Small and Medium Enterprises: Green Orientations and Sustainable Business Models

Dear Colleagues,

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the most dominant form of businesses in any economy, are recognized as the backbone of economies due to their significant contributions to socio-economic development in terms of employment, innovation, wealth creation, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Today, the growing pressure from national governments, demands from several stakeholders, green consumerism, regulatory and legislative actions, and resource scarcity, among others, propelling the shift towards a greener and more sustainable economy, have relevant implications on SMEs’ competitiveness, profitability, productivity, and resilience. Although the environmental footprint of an individual SME can be minimal, they collectively contribute to environmental damage worldwide. To address this issue and stay competitive in the globalized world, SMEs should replace traditional/conventional business models with green and sustainable ones.

Developing sustainable green practices through eco-friendly products, raw materials, processes, supply chains, distribution, promotion, and procurement is indispensable in this context. Yet, SMEs’ green orientations and sustainability management initiatives are inadequately documented in the extant literature. SMEs approach sustainability issues differently than large enterprises do. Many SMEs have a limited understanding of “green” business models and sometimes do not view environmental and sustainability issues or the necessity to act in an ecologically sustainable manner as a critical concern for the enterprise. Moreover, SMEs are less likely to implement environmental management practices or have green innovation plans than large firms due to the “liability of smallness and newness”. Furthermore, they frequently face performance uncertainties, doubts about achieving the same positive outcomes as conventional business models, and uncertainties concerning “greenwashing”.

To address these research lacunas, we welcome all original conceptual and empirical studies examining green practices and sustainability management initiatives of the SME sector. In particular, we welcome research papers employing rigorous and novel quantitative tools (e.g., meta-analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) and qualitative techniques such as systematic reviews (e.g., bibliometric and content analysis) in exploring the green business orientations of SMEs.

The proposed research topics include, but are not limited to:

• SMEs’ perception/understanding of green business orientation and sustainability management;
• Green innovation drivers and barriers in SMEs (internal and external);
• SMEs’ green and sustainability implementation mechanisms;
• Green technology adoption and diffusion and SMEs;
• Green strategy and SMEs (e.g., green products, price, place, promotion, process, and people);
• Green open innovation and SMEs (outbound, inbound, and coupled practices);
• Green business models and SMEs (green value creation and value appropriation);
• Circular economy business models and SMEs;
• Green supply chain management and green internationalization mechanisms of SMEs;
• Green environmental management systems and SMEs;
• Performance outcomes of green practices (reputation, sustainability, and performance);
• Green practices and sustainable performance (economic, social, and environmental);
• Green capabilities and SMEs;
• Stakeholder pressure and SMEs’ green orientation.

We look forward to receiving your original papers.

Dr. Stephen Oduro
Prof. Dr. Alessandro De Nisco
Guest Editors

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• small and medium enterprises
• green procurement and supply chains
• green manufacturing
• green business models
• green marketing
• sustainable performance
• competitiveness
• sustainability management
• stakeholder pressure
• green capabilities