Development in Practice · 2014 · 40 citations · 5 references
ManagementEnvironmental ManagementInnovation ManagementInnovationSustainable DevelopmentSustainable InnovationEnvironmental SustainabilityGreen GrowthSocial Enterprise Business ModelsSocial Enterprise DevelopmentSustainable Business PracticesSustainable EntrepreneurshipBarriersEnvironmental EntrepreneurshipGreen EconomyGreen EntrepreneurshipInnovative CapacityOrganizational BarriersProgress MonitoringSocial Enterprise Strategy
To achieve a top-to-bottom growth of the “green economy”, incentives and enablers need to be identified for those micro enterprises working at the grassroots level. A three-year study of 1,300 social and environmental enterprises in developing countries reveals how they are developing new products and services for their communities, using new business models. But their scale-up is hampered by lack of access to research and technology support and gender barriers, as well as challenges with complex partnerships, progress monitoring, and financial viability. A large pool of innovative ideas remains untapped and an opportunity to build a sustainable economy is being missed.
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