During the 21st century the attention of sustainability and social responsibility has increased. Therefore, it is interesting to study how the responsibility is expressed in sustainability reports within today's companies. In this study we examine the motives behind the sustainability work in order to identify the driving forces of the companies, but also to illustrate possible variations between industries. The study is based on qualitative content analyzes of sustainability reports from eight companies, operating in four different industries. Research in the area shows that small and medium-sized companies represent 90 percent of the world's companies and the motives for working sustainably are related to firm size. Therefore, it is interesting to study companies that fall into the considerably smaller category, large companies. There is also research which suggests that social responsibility can be a business-oriented motivation or a form of resource efficiency which further generates both internal and external benefits. The previous research also shows that the sustainability phenomenon is more developed in Sweden compared to other countries, which is another interesting aspect to why we examine the Swedish context. Our result indicates that the motives behind social responsibility are related to a specific company, rather than being an industry-specific phenomenon. The study also highlights that there are variations regarding both the degree and form of responsibility, which can be found within the social sustainability aspect. / Under 2000-talet har uppmärksamheten kring området hållbarhet och socialt ansvar ökat. Det är därmed intressant att studera hur ansvaret tar sitt uttryck i hållbarhetsrapporteringen inom dagens företag. I detta självständiga arbete undersöker vi motiven bakom hållbarhetsarbetet för att identifiera företagens drivkrafter, men även eventuella variationer mellan branscher. Studien är baserad på kvalitativa innehållsanalyser av hållbarhetsrapporter från åtta företag, verksamma inom fyra olika branscher. Forskning inom området redogör för att små- och medelstora företag representerar 90 procent av världens företag samt att motiven till att arbeta hållbart är relaterade till dess storlek. Det är därmed intressant att studera företag som ingår i den avsevärt mindre kategorin, nämligen storföretagen. Det finns även forskning som tyder på att socialt ansvar kan utgöra en affärsinriktad motivation eller en form av resurseffektivisering som vidare genererar både interna och externa fördelar. Den tidigare forskningen visar dessutom att hållbarhetsfenomenet är mer utvecklat i Sverige jämfört med andra länder, varpå det är intressant att vi undersöker den svenska kontexten. Vårt resultat tyder på att motiven bakom det sociala ansvaret är relaterat till det specifika företaget, snarare än att vara ett branschspecifikt fenomen. Studien belyser även att det finns variationer avseende både den grad och form av ansvar som återfinns inom den sociala hållbarhetsaspekten.

The Tropics continue to provide the most biologically diverse and carbon rich forest in the world, but they are being lost at alarming rates. To meet the global climate change targets and the UN sustainable development goals, financing is urgently needed to speed up and increase tropical forest restoration. The aim of this thesis is to show that sustainable timber and non-timber forest products offer are a viable vehicle for investment in tropical forest restoration and to identify the needed incentives and tools to enable sustainable investment.   There is a lack of research on the integration between business model design and sustainability generally and an absence of business models for tropical forest restoration. Very little research if any, has been undertaken to link the two and evaluate the feasibility of applying business models on tropical forest restoration, especially with regard to its potential as an interesting investment option. This thesis gives a background about tropical forest restorations, sustainable investment, presents three tropical reforestation projects and a conceptual framework. The conceptual framework will be used to evaluate the potential for business model application to finance restoration and enable sustainable investments.   Using a business model for tropical forest restoration projects, which in most cases are not defined as businesses, is an innovative approach and an agent of needed radical change. A business model is a crucial strategic management tool to enable success of tropical forest restorations. The core logic of the business model can offer equitable customer value and the fulfillment of new types of needs. Merging economic development and forest restoration is a powerful tool for innovation. The critical variables for financing are management, monitoring, operational efficiency, political incentives and regulations, stakeholder involvement, community benefits, transparency and information communication technology.

Background: As Earth’s resources are continuously being used at an overcapacity, circular economy (CE) has received a growing interest from scholars, practitioners and legislators. The phenomenon has been described as a solution to the linear take-make-dispose strategy integrated into society and used by organisations. However, despite the possibilities within the CE, organisations require more knowledge as to how the transition towards CE occurs, on account of the changes that also need to transpire in the organisational business model (BM). Hence, this study focuses on how practices facilitate innovation and thus, the implementation of CE within organisations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the transition that an organisation endures when innovating the BM in line with CE. Accordingly, the study takes the perspective of managers as change agents as they represent the organisation when strategizing and implementing practices. By investigating the link between managers and business model innovation (BMI) to achieve CE adoption, this study aims to provide a deeper insight into CE and the transition organisations go through. Method: Our method has been founded on a qualitative study with an explorative nature. Additionally, we have used a multiple case-study approach of two companies where the primary data was collected through 13 semi-structured interviews. Moreover, the data has been analysed by using comparative analysis to identify patterns between the two companies. Conclusion: The results of the study show how internal and external factors influence the transition journey of companies when innovating the BM, and implementing circular practices in line with a circular business model (CBM). Moreover, the findings exhibit how managers interact with these factors to select and alter processes to establish suitable practices from the vision and the level of flexibility achieved in the organisation

Our world is rapidly being redefined by digitalization and disruptive innovations such as changing customer preferences, demographical shifts, and by putting tremendous environmental pressure including scarce resources and a contribution to climate change. Change under these circumstances often brings traditional business models to lose their competitive edge and in the end fail. Previous research of the specific term successful models is vague with ambiguous definitions of the conceptualization of a sustainable business model. More alarming is the limited research addressing the sustainable innovation process thus explaining the existing organizational management problems, where today, firms are operating blindfolded without any academic- or empirical guidance. Fashion as a part of the world’s economy is undoubtedly considered as one of the areas that urgently requires the adoption of more sustainable business models, bringing all actors within the fashion retail industry into a challenging position. The thesis aims to contribute with theoretical knowledge and empirical evidence to bridge this gap by addressing following purpose: explore and improve the understanding of how traditional clothing retailers within the fashion retail industry innovate their current sustainable business models. The thesis is anchored in an exploratory case study at a traditional fashion retail company focusing on children apparel, namely Polarn O. Pyret. Finding shows that the case company simultaneously performs sustainability practices within their existing model, suggesting that a comparative approach can be appropriate when innovating already commercialized sustainable business models. Furthermore, empirical findings explicitly show five factors that differentiate the conventional concept with the sustainability concept of a business model. Thenceforth, the innovation process is explored from this context involving both advantages and challenges. Hence, the process occurs simultaneously, it is recommended to perform a variety of sustainability practices, to spread out the level of complexity and thereby optimize the utilization of resources. The thesis highlights an existing Pilot Prototype when implementing sustainability practices into the current model. Thereby, risks and uncertainty factors can be mitigated to ensure the implementation of sustainable competitive advantage. The thesis makes up for three contributions. First, a contribution with practical knowledge on how traditional clothing retailers is innovating their sustainable business model. Second, the study contributes with an increased understanding of the innovation process of launching successfully developed- or refined models. Third, the thesis makes an analytical contribution by the conceptual framework of references, forming a consolidation of the ambiguous conceptualization settled in a specific context. / Vår värld omdefinieras drastiskt av digitalisering och innovationer som skapar nya kundpreferenser, demografiska förändringar samt att genom en enorm miljöpress inklusive knappa resurser, bidra till klimatförändringarna. Förändringar under dessa omständigheter får ofta traditionella affärsmodeller att tappa sin konkurrenskraft och i slutändan misslyckas. Tidigare forskning av den specifika termen framgångsrika modeller är vag med tvetydiga definitioner av konceptualiseringen av en hållbar affärsmodell. Mer alarmerande är den begränsade forskningen som studerar den hållbara innovationsprocessen och därmed förklarar de befintliga problem för organisationsledningar, där företag idag arbetar utan någon akademisk- eller empirisk vägledning. Mode som en del av världens ekonomi betraktas utan tvekan som ett av de områden som brådskande kräver mer hållbara affärsmodeller, vilket sätter alla aktörer inom modebranschen i en utmanande position. Examensarbetet syftar till att bidra med teoretisk kunskap och empiriskt bevis för att överbrygga detta gap, genom att ta itu med följande syfte: utforska och förbättra förståelsen för hur traditionella klädförsäljare inom modebranschen utvecklar sina nuvarande hållbara affärsmodeller. Examensarbetet är förankrad i en undersökande fallstudie hos ett traditionellt klädesbolag, nämligen Polarn O. Pyret. Resultat visar att fallföretaget samtidigt utför hållbarhetspraxis inom sin befintliga modell, vilket indikerar att en jämförande strategi kan vara lämplig när man utvecklar redan kommersialiserade hållbara affärsmodeller. Vidare visar empiriska fynd fem faktorer som skiljer det konventionella konceptet med det hållbara för en affärsmodell. Från den här kontexten utforskas innovationsprocessen som involverar både fördelar och utmaningar. Då utvecklingen sker simultant rekommenderas det att utföra olika typer av hållbarhetspraxis för att sprida ut komplexitetsnivån och därmed få jämnfördelade resurser och samtidigt få konkurrenskraft. Examensarbetet belyser en befintlig akademisk pilotprototyp vid implementering av hållbarhetspraxis i den nuvarande modellen, därmed kan risker och osäkerhetsfaktorer mildras/överkommas för att säkerställa hållbara konkurrensfördelar. Examensarbetet bidrar till forskningen på tre sätt. Först och främst bidrar resultatet med kunskap om hur traditionella klädesbolag utvecklar sina befintliga hållbara affärsmodeller. För det andra bidrar studien till en ökad förståelse av innovationsprocessen för att lansera framgångsrika nya- eller förfinade modeller. Slutligen ger examensarbetet ett analytiskt bidrag genom den konceptuella referensramen för att skapa en konsolidering av den tvetydiga konceptualiseringen satt i ett specifikt sammanhang.

The objective of the thesis is to analyse how stakeholder influence has transformed sustainability work from being primarily risk management into becoming an integral part of business conduct and even business identities of today. To detect this trend I gather theoretical information that elaborate on the meaning and drivers of sustainable business conduct, sustainability as corporate identity, relevant stakeholders and ways of communicating to stakeholders. A case study of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company is conducted, as an example of a market leader on sustainable business conduct. By demonstrating the extensive sustainability work that Ben & Jerry’s do, I argue that it has had a clear bottom-up influence on the trend for sustainable business conduct. Together with recent regulatory demands as a top-down influence in markets, I argue that there is evidence of a trend where sustainable business conduct and/or sustainability as business identity is becoming the new norm.

Despite the recent recession, the economic growth of recent decades has created a group of so-called ‘Global-Elites’ (CeMoRe, 2010). Small in number, but high in net worth and influence they are influential in the creation of, and desire for consumption, often portrayed as luxury, privilege, prestige, and 'class'. The tourism industry has also benefited from growth, with demand predicted to double by the year 2020, reaching an estimated $14.95 billion (World Tourism & Travel Council, 2010). Much of this growth has been at the top end, as Keissling et. al. (2009) note an unprecedented rise in demand for the luxury hotel sector over the past decade. The global elite’s leisure consumption practices require considerable research attention, and yet research into luxury services, such as hotels and associated hospitality services, is greatly undeveloped. Atwal and Williams (2008) note the ability of consumption as a means for consumers to make statements about themselves, and nowhere is this more true than in the world of the Global-Elite, who seemingly having no desire to curb current travel activities (Elliott & Urry, 2009). This may be due to the uncertainty that is felt about future travel opportunities, with environmental decline of natural and heritage attractions paralleled by numerous threats to travel such as peak oil and political instability. However, in recent years, there has been increased interest in the study of ethical consumption in the tourism arena (e.g. Novelli, 2005; Sharpley, 2006; Lansing & Vries, 2006; Yeoman et. al., 2006). Although there appears to be incompatibility between the concepts of luxury and concerns around ethical consumption and sustainability, this research posits that while current transitions (around travel and tourism) continue towards further unsustainability (Cohen, 2010), ethical consumption may provide an avenue for social distinction and status differentiation in the world of the Global-Elites. In order to adequately understand the behavioural intentions of the Global-Elites, the synergy between consumer values, luxury dimensions and ethical consumption needs to be explored. This research examines the influence of consumer values, as a more universal measure of intent, in relation to ethical consumption in luxury hotels. This research argues that by reducing the uncertainty related to the degree to which consumers (Global-Elites) value ethical consumption, deeper insights into these apparently incompatible spaces and places for ethical consumption will be obtained. Furthermore, luxury hotels will be able to assess the suitability of marketing and communicating such strategies to their customers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors influencing restaurant Owner-Managers’ decisions to adopt sustainability innovations in restaurants. A cross-sectional survey research design is used for this study, which entails distributing a survey to restaurants in the City of Richmond, Virginia, to gain an understanding of the factors influencing sustainability innovation adoption. Drawing from both the innovation adoption theory and the theory of planned behavior, the researcher contributes a baseline of the restaurants’ sustainability and the Owner-Managers’ intrinsic motivations. By integrating innovation adoption theory’s perceived innovation characteristics and measuring restaurants’ past sustainability behavior, this study increases the overall explanatory power of the theory of planned behavior. The findings demonstrate the need for new policy that effectively increases the rate of sustainability innovation adoption throughout Richmond’s restaurant industry. This study’s baseline contribution enables policymakers to move from planning to the implementation of the initiatives needed to achieve the economic development goal and first objective detailed in the City of Richmond’s sustainability plan, RVAgreen: A Roadmap to Sustainability (2011).

Abstract     BACKGROUND:  As being acknowledged relatively recently there is a scarcity of empirical studies regarding the phenomenon of high-growth companies. What effect high-growth has on sustainable business model innovation and the firm’s sustainable value network has not been researched widely yet if at all, and this study aims to provide an insight to these matter with reviewed literature and the case study.   RESEARCH QUESTION: How is high-growth related to sustainable business model innovation?   PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe, if high-growth affects the need for sustainable business model innovation and in addition how sustainable business model innovation affects to value network in Product-service systems. By bringing these aspects closer together in this dispersed research field of studies related to sustainable business model innovation and broaden the academic field and develop understanding among these concepts and their interrelations, and to provide some theoretical framework for the future research, and to provide some insights on the matters and maybe offer some general guidelines for managers who are working with these matters as part of their job.

In the upcoming years, our society and economy will face enormous challenges due to global warming, which is caused by the emissions of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases. Due to its high share of CO2emission, the detrimental role of the automotive industry has recently been put into the spotlight of the public discussion. Thanks to a growing public awareness of climate change and the pollution caused by vehicles, there is now a call for action towards a more sustainable business approach by car manufacturers. The objective of this research is to investigate the actions taken by car manufacturers to meet these demands and to reveal the driving forces of this transformation. This will be done by an empirical analysis of qualitative data from two of the main companies in this sector, namely the BMW Group and the Volvo Car Group. The data comprises interviews with representatives of the two car manufacturers together which is combined with their non- financial reporting. Furthermore, this study presents the relevant scientific literature on business models. This combination of theoretical and empirical evidence will allow us to shed light on whether sustainability is a chance or a burden for car manufacturers. The results of our empirical analysis show that a sustainable business model is a chance for car manufacturers to gain a competitive edge against their competitors and thereby ensure their long-term survival. More specifically, a higher sustainability can lead to cost savings in production, new value propositions in marketing, and new revenue models overall. However, the transformation to sustainable business models also poses several challenges for the companies. Nonetheless, in summary, sustainability in the context of business models is more of a chance than a burden.

O objetivo deste trabalho é contribuir para a discussão sobre como as organizações podem desenvolver modelos de negócio que promovam a mobilidade urbana sustentável, diante da relevância crescente que as discussões sobre o futuro da mobilidade e das cidades como um todo tem assumido em diversas áreas da ciência. Parte-se da ideia de que a concentração da produção de bens e serviços em grandes centros urbanos tem acentuado cada vez mais o desafio de reduzir a dependência do veículo privado para promover alternativas que promovam a mobilidade sustentável, visto que o uso crescente deste modal trouxe reduções significativas nos padrões de qualidade do deslocamento das pessoas, além de impactar diretamente as funções econômica, ambiental e social das cidades. Nesse contexto, têm emergido diversos atores interessados em desenvolver novos modelos de negócio no campo da mobilidade urbana, expandindo as fronteiras de um setor que anteriormente vinha sendo regido, principalmente, pelas regras da indústria automotiva. No entanto, embora a literatura tenha discutido sobre como cada vez mais modelos de negócios são relevantes diante dos desafios da mobilidade sustentável, menor atenção tem sido dedicada para compreender o que de fato caracteriza um modelo de negócio orientado à mobilidade urbana sustentável. Para preencher essa lacuna de pesquisa, recorreu-se a uma análise tanto da literatura de mobilidade urbana sustentável quanto à de modelos de negócio sustentáveis. A partir do resultado da intersecção entre essas literaturas, foi proposto um modelo conceitual que abrange oito tipologias pelas quais um modelo de negócio pode promover a mobilidade sustentável, além de aspectos que caracterizam esses modelos de forma transversal. O modelo conceitual foi testado empiricamente em seis modelos de negócio alinhados às tipologias definidas, com base em um estudo de casos múltiplos de caráter exploratório. O resultado do estudo de campo evidenciou outras variáveis relevantes que devem ser consideradas na caracterização de modelos de negócio orientados à mobilidade urbana sustentável no contexto brasileiro, além de barreiras associadas ao desenvolvimento dessas iniciativas. Dessa forma, o resultado da pesquisa permitiu enriquecer o modelo conceitual proposto inicialmente com a incorporação de novas dimensões de análise, bem como obter uma perspectiva mais ampla sobre a compreensão de modelos de negócio orientados à mobilidade urbana sustentável. / The objective of this research is to contribute to the discussion about how organizations may develop business models oriented to sustainable urban mobility, given the growing relevance that discussions about the future of mobility and cities have assumed in several areas of knowledge. It is based on the idea that the concentration of the production of goods and services in large urban centers has increasingly accentuated the challenge of reducing dependence on private car use to providing alternatives that promote sustainable mobility, because the use of the previous modal has produced significant reductions in people\'s travel quality standards and has directly affected the economic, environmental, and social functions of cities. In this context, several actors have emerged interested in developing new business models in urban mobility field, expanding frontiers previously dominated exclusively by the automotive industry players. However, although researchers have increasingly examined how business models promote sustainable urban mobility, less attention has been focused on what constitutes business models oriented to sustainable urban mobility. To fill this research gap, a theoretical analysis of sustainable urban mobility and sustainable business models was made. From the result of this literature intersection, a conceptual framework was proposed and organized in eight typologies by which a business model could promote sustainable mobility, besides some aspects that characterize these models in a transversal way. The conceptual framework was empirically tested in six business models aligned to the defined typologies, based on an exploratory multiple case study. The results of the empirical study revealed other relevant variables that should be considered in order to characterize business models oriented to sustainable urban mobility in Brazil context, in addition to some barriers associated with the development of these initiatives. In this way, the research results allowed to enrich the conceptual framework proposed initially with the incorporation of new analysis dimensions, as well as to obtain a broader perspective on how business models can promote sustainable urban mobility.