The characteristics of successful sustainability-driven entrepreneurship in the food industry: a case study approach

Abstract

In this research, the characteristics of successful sustainability-driven enterprises is researched. The research question is: Which of the factors on the micro level, identified through literature, stimulate the success of sustainability-driven enterprises in the food industry in the Netherlands? Success is based on the Triple Bottom Line and the factors are grouped into four: entrepreneur characteristics, employee characteristics, business characteristics (or strategy) and external factors. This research indicates that every factor has influence on success, on both environmental, social and prosperity, although business characteristics had significantly more effect on success than entrepreneur characteristics. Both employee characteristics and external factors were in-between the two factors named above.