Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Sustainability has become a multidimensional concept that extends beyond environmental protection to economic development and social equity—in other words, entrepreneurship guided and measured by the three pillars of the “triple bottom line.” Sustainable entrepreneurship is the continuing commitment by businesses to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce, their families, the local and global community as well as future generations.

This definition recognizes that several different stakeholder groups, not just shareholders, must be taken into account when managerial decisions are made and operational activities in furtherance of the organizational purposes are carried out. This book traces the foundations for sustainable entrepreneurship, beginning with sustainability, ecopreneurship, and social entrepreneurship and then continuing with a comprehensive review of the basic principles of sustainable entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurs can integrate sustainability into their business models. This book will be an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs who have chosen to focus their efforts on building a new concept based on the principles of sustainability from the outset. In addition, the book can be used by academics teaching sustainable entrepreneurship, a topic of surging interest to students, and by attorneys and professionals working with sustainable businesses.