This document provides background information and motivation for a study on growth venturing for sustainability from a Finnish macro perspective. It discusses two fields in sustainability research - sustainability-driven entrepreneurship and transition management - that call on each other but lack connection between entrepreneurship and large-scale socioeconomic transformation. The study aims to address this by analyzing how macro actors can help or hinder growth venturing in stimulating sustainable development and qualitative economic change. It presents Finland as a case study due to its position as a global innovation hotspot and sustainability leader. Data will be collected through interviews with stakeholders to understand their perceptions of the role of entrepreneurship in sustainable development from a macro level view.

1. Motivation
Growth venturing for sustainability: • Gl b l V t L b “P bl
Global Venture Lab “Problems Worth Solving”
W th S l i ”
• Masters’ Thesis Growth Venturing for Sustainability
A Finnish macro perspective
• Need for ambitious entrepreneurs to stimulate the economy
(and sometimes create whole new industries)
• Plenty of prosperity & productivity tied to those ventures
• Rate is accelerating…
Jane Porter
PhD Candidate, JYU What direction?
Global Venture Lab (GVL)
23.9.2009
Motivation Background
• target sustainability at its source:
g y
– the entrepreneur’s ability to “creatively destruct” & rebuild a 2 fields in sustainability research, calling on each
fi ld i i bili h lli h
more sustainable society other:
• S t i bilit d i
Sustainability‐driven entrepreneurship (Gibb
t hi (Gibbs 2009,
Parrish 2009)
– Capitalism as an evolutionary process of continuous qualitative – micro‐level, wants to attach to macro‐level structural change)
, g )
change, driven by innovation (Schumpeter 1950)
h d i b i ti (S h t )
• Transition management (Vollenbroek 2002, Smith 2003)
– Discovering new technology, products, markets, processes and – Bottom up approaches to structural change
organizational change that will direct us onto a more social &
NEEDED:
environmentally sustainable path
• Connection between entrepreneur & larger‐scale
socioeconomic transformation –
socioeconomic transformation “not explicitly identified and
discussed in either theoretical or empirical studies (Parrish &
Foxon 2009)
• More analysis of macro actors (help or hinder?)

2. Background
SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY High‐growth entrepreneurship
TRANSITION MANAGEMENT
CH
↓ • Challenges
g
OA
PR cy – growth a sign of profitability?, measuring issues
AP oli
N lp
W nta
-D
O
nm
e
CH
↑
Paper on TM in Finland (Davidsson, Steffens, Fitzsimmons 2009) 9
OP iro
↓T nv OA
/e PR (Heiskanen et. al 2009)
ov
ati
on
M-
UP
AP • Neglected in sustainability context (paradox)
Inn TO
OT
↑B – But embedded in Schumpeter’s view of creative
But embedded in Schumpeter s view of creative
destruction (Hellström 2007)
SUSTAINABILITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP
UNSUSTAINABLE SOCIETY (
(commercializing sustainable innovations, break to mainstream)
g , ) – Social entrepreneurship – less growth aspiration (Neck,
p p g p ( ,
part of strategic niche development Brush & Allen 2009)
TIME
Figure 1 Transitioning towards a sustainable future (adapted from Vollenbroek 2002)
Research Setting Data Collection & Analysis
B. THEMATIC FRAMEWORK
A.
A INTERVIEWEE BREAKDOWN
• C Fi l d
Case Finland: • 1 hr long thematic
– #2 Innovation Hot Spot Regional National interviews (June 2009) MACRO-LEVEL PERSPECTIVE
in world (HBR 2009)
i ld (HBR ) Perception & Roles
• Taped & transcribed
– #1 Yale’s Sustainability
Index (2005) Lobbyist • Abductive research GROWTH SUSTAINABLE
– “growth venturing” hot logic VENTURING
DEVELOPMENT
topic in Finland • Focus on perceptions &
Policy maker
• Pilot Study roles
– 5 qualitative semi‐
lit ti i Business (entrepreneurship/innovation)
COMMERCIALI-
COMMERCIALI
ZATION
INNOVATION
structured interviews background
with 6 people Sustainable development background

3. Results Results
1. Growth‐Oriented Ventures & Commercializing 2. M l i d
Multi‐domain: Business and Sustainable
i B i d S i bl
Innovations (a new phenomenon) Development
– Recent phenomenon in Finland (new Ministry position, “hint – Unease & silence
U & il
of a trend” for entrepreneurs) – Often understood concept but not role
• “growth venturing had to do with economy “
growth venturing had to do with economy
– Most interviewees hesitant to define “growth venturing”
– Hostility with local SMEs)
• Need for more qualitative viewpoint
– General agreement robust innovation base but weak
G l b i i b b k 3. Multi‐level: top‐down & bottom‐up approaches
Multi level: top down & bottom up approaches
commercialization (due to mentality/culture) – regional vs. national perspectives on innovation system
• Or, bloody good
Or “bloody good”
“It’s not from the bottom, it’s more from the top‐down and directives like
– Need for market‐driven innovation ‘you must do this by next January’ …and that’s why people are so
suspicious and why they re worried about sustainability
suspicious and why they’re worried about sustainability”
Conclusion Conclusion
SUSTAINABLE
MACRO-LEVEL PERSPECTIVE
DEVELOPMENT
-weak relationship between sustainable
• O l h b i i f
Only the beginning of emerging phenomenon
i h
development & growth venturing SUSTAINABLE – Possible doctoral thesis
-sustainability everyone’s responsbility yet no- DEVELOPMENT
one’s
– More quantitative & qualitative research areas
-regional barriers towards top-down approaches
regional top down – Cross‐country comparisons?
y p
for both main themes
The understanding of the role of growth in sustainability
GROWTH LACK OF entrepreneurship and its implications for transition
VENTURING UNDERSTANDING! management is important for stimulating the waves of creative
destruction so that as we move faster and faster into the
d i h f d f i h
COMMERCIALI-
unknown we at least aim for a sustainable target.
INNOVATION
ZATION

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