Legitimation work in sustainable entrepreneurship: Sustainability ventures’ journey towards the establishment of major partnerships

Abstract

Sustainable entrepreneurship, that is, venturing with the aim of contributing to a shift of practices towards environmental and social sustainability, is an increasingly prominent phenomenon. This article investigates how sustainability ventures orient between dual – commercial and environmental – logics when conducting the legitimation work necessary to secure their first major partnership with an incumbent firm. Specifically, we study multiple cases of partnerships on food waste reduction. This setting is characterised by limited tension between the two logics, which implies that ventures are not forced into hybridity. We find some indications that ventures are able to draw on both types of logic to legitimate their ventures. However, the dominant pattern is that sustainability ventures tend to orient their legitimation work around a salient founding logic. Our analysis suggests that this pattern can be attributed partly to organisational imprinting, but also to legitimation work in this context being inherently logic-specific to a significant degree. This seems to be particularly true for ventures with a salient environmental logic.

Sustainable entrepreneurship and legitimacy building in protected areas: Overcoming distinctive barriers through activism

“…This approach signals tacit compliance (De Clercq & Voronov, 2009), thus reassuring potential partners who do not assign to sustainability principles. Recent empirical work attests that legitimacy building not only enables the acquisition of additional resources in the early stages of entrepreneurship (Zimmerman & Zeitz, 2002) but also facilitates the achievement of environmental or commercial goals (Riandita et al, 2021). Ergo, these studies evidence that legitimacy building influences and is influenced by sustainable entrepreneurship in varied ways.…”

“…Studies on legitimacy postulate that it creates a ‘licence to operate’, unlocking the resources and networks sustainable entrepreneurs need to succeed (Riandita et al, 2021). Studies also indicate that there are various forms of legitimacy which are geared towards different goals for an entrepreneur.…”

Designing circular supply chains in start-up companies: evidence from Italian fashion and construction start-ups

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Sustainable entrepreneurship in the equestrian sector through horse manure: a PLS-SEM approach

“…Environmental, economic and social concerns are key business drivers and mobilising environmental values can help a startup enterprise gain the necessary external support (Riandita et al ., 2021). A more participative eco-minded framework towards environmental change of entrepreneurs from horse industry contribute to the SDGs, through their economic, social and environmental outcomes (Apostolopoulos et al ., 2018).…”