Linking Sustainable Business Models to Socio-Ecological Resilience Through Cross-Sector Partnerships: A Complex Adaptive Systems View. Issue 5 (May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dentoni, Domenico; Pinkse, Jonatan; Lubberink, Rob
• Other Names: Pedersen Esben Rahbek Gjerdrum guest-editor.; Lüdeke-Freund Florian guest-editor.; Henriques Irene guest-editor.; Seitanidi M. May guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Business and society. Volume 60:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 1216
• Page End: 1252
• Publication Date: 2021-05
• Subjects: complex adaptive systems -- cross-sector partnerships -- socio-ecological resilience -- sustainable business models; Industries -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Industrial sociology -- Periodicals; Business ethics -- Periodicals; 306.3
• DOI: 10.1177/0007650320935015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-6503

Abstract

A flourishing literature assesses how sustainable business models create and capture value in socio-ecological systems. Nevertheless, we still know relatively little about how the organization of sustainable business models—of which cross-sector partnerships represent a core and distinctive mechanism—can support socio-ecological resilience. We address this knowledge gap by taking a complex adaptive systems (CAS) perspective. We develop a framework that identifies the key strategic, institutional, and learning elements of partnerships that sustainable business models rely on to support socio-ecological resilience. With our analytical framework, we underpin the importance of assessing sustainable business initiatives in terms of their impact on resilience at the level of socio-ecological systems, not just of organizations. Therefore, we reveal how cross-sector partnerships provide the organizational support for sustainable business models to support socio-ecological resilience. By combining the key features of CAS and the key elements of partnerships, we provide insight into the formidable task of designing cross-sector partnerships so that they support socio-ecological resilience and avoid unintended consequences.