Abstract
There is an increasing interest within the field of Information Systems as well as political agendas to identify the potential of digital technologies to promote sustainable development. Nonetheless, sustainable entrepreneurship and digital entrepreneurship are widely treated separately within the literature, suggesting that there is little understanding of how entrepreneurs could employ digital technologies to promote sustainable development. Based on an empirical, qualitative research approach, relying on Grounded Theory methodology, this paper identifies characteristics of sustainable digital entrepreneurs. An investigation of the manifestations of the sustainable digital orientation reveals a rather diffuse understanding of the relation and potential synergy effects. In response to this gap, the paper presents examples on how sustainable digital entrepreneurs employ digital and disruptive technologies to tackle sustainability challenges (IT4Sustainability development path), including information and communication technology, such as digital platforms, artificial intelligence, or drone technology. The presented approaches range from second-mover approaches associated with low digital maturity limited to the business level to the development of new business models facilitating the sustainable transition of whole sectors. These insights are summarized in an IT4Sustainability maturity model, which presents different starting points for entrepreneurs. Relevant theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed, especially concerning the education on IT4Sustainability, including Corporate Digital Responsibility.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
Interested readers can receive the interview guide from the authors upon request.
References
Ammirato, S., Sofo, F., Felicetti, A. M., Helander, N., & Aramo-Immonen, H. (2019). A new typology to characterize Italian digital entrepreneurs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 26(2), 224–245. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-02-2019-0105
Bandera, C., & Passerini, K. (2018). Personality traits and the digital entrepreneur: A new breed or same actor? AMCIS 2018 Proceedings. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2018/Philosophy/Presentations/3
Berg, H., & Wilts, H. (2019). Digital platforms as market places for the circular economy—Requirements and challenges. NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum | Sustainability Management Forum, 27(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00550-018-0468-9
Berkhout, F., & Hertin, J. (2001). Impacts of information and communication technologies on environmental sustainability: Speculations and evidence.
Bican, P. M., & Brem, A. (2020). Digital business model, digital transformation, digital entrepreneurship: Is there a sustainable “digital”? Sustainability, 12(13), 5239. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135239
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory. SAGE.
Choi, D. Y., & Gray, E. R. (2004). Understanding the sustainable entrepreneur. 2004 IEEE international engineering management conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37574), 2, 708–712. https://doi.org/10.1109/IEMC.2004.1407471.
Choongo, P., Paas, L. J., Masurel, E., van Burg, E., & Lungu, J. (2019). Entrepreneurs’ personal values and CSR orientations: Evidence from SMEs in Zambia. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 26(4), 545–570. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-02-2017-0080
Elia, G., Margherita, A., & Passiante, G. (2020). Digital entrepreneurship ecosystem: How digital technologies and collective intelligence are resha** the entrepreneurial process. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 150, 119791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2019.119791
Gast, J., Gundolf, K., & Cesinger, B. (2017). Doing business in a green way: A systematic review of the ecological sustainability entrepreneurship literature and future research directions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 147, 44–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.065
George, G., Merrill, R. K., & Schillebeeckx, S. J. D. (2020). Digital sustainability and entrepreneurship: How digital innovations are hel** tackle climate change and sustainable development. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 1042258719899425. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258719899425.
Giones, F., & Brem, A. (2017). Digital technology entrepreneurship: A definition and research agenda. Technology Innovation Management Review, 7(5), 8.
Glaser, B. G., Strauss, A. L., & Strutzel, E. (1968). The discovery of grounded theory; Strategies for qualitative research. Nursing Research, 17(4), 364.
Gregori, P., & Holzmann, P. (2020). Digital sustainable entrepreneurship: A business model perspective on embedding digital technologies for social and environmental value creation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 272, 122817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122817
Griese, K.-M., Schmidt, A., & Baringhorst, S. (2018). Organisationale Resilienz im Unternehmen im Kontext von hohem Digitalisierungs- und Nachhaltigkeitsgrad. In Strategische Produktplanung und systems engineering (pp. 345–362). Heinz Nixdorf Institut.
Happonen, A., Minashkina, D., Nolte, A., & Angarita, M. A. M. (2020). Hackathons as a company – University collaboration tool to boost circularity innovations and digitalization enhanced sustainability. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2233(1), 050009. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0001883
Harris, L. C., & Crane, A. (2002). The greening of organizational culture: Management views on the depth, degree and diffusion of change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 15(3), 214–234. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534810210429273
Hilty, L. M., & Aebischer, B. (Eds.). (2015). ICT Innovations for Sustainability (Vol. 310). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09228-7
Isensee, C., Teuteberg, F., Griese, K.-M., & Topi, C. (2020). The relationship between organizational culture, sustainability, and digitalization in SMEs: A systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 122944. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122944
Jacob, M. (2019). Digitalisierung und Nachhaltigkeit in Unternehmen. In M. Jacob (Ed.), Digitalisierung & Nachhaltigkeit: Eine unternehmerische Perspektive (pp. 39–83). Springer Fachmedien. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-26217-4_2.
Kostoska, O., & Kocarev, L. (2019). A Novel ICT framework for sustainable development goals. Sustainability, 11(7), 1961. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071961
Kraus, S., Palmer, C., Kailer, N., Kallinger, F. L., & Spitzer, J. (2018). Digital entrepreneurship: A research agenda on new business models for the twenty-first century. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-06-2018-0425.
Krüger, N., & Teuteberg, F. (2020). Are Hackathons the new e-learning environments? On the outcome of the #WirVsVirus Hackathon from a learning outcome perspective. 2020 Sixth International Conference on E-Learning (Econf), 225–228. https://doi.org/10.1109/econf51404.2020.9385424.
Li, L., Su, F., Zhang, W., & Mao, J.-Y. (2018). Digital transformation by SME entrepreneurs: A capability perspective. Information Systems Journal, 28(6), 1129–1157. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12153
Lock, I., & Seele, P. (2017). Theorizing stakeholders of sustainability in the digital age. Sustainability Science, 12(2), 235–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-016-0404-2
Nambisan, S. (2017). Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(6), 1029–1055. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12254
Olteanu, Y., & Fichter, K. (2020). Green Startup Monitor 2020. Borderstep Institut, Bundesverband Deutsche Startups e. V.
Penzenstadler, B., Tomlinson, B., Baumer, E., Pufal, M., Raturi, A., Richardson, D., Cakici, B., & Chitchyan, R. (2014). ICT4S 2029: What will be the systems supporting sustainability in 15 years: ICT for Sustainability 2014 (ICT4S-14), Stockholm, Sweden. https://doi.org/10.2991/ict4s-14.2014.4.
Renn, O., Beier, G., & Schweiz, P.-J. (2020). Thesenpapier Systemische Chancen und Risiken der Digitalisierung. 9.
Satalkina, L., & Steiner, G. (2020). Digital entrepreneurship and its role in innovation systems: A systematic literature review as a basis for future research avenues for sustainable transitions. Sustainability, 12(7), 2764. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072764
Schaltegger, S., & Johnson, M. (2021). Sustainable entrepreneurship: Composing individual processes and collaborative transformations. In W. Leal Filho, A. M. Azul, L. Brandli, A. Lange Salvia, & T. Wall (Eds.), Decent work and economic growth (pp. 985–995). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95867-5_50
Schaltegger, S., & Wagner, M. (2011). Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: Categories and interactions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 20(4), 222–237. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.682
Shepherd, D. A., & Patzelt, H. (2011). The new field of sustainable entrepreneurship: Studying entrepreneurial action linking “what is to be sustained” with “what is to be developed”. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 35(1), 137–163. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00426.x
Stubbs, W. (2017). Characterising B Corps as a sustainable business model: An exploratory study of B Corps in Australia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 144, 299–312. buh.
Taylor, D. W., & (Liz) Walley, E. E. (2004). The green entrepreneur: Opportunist, Maverick or Visionary? International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 1(1–2), 56–69. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2004.005377.
Tönnissen, S., & Teuteberg, F. (2020). Analysing the impact of blockchain-technology for operations and supply chain management: An explanatory model drawn from multiple case studies. International Journal of Information Management, 52, 101953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.i**fomgt.2019.05.009
Warrick, D. D. (2017). What leaders need to know about organizational culture. Business Horizons, 60(3), 395–404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2017.01.011
Wu, J., Guo, S., Huang, H., Liu, W., & **ang, Y. (2018). Information and communications technologies for sustainable development goals: State-of-the-art, needs and perspectives. IEEE Communications Surveys Tutorials, 20(3), 2389–2406. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2018.2812301
York, J. G., O’Neil, I., & Sarasvathy, S. D. (2016). Exploring environmental entrepreneurship: Identity coupling, venture goals, and stakeholder incentives. Journal of Management Studies, 53(5), 695–737. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12198
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Isensee, C., Teuteberg, F., Griese, KM. (2022). Sustainable Digital Entrepreneurship: Examining IT4Sustainability as Business Development Path. In: Marx Gómez, J., Lorini, M.R. (eds) Digital Transformation for Sustainability. Progress in IS. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15420-1_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-15420-1_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-15419-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-15420-1
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)