008, p. xix)—to ask how individuals can (re) imagine and realize more sustainable global ecosystems. Human action can create landscapes that are “at least as rich and as stable, occasionally as beautiful as those shaped by nature” (Lyle, 1999; Campbell, 2006). Taking responsibility for the environment begins with individual transformation and practices (Ruether, 1992). As individuals grow, experiment, and change (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Pardeck, 1988), they may influence their own ecosystem (Paolucci, Hall, & Axinn, 1977; Slocombe, 1993) and change how others perceive and interact within that ecosystem (Lustermann, 1985). Some individuals can develop intricate systems of practices to sustain their ecologically embedded livelihoods (Whiteman & Cooper, 2000), yet in our increasingly global ecosystems, ecological embeddedness risks becoming the exception rather than the rule. Irresponsible choices prevail; against their backdrop, responsible practices deserve further study.

Ethical Fashion: An Exploratory Research

This paper represents an attempt to examine and evaluate ethical fashion. It will use a combination of primary as well as secondary sources of information to provide some plausible answers to the questions surrounding the field of ethical fashion. The Ethical Fashion Forum (EEF) suggests that ethical fashion represents an approach to the design, sourcing and manufacture of clothing which maximises benefits to people and communities while minimising impact on the environment. However, in practice these definitions do not always apply to every garment made under the ‘ethical’ label. Therefore, the EEF believes that the application and integration of the triple bottom line concept at the core of the business practices and policy throughout the organisation would be crucial (www.EEF.com).

Osklen: the aesthetics of social change

Subject area Sustainable fashion. Study level/applicability Bachelor Degree/Master Degree, Master of Business Administration (MBA), PhD. Case overview The case focuses on Osklen, one of the world’s first eco-fashion brands, founded in 1989 by Oskar Metsavaht. For the past 26 years, Osklen had become Brazil’s foremost sustainable luxury venture, and since 2012, under first minority and then majority corporate ownership, pursued an aggressive global expansion strategy. The dilemma of the case juxtaposes Osklen’s creative aesthetics, which leverage unique Brazilian beauty in nature and heritage, with the financial pressures of global expansion. The tension is exacerbated by the 2015 corruption scandal, which decelerated the Brazilian economy and reduced consumer spending on sustainable luxuries in Osklen’s home market; it also risked compromising the appeal of Brazilian brands elsewhere. The case explores the complex interconnections between local and global aspects of sustainability and brings forward the environmental, social and cultural aspects of brands and business to the foreground. The case also illustrates how economic crises impact brands from the initial creative inspiration to the prospects of global expansion. Expected learning outcomes Students will master tools for strategic analysis (VRIN framework and scenario planning) to a company evolving in an emerging economy. They will learn about the ways to consider and communicate sustainability. Students will be exposed to the importance of aesthetics and multi-sensoriality in business activities. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy