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Business strategies for transitions towards sustainable systems
Author(s) -
Loorbach Derk,
van Bakel Janneke C.,
Whiteman Gail,
Rotmans Jan
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
business strategy and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.123
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1099-0836
pISSN - 0964-4733
DOI - 10.1002/bse.645
Subject(s) - cognitive reframing , sustainability , context (archaeology) , transition management (governance) , business , government (linguistics) , business transformation , business model , strategic management , process management , knowledge management , economic system , industrial organization , economics , marketing , business relationship management , computer science , electronic business , ecology , psychology , social psychology , paleontology , linguistics , philosophy , biology
Abstract This paper develops a strategic perspective for business to contribute to the innovation of societal systems. Sustainability issues at the level of societal sectors cannot be addressed by single organizations but need to be thought of as systemic challenges in which business, government and civil society each play different roles. Sustainability involves structural changes over longer periods of time, and requires co‐evolutionary changes in technology, economy, culture and organizational forms. We propose that the transition management framework offers a fruitful way to analyze such co‐evolutionary processes of social transformation and subsequently develop strategies to influence and accelerate such processes. We present the case of two firms working in this new context of transition management in The Netherlands. From these cases we conceptualize a more general approach for business to redefine and reframe the societal context in which it is operating and develop novel business strategies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.