Umsteuern oder Neugründen? Die Realisierung ökologischer Produktpolitik in Unternehmen ; Changing Course or Starting New? Implementing environmental product policy in the firm

Abstract

The implementation of environmental management in companies usually resulted in considerable higher eco-efficiency of processes and better compliance. But most companies applying environmental management systems did not develop a sustainable product strategy or marketing approach. But nevertheless there were important impacts on the sustainability of product markets within the last 30 years. The sources of these impacts have been in many cases green entrepreneurs. The green companies and the green entrepreneurs who founded them are the focal point of this thesis. The author analysis the history, the networks and the entrepreneurs of green enterprises. The work is based on a thorough analysis of entrepreneurship theory and includes three empirical tasks carried out in food industry. The first survey compares strategy and management of 12 organic food companies with 22 non-organic food companies. The second survey presents the results of a questionnaire answered by 50 green entrepreneurs comprising questions about their firms, their entrepreneurial abilities and their attitudes. In three case studies the networks of green entrepreneurs and the personal history of their founders are presented. Finally, the importance of green entrepreneurship for sustainable development of markets is summarised and some tools for fostering green entrepreneurship are presented.