We examined the entrepreneurial orientation and sustainability orientation, a persistent and conflicting duality, of sustainable entrepreneurs and their evaluation of competing priorities in sustainability decision making. We conducted an exploratory, mixed-method study of 24 sustainable fashion firms and collected data through structured surveys and rich in-depth interviews. Through our inductive and deductive analysis, we derive three sustainability decision making profiles (singular, flexible and holistic) with distinct prioritization logic (nested, ordered and aligned, respectively). We find different configurations of entrepreneurial orientation correspond to the sustainability decision making profiles. We extend the literature by showing how the reflexivity of entrepreneurial orientation interacts with sustainability orientation.
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This paper argues for a Problem Based Learning (PBL) design that promotes digital tool usage in entrepreneurship and innovation management education, in order to develop students’ innovative behavior and entrepreneurial orientation. Survey data were collected from 89 students in Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland. The results of the study show that PBL activities positively impact students’ digital tool usage, innovative behavior, and entrepreneurial orientation. The results also provide support for the full mediating role of students’ innovative behavior in the relationship between PBL activities and students’ entrepreneurial orientation. Therefore, based on this research we encourage Higher Education Institutions to integrate effective skill sets into innovation and entrepreneurship education by integrating the usage of digital tools into PBL open-source educational resources.
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Sustainable entrepreneurs need to balance social, environmental and economic goals. However, some put sustainable goals first whereas others prioritize economic outcomes. This suggests differences in types of sustainable entrepreneurs. We study sustainable entrepreneur archetypes based on their motivations to start a venture and on their entrepreneurial orientation (EO). This is important to understand since the degrees of EO and motivations determines not only the sustainability of a venture but also its success and activities of sustainable entrepreneurs. Based on the extant literature and an exploratory, mixed-method study of 24 sustainable fashion firms we put forward four distinct sustainable entrepreneurship archetypes which differ in motivation and EO, namely: Idealists, Evangelists, Realists and Opportunists. Implications for practice, theory and future research are suggested.
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