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Cited by 50Environmental Sustainability in BusinessSustainable Supply Chain ManagementSustainability and Innovation in Business

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Explaining sustainability performance and maturity in SMEs – Learnings from a 100-participant sustainability innovation project

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Salvador, Rodrigo, Søberg, Peder Veng, Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard, Schmidt-Kallesøe, Lise-Lotte, Larsen, Samuel Brüning·2023·Journal of Cleaner Production
DOI 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138248
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Abstract

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many economies and shape the sustainability of both production and consumption. SMEs differ drastically in their sustainability performance and maturity. The objective of this paper is to assess what aspects of SMEs' activities, including their links to stakeholders in their supply chains, explain a company's sustainability performance. Using a literature-based theoretical framework for assessing SME sustainability performance and maturity, the study conducts a survey with participants in a 100-company sustainability innovation project conducted in the Greater Copenhagen region. The sample of companies reaches across several industries including construction, hotel/conference, information technology, and manufacturing. The study analyses survey data using paired sample t-tests and regression analyses. The results show that the following factors help explain the sustainability performance and maturity of SMEs in the sample: the degree of customer involvement in product and process development; engaging, communicating and partnering with customers; customer segmentation, technology and innovation as constituent parts in the business strategy; and the amount of time dedicated specifically to commercial and marketing efforts and process development. The study shows that devoting time and resources to engage with customers in product and process development will lead to increased sustainability performance and maturity. These results contrast with the traditional norm that companies develop as a reaction to changing customer requirements. The novelty of this study lies in bringing to light the aspects within the management of SMEs contribute to explaining their sustainability performance, and thus can be used to guide improvements. Unveiling this allows SMEs to deploy sustainability-focused action.

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Metadata

Authors
Salvador, R., Søberg, P. V., Jørgensen, M. S., Schmidt-Kallesøe, L.-L., & Larsen, S. B.
Affiliations
  • Technical University of Denmark (DK)
  • Aalborg University (DK)
  • Danish Technological Institute (DK)
Corresponding author
Salvador, Rodrigo
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Cleaner Production
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2023-09
Volume
419
Pages
138248
ISSN
0959-6526 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138248
OpenAlex
W4385357946
Cited by
50
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 2
FWCI
13.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Cleaner Production (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • VBN Forskningsportal (Aalborg Universitet) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • European Regional Development Fund (RFH-18-0022)
  • Region Hovedstaden
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Environmental Sustainability in Business
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Sustainable Supply Chain Management
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management of Technology and Innovation › Sustainability and Innovation in Business
Keywords
small and medium-sized enterprises, sustainability performance, sustainability maturity, sustainable innovation, customer involvement, customer segmentation, customer engagement, business strategy, process development, marketing activities, Greater Copenhagen

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