A Framework for Ecopreneurship: Leading Bioneers and Environmental Managers to Ecopreneurship

Abstract

The author proposes a framework to position ecopreneurship in relation to other forms of environmental management. The framework provides a reference for man-agers to introduce ecopreneurship. Five basic positions are distinguished according to the degree of environmental orientation of a company’s core business and the market impact of the company: environmental administrators, environmental man-agers, alternative activists, bioneers and ecopreneurs. The author suggests an approach to the qualitative operationalisation of ecopreneurship and to how to assess the position of a company in a classification matrix. The degree of environ-mental orientation in the company is assessed on the basis of environmental goals and policies, the ecological profile of the range of products and services, the organ-isation of environmental management in the company and the communication of environmental issues. The other dimension of ecopreneurship examined, the market impact of the company, is measured on the basis of market share, sales growth and the reactions of competitors. The approach is then applied to seven case studies of companies. The case studies show that the basic concept of ecopreneurship is applicable. The company representatives saw the approach as helpful in clarifying their position in ecopreneurial terms. The main benefit of the approach is that it provides a framework for self-assessment and indications for improvement.