TY - JOUR

T1 - How business actors can contribute to sustainability transitions

T2 - A case study on the ongoing animal welfare transition in the German egg industry

AU - Hörisch, Jacob

PY - 2018/11/10

Y1 - 2018/11/10

N2 - This research analyses how different business actors can contribute to sustainability transitions. It draws on the case of the ongoing transition towards higher levels of animal welfare in the German egg industry. For this industry the share of organic sales is higher than for any other German industry. The analysis uses the theoretical framework of the multi-level perspective and draws on documentary information, interviews and direct observation. The results reveal that sustainable entrepreneurs at the niche level support the transition of the German egg industry by continuously creating transformative innovations, but do not aim at changing the mass market. Incumbent corporations have been fast in reacting to these changes and adopted selected niche level innovations in a way which stabilised the regime. The paper finds that relatively comprehensive changes are possible via reconfigurational pathways of transitions.

AB - This research analyses how different business actors can contribute to sustainability transitions. It draws on the case of the ongoing transition towards higher levels of animal welfare in the German egg industry. For this industry the share of organic sales is higher than for any other German industry. The analysis uses the theoretical framework of the multi-level perspective and draws on documentary information, interviews and direct observation. The results reveal that sustainable entrepreneurs at the niche level support the transition of the German egg industry by continuously creating transformative innovations, but do not aim at changing the mass market. Incumbent corporations have been fast in reacting to these changes and adopted selected niche level innovations in a way which stabilised the regime. The paper finds that relatively comprehensive changes are possible via reconfigurational pathways of transitions.

KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics

KW - Sustainability transitions

KW - multi-level perspective

KW - Animal welfare

KW - sustainable entrepreneurship

KW - Corporate sustainability

KW - Egg industry

KW - Sustainability transitions

KW - Multi-level perspective

KW - Animal welfare

KW - Sustainable entrepreneurship

KW - Corporate sustainability

KW - Egg industry

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053130118&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.031

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.08.031

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 201

SP - 1155

EP - 1165

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

SN - 0959-6526

ER -