Abstract
This section presents a case-study relative to an Italian large Group, Brunello Cucinelli, that is of particular interest for its business model and the path of growth, characterized by a coherent and authentic CSR orientation. Sustainability of growth and healthy profitability are distinctive features of the Cucinelli Group. In pursuing the “humanistic enterprise” people work to achieve a shared objective adhering to a system of “soft” intangible values that represent the living core of the entire Group. The study employs a qualitative research approach. Firstly, it provides a brief description of the company; secondly, attention addresses the humanistic enterprise model and the leadership style. Finally, conclusions summarize the most relevant insights emerged from the case that represents an example of a sustainable growth and “a gentle capitalism”.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
See: Company case 4, BoxMarche.
- 2.
Brunello Cucinelli website.
References
Abdelkafi, N., & Täusher, K. (2015). Business models for sustainability from a system dynamics perspective. Organization & Environment,29(1), 74–96.
Avery, G., & Bergsteiner, H. (2011). Sustainable leadership practices for enhancing business resilience and performance. Strategy & Leadership,39(3), 5–15.
Bianchi Martini, S., Corvino, A., & Minoia, M. (2015). Brunello Cucinelli. In M. Minoja (Ed.), Bene comune e comportamenti responsabili (pp. 3–30). Milano: Egea.
Birkin, F., Polesie, T., & Lewis, L. (2009). A new business model for sustainable development: An exploratory study using the theory of constraints in Nordic organizations. Business Strategy and the Environment,18, 277–290.
Boons, F., & Lüdeke-Freund, F. (2013). Business models for sustainable innovation: State-of-the-art and steps towards a research agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production,45, 9–19.
Brunello Cucinelli. (2011). Brunello Cucinelli code of ethics. Approved by the Board of Directors on 20 June 2011.
Brunello Cucinelli. (2016). Annual report for the year 2016.
Brunello Cucinelli. (2017a). Brunello Cucinelli consolidated financial statements at 31 December 2017.
Brunello Cucinelli. (2017b). Brunello Cucinelli consolidated non financial statements at 31 December 2017.
Bruni, L., & Sena, B. (Eds.). (2013). The charismatic principle in social life. New York: Routledge.
Burns, H., Vaught, D., & Bauman, C. (2015). Leadership for sustainability: Theoretical foundations and pedagogical practices that foster change. International Journal of Leadership Studies,9(1), 131–143.
Del Baldo, M. (2012a). Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance in Italian SMEs: The experience of some “spirited businesses”. Journal of Management and Governance,16(1), 1–36.
Del Baldo, M. (2012b). Familial and territorial values for sustainable entrepreneurship in Italy: Some reflections in theory and practice. Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing,8(8), 1185–1203.
Del Baldo, M. (2012c). Family and territory values for a sustainable entrepreneurship. The experience of Loccioni Group and Varnelli Distillery in Italy. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness,6(3), 120–139.
Del Baldo, M. (2017). Moral and virtues-based leadership for enhancing integral ecology. In O. Jakobsen, L. Zolnai, & M. Chatterji (Eds.), Integral ecology and sustainable business (pp. 203–228). Bingley, UK: Emerald.
Del Baldo, M., & Baldarelli, M. G. (2017). Renewing and improving the business model toward sustainability in theory and practice. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility,2(3), 1–13.
Eisenhardt, K. M., & Graebner, M. E. (2007). Theory building from cases: Opportunities and challenges. Academy of Management Journal,50(1), 25–32.
Jakobsen, O., Zolnai, L., & Chatterji, M. (Eds.). (2017). Integral ecology and sustainable business. Bingley, UK: Emerald.
Johnson, M. W. (2010). Seizing the white space. In Business model innovation for growth and renewal. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Ketola, T. (2008). A holistic corporate responsibility model: Integrating values, discourses and actions. Journal of Business Ethics,80, 419–435.
Lélé, S. (1991). Sustainable development: A critical review. World Development,19(6), 607–621.
Mead, R. (2010, March 22). The cashmere utopia of Brunello Cucinelli. The Prince of Solomeo. Letter from Umbria. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/03/29/the-prince-of-solomeo.
Melé, D. (2012). Management ethics: Placing ethics in the core of good management. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Minoja, M. (2015). Bene comune e comportamenti responsabili. Milano: Egea.
Painter-Morland, M. (2006). Triple bottom-line reporting as social grammar: Integrating corporate social responsibility and corporate codes of conduct. Business Ethics: A European Review,15(4), 352–364.
Palshikar, K. (2007). Charismatic leadership. Retrieved from http://www.unc.edu/~ketan/documents/Charismatic%20Leadership.pdf. Accessed 23 March 2014.
Patterson, K. (2003). Servant leadership: A theoretical model. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64(2), 570 (UMI No. 3082719).
Pope Francis. (2015). Laudato Sì. Encyclical letter on care for our common home. Rome: Vatican Press.
Roome, N., & Louche, C. (2016). Journeying toward business models for sustainability: A conceptual model found inside the black box of organisational transformation. Organization & Environment,29, 11–35.
Salzmann, O., Ionescu-Somers, A., & Steger, U. (2005). The business case for corporate sustainability: Literature review and research options. European Management Journal,23(1), 27–36.
Sauser, W. I., Jr. (2005). Ethics in business: Answering the call. Journal of Business Ethics,8(4), 345–357.
Schaltegger, S., Lüdeke-Freund, F., & Hansen, E. G. (2012). Business cases for sustainability: The role of business model innovation for corporate sustainability. International Journal of Innovation & Sustainable Development,6(2), 95–119.
Seelos, C., & Mair, J. (2005). Social entrepreneurship: Creating new business models to serve the poor. Business Horizons,48, 241–246.
Seelos, C., & Mair, J. (2006). Social entrepreneurs: The contribution of individual entrepreneurs to sustainable development. The ICFAI Journal for Entrepreneurship Development,30, 46.
Sorci, C. (Ed.). (2007). Lo sviluppo integrale delle aziende. Milano: Giuffré.
Stubbs, W., & Cocklin, C. (2008). Conceptualizing a ‘sustainability business model’. Organization & Environment,21, 103–127.
Visser, W. (2011). The nature of CSR leadership. Definitions, characteristics and paradoxes. CSR International Paper Series,4, 1–10.
Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Zsolnai, L. (Eds.). (2011). Spirituality and ethics in management (2nd ed., pp. 41–52). Dordrecht: Springer.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Del Baldo, M. (2020). Company Case Study 8: Cucinelli—A Humanistic Enterprise for a Sustainable Growth and a Sustainable World. In: Wehrmeyer, W., Looser, S., Del Baldo, M. (eds) Intrinsic CSR and Competition. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21037-3_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21037-3_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-21036-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-21037-3
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)