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Designing Understanding: Sustainability Entrepreneurs Connect with Adopters

Research output: Journal contributionsConference article in journalResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Sustainability entrepreneurs introduce practices to solve pressing environmental and social problems, but widespread adoption of these sustainability practices by consumers and users is a challenge. This conceptual paper examines ‘designing understanding’ as balancing familiarity with novelty to address this challenge. It develops a typology of designing understanding for the adoption of sustainability practices based on entrepreneurial motivation and adopter preferences, emphasizing the agency of both entrepreneurs and adopters, thereby bridging entrepreneurship with innovation and adoption research. The types differ in framing approaches and adoption effectiveness. We illustrate the typology with examples from sharing practices in the fashion industry.
Original languageEnglish
Article number22177
JournalAcademy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings
Volume2025
Issue number1
Number of pages6
ISSN0065-0668
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17.06.2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Research areas and keywords

  • Management studies
  • Typology
  • Sustainability
  • Bridging (networking)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Novelty
  • Conceptual framework
  • Framing (construction)

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Industrial relations
  • Management Information Systems
  • Management of Technology and Innovation

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