The business of business is the common good
New economic theories that seek compatibility with human needs and our planet’s finite resources are emerging within different academic disciplines. For one, there is a growing body of literature considering alternatives to economic growth as potential solutions to the ongoing sustainability crises....
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| Formato: | First cycle, G2E |
| Lenguaje: | sueco Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2021
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| Acceso en línea: | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/17168/ |
| Sumario: | New economic theories that seek compatibility with human needs and our planet’s finite resources are emerging within different academic disciplines. For one, there is a growing body of literature considering alternatives to economic growth as potential solutions to the ongoing sustainability crises. Furthermore, a highly relevant question is what the role of businesses, as key economic institutions, is in the transition to a sustainable society. One possible answer to that question is that business in a post-growth future is not-for-profit.
The aim of this study is to examine the conditions for not-for-profit businesses in Sweden today, both in terms of their day-to-day operations and their work with sustainability. Three research questions are investigated: one considering the financial, legal and social structures surrounding not-for-profit business, one connecting the absence of a profit distribution motive and sustainability, and lastly, one gazing forward at what structural changes are perceived as important for facilitating a relative increase of not-for-profit business in Sweden.
Taking a theoretical stance in structuration theory, institutional economics, theories of sustainable business, and the Not-for-profit framework, the research questions were answered by conducting six semi-structured interviews with representatives from not-for-profit businesses in Sweden. Additionally, a pre-study containing document analysis was conducted.
The study concludes that there are constraining financial, legal, and social structures surrounding not-for-profit businesses consisting of for instance the exclusion from investment-willing private capital following the nondistribution constraint, public procurement being perceived as more adapted for the for-profit logic, and a skepticism towards not-for-profit business from banks and for-profit actors in some markets. On the other hand, there are simultaneously enabling structures exemplified by feasible alternative forms of funding, well-adapted association forms, and a positive attitude towards not-for-profit businesses from the public sector, politicians on all sides of the political spectrum as well as the general public. Furthermore, the study concludes that the absence of a profit distribution motive does not automatically entail that not-for-profit businesses are sustainable, but the results indicate that not-for-profit businesses have superior prerequisites to prioritize sustainability compared to for-profit forms of business. Finally, the study concludes that structural changes that are perceived as important for facilitating a relative increase of not-for-profit businesses includes adapting the rules surrounding public procurement, more actors such as unions getting involved, and a value shift away from prioritizing individual gain towards prioritizing gains for the common good. |
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