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Abstract

The paper aims to investigate the characteristics of SMEs’ partners that can better contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. Given the explorative nature of this research, a qualitative methodology is adopted, with a longitudinal case study employed as the research method. The Wråd case study confirmed that SMEs can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs by developing partnerships with multiple stakeholders. In addition, this research revealed that the characteristics of the SMEs’ partners can be referred to the four following dimensions: economic, environmental, social and purpose. Furthermore, it proposed that quality utility value, technique level, profitability are the subdimensions of the economic dimension and that resource consumption efficiency, pollution production, energy efficiency, environment management system and environment equipment and facilities are the subdimensions of the environmental dimension. This research expressed also that public health, employee engagement, brand reputation and local communities’ influence are the subdimensions of the social dimension. Finally, it underlined that sustainability-oriented awareness development, sustainable orientation, sustainable collective culture, proactive managerial skills, organisational learning and proactive and innovative leadership are the subdimensions of the purpose dimension. In line with previous studies underlining the importance of increasing the TBL dimensions, this study suggests a further extension of this theory with the ‘purpose’ dimension. This study highlights the importance of developing a vision supported by a social awareness of the problems that need to be addressed and that transcend the fashion sector. Further researches could explore a larger sample of SMEs operating in different businesses and the point of view of the SME’s partners.
Vol.:(0123456789)
Review of Managerial Science (2024) 18:1317–1352
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-023-00656-7
1 3
ORIGINAL PAPER
Partner selection strategies ofSMEs forreaching
theSustainable Development Goals
PaolaCastellani1 · ChiaraRossato1 · ElenaGiaretta1 ·
AlfonsoVargas‑Sánchez2
Received: 3 July 2022 / Accepted: 10 March 2023 / Published online: 26 June 2023
© The Author(s) 2023
Abstract
The paper aims to investigate the characteristics of SMEs’ partners that can better contrib-
ute to the achievement of the SDGs. Given the explorative nature of this research, a quali-
tative methodology is adopted, with a longitudinal case study employed as the research
method. The Wråd case study confirmed that SMEs can contribute to the achievement of
the SDGs by developing partnerships with multiple stakeholders. In addition, this research
revealed that the characteristics of the SMEs’ partners can be referred to the four following
dimensions: economic, environmental, social and purpose. Furthermore, it proposed that
quality utility value, technique level, profitability are the subdimensions of the economic
dimension and that resource consumption efficiency, pollution production, energy effi-
ciency, environment management system and environment equipment and facilities are the
subdimensions of the environmental dimension. This research expressed also that public
health, employee engagement, brand reputation and local communities’ influence are the
subdimensions of the social dimension. Finally, it underlined that sustainability-oriented
awareness development, sustainable orientation, sustainable collective culture, proactive
managerial skills, organisational learning and proactive and innovative leadership are the
subdimensions of the purpose dimension. In line with previous studies underlining the
importance of increasing the TBL dimensions, this study suggests a further extension of
this theory with the ‘purpose’ dimension. This study highlights the importance of develop-
ing a vision supported by a social awareness of the problems that need to be addressed and
that transcend the fashion sector. Further researches could explore a larger sample of SMEs
operating in different businesses and the point of view of the SME’s partners.
Keywords SDGs· TBL dimensions· Partnership· Multiple stakeholder· Social
awareness· Long-term competitiveness
Mathematics Subject Classification 91C99
* Paola Castellani
paola.castellani@univr.it
Extended author information available on the last page of the article
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P.Castellani et al.
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JEL Classification L21· Firm objectives, organization and behavior· Business
objectives of the firm
1 Introduction
Rising social inequality and the progressive degradation of the natural environment
render sustainable change of the economic system an urgent priority (Geissdoerfer
etal. 2018). Continuing on the journey towards sustainable development—namely,
‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their needs’ (World Commission on Environment and
Development 1987, p. 43)—is not easy but increasingly indispensable. As per Rob-
ert Solow (1992, p. 15), ‘the duty imposed by sustainability is to bequeath to poster-
ity not any particular thing […] but rather to endow a standard of living at least as
good as our own and to look after their next generation similarly’.
Not just national governments and global institutions (Bebbington and Uner-
man 2018) but all businesses are called to integrate sustainability into their man-
agement practices (e.g. Schulz et al 2011; Bocken and Short 2021; de Villiers
etal. 2021), which is particularly relevant in light of their specific resources and
skills such as innovative capability (Porter and Kramer 2011; Di Vaio etal. 2020;
Rubio-Andrés et al. 2022). Given that they contribute to economic growth, the
generation of employment and minimisation of damage to the environment (e.g.
Schaltegger and Wagner 2011; Bocken and Short 2021), business activities have
effects not only on the economy but on societal development and the generation of
environmental benefits. As sustainable development agents—namely, players able
to contribute to resolving existing socio-environmental problems (e.g. Schaltegger
etal. 2016; Youssef etal. 2018) and, thus, to achieving higher levels of sustainabil-
ity—an increasing number of businesses is strategically adopting and operationally
implementing in their processes (e.g. Ordonez-Ponce etal. 2021; Pizzi etal. 2021;
Agrawal etal. 2022; Bonfanti etal. 2022; Dana etal. 2022) the guidelines included
in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the 2030 Agenda of
the United Nations in 2015 (e.g. United Nations 2020; Horne etal. 2020; van Zanten
and van Tulder 2021). The SDGs—which build on the Millennium Development
Goals—are intended to guide sustainability decisions and, in this sense, to address
challenges common to all countries by inviting renewed global partnerships to foster
transformative changes in favour of the future of the planet and its people (Chopra
etal. 2022).
This topic is attracting both academic and practitioner interest worldwide, regard-
less of level of country development. Previous studies have focused mainly on larger
(e.g. Mio etal. 2020) and multinational (e.g. ElAlfy etal. 2020; Ordonez-Ponce and
Talbot 2022) enterprises, and have paid little attention to small and medium enter-
prises (SMEs). However, SMEs constitute the majority of organisations worldwide
and their combined impact can create disruptive effects in economic, social and
environmental terms. As argued by Smith etal. (2022, p. 113), ‘this relevance opens
up the need for a closer look at SMEs’. Past research has revealed that SMEs do not
have the resources or potential to pursue the SDGs alone (e.g. Stoian etal. 2017);
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Partner selection strategies ofSMEs forreaching the…
the SDGs cover multiple activities across the world and no one sector could achieve
these goals acting alone. Rather, SMEs act collectively by activating multistake-
holder partnerships (e.g. Whittaker etal. 2016; Russo and Schena 2021Journeault
2021)—considered one of drivers for implementing sustainable practices (e.g. Can-
tele and Zardini 2020). Previous studies have also highlighted the strategic and
social motives that drive the formation of partnerships (Ordonez-Ponce etal. 2021),
but have neglected to examine how SMEs choose their partners with the aim of bet-
ter achieving the SDGs. In this regard, past research has already identified different
evaluation criteria via which to select specific supply chain partners (Ho etal. 2010;
Kannan 2018; Zhou et al. 2018), but without highlighting their characteristics. In
addition, no previous studies, to the best of our knowledge, have outlined the char-
acteristics of further SMEs’ partners, such as local government, education institu-
tions and non-profit organisations, that enable an SME itself to more effectively pur-
sue sustainable development. Thus, the following research question emerges: What
should SMEs’ partners have to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs?
In seeking answers to this question, this research investigates the characteristics
of SMEs’ partners that better enable them to contribute to the achievement of the
SDGs. Given the explorative nature of this research, a qualitative methodology is
adopted, with a longitudinal case study employed as the research method.
2 Theoretical background
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development proposed by the United Nations in
2015 recognises the specific relevance of private organisations in contributing to
global development and sustainability challenges through the achievement of the
SDGs (United Nations 2015). Indeed, the private sector can bring to bear specific
expertise and knowledge, managerial capacities, financial resources and high risk
appetite to contribute to this global aim (Berrone etal. 2019; Stewart etal. 2018).
In this context, the SDGs framework is an expression of the social, environmental
and economic impacts of business activities (de Villiers etal. 2021), while the triple
bottom line (TBL) theory (Elkington 1994) explains how businesses evaluate their
performance from a sustainability perspective. More specifically, business manage-
ment should pay equal attention to the pursuit of profit (economic dimension), the
improvement of people’s lives (social dimension), and the protection of the planet
(environmental dimension) to became sustainable entrepreneurship (Fellnhofer etal.
2014). Some scholars, deepening the TBL theory, have also proposed modifications
or extensions of its original elements. In particular, some academics have replaced
‘profit’ with ‘prosperity’ to indicate the economic benefits for the firm and the soci-
oeconomic wellbeing of workers and communities (Stahl etal. 2020; Wheeler and
Elkington 2001), while others propose a quadruple bottom line theory, by adding
‘principles/values’ (Larner etal. 2017; Raiborn etal. 2013), ‘technology’ (Arukala
and Pancharathi 2020) or even ‘prosperity’ (e.g. Hamidi and Worthington 2021) as
further dimensions of the TBL.
Previous studies have investigated the role of businesses in achieving the SDGs
by focusing, on the one hand, on multinational enterprises or large companies for
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P.Castellani et al.
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their great contribution to global sustainable development (e.g. Kolk etal. 2017;
Topple etal. 2017; Burritt etal. 2018; van Zanten and van Tulder 2018; Ordonez-
Ponce and Talbot 2022; Ordonez-Ponce and Weber 2022), and, on the other hand,
on SMEs, although their contribution may at first appear inferior (Schulz etal 2011).
In fact, SMEs are particularly interesting to examine from the perspective of SDG
achievement, for two main reasons: (1) they form the foundation of most national
economies (Crick and Crick 2021), accounting for 90% of all businesses and 60%
to 70% of employment worldwide (United Nations 2020), and are thus significant
in terms of quantity; and (2) they have limited economic, social and environmen-
tal impact as singular entities, but their combined impact may exceed that of large
enterprises when they are considered in aggregate (Smith etal. 2022). Accordingly,
focusing on how SMEs are engaged in achieving the SDGs is a topic of much cur-
rent interest.
In this context, more scholars have examined the leading role of SMEs in meet-
ing global sustainability goals (Oppong 2022). Specifically, several academic stud-
ies have been conducted in the last five years to examine the obstacles that SMEs
encounter in achieving the SDGs (Álvarez Jaramillo etal. 2019; Cantele and Zardini
2020; Govindan etal. 2020; Chopra etal 2022) and the strategic alternatives suit-
able for overcoming these obstacles. In this last regard, the adoption of circular busi-
ness models (e.g. Geissdoerfer etal. 2017; Kristoffersen etal. 2020; D’Amato etal.
2020; Agrawal etal. 2021; Patwa etal. 2021; Virmani etal. 2022), the activation of
partnerships and strategic alliances with different organisations (Prashantham and
Birkinshaw 2020; Jiménez et al. 2021; Russo and Schena 2021; Journeault etal.
2021; Ordonez-Ponce etal. 2021) as well as the promotion of technological innova-
tion (Pugliese etal. 2022; Jahanshahi etal. 2020; Fernández Fernández etal. 2018;
Zhang etal. 2022; Chege and Wang 2020), digital technology (Dana etal. 2022) and
consequent business model innovation (Åström etal. 2022) have emerged as the key
strategic choices adopted.
Other scholars have studied the concrete actions of SMEs to achieve the SDGs.
From research hitherto conducted, it emerges that SMEs play multiple roles depend-
ing on the geographical context and industry examined. In fact, institutional environ-
ments may differ significantly in terms of effect on entrepreneurship (Khanin etal.
2022). In developed economies, SMEs mainly play the role of innovation promot-
ers, across the three following fields: (1) at a technological level, they encourage
the development of new solutions capable of improving environmental protection
(Pugliese etal. 2022); (2) at a management level, they favour the evolution of the
business towards forms of circular economy (Šebestová and Sroka 2020) and the
creation of tools for self-assessment of sustainability achieved by an individual com-
pany (Jiménez etal. 2021), and also allow the creation of shared value in the social
and financial dimension (Rubio-Andrés etal. 2022); and (3) at an organisational
and cultural level, they develop forms of partnership among companies that are able
to overcome the lack of skills of a single firm (Russo and Schena 2021; Lopes de
Sousa Jabbour etal. 2020). In contrast, in emerging economies, SMEs are drivers
of sustainable economic growth (Shaji and Apoorva Vikrant 2020; Oppong 2022)
and stimulate greater awareness of both environmental safeguards and preservation
and improvements of people’s living and working conditions (Altaf 2019). Table1
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Table 1 The role of SMEs in achieving the SDGs
References Geographical context Industry examined in the study Purpose of the research Role of SMEs in achieving the
SDGs
Pugliese etal. (2022) Italy Dairy To identify a technological
solution able to reduce waste
produced along the dairy sup-
ply chain and to improve its
environmental impact
To promote technological innova-
tion for environment
Russo and Schena (2021) Italy Manufacturing To study the phenomenon of stra-
tegic alliances between SMEs
as a strategic choice to achieve
economic competitiveness and
sustainability
To spread a culture of collabora-
tion among SMEs to overcome
the lack of skills of a single firm
Šebestová and Sroka (2020) Czech Republic and Poland Manufacturing To compare the Czech and Pol-
ish approaches to the circular
economy as a possible way to
achieve the SDGs
To engage in the adoption of circu-
lar business models to enhance
sustainability of commercial
partnerships
Jiménez etal. (2021) Basque Country, Spain Furniture To provide cluster-based SMEs
with a framework to facilitate
the uptake of the SDGs through
a cluster network model
To develop a sustainability man-
agement tool within a cluster
Rubio-Andrés etal. (2022) Spain Services, manufacturing,
retail, construction To propose a measuring and
governance model to assess
the benefits of creating shared
value in SMEs
To promote management innova-
tion that allows the creation of
shared value in the social and
financial dimensions
Lopes de Sousa Jabbour etal.
(2020)Asia Manufacturing To identify factors that contribute
to Asian manufacturing SMEs’
pursuit of sustainable develop-
ment
To invest more in innovation and
entrepreneurial orientation to
improve economic performance
To establish partnerships with pub-
lic and private organisations
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Table 1 (continued)
References Geographical context Industry examined in the study Purpose of the research Role of SMEs in achieving the
SDGs
Shaji and Apoorva Vikrant
(2020)Pune, India Manufacturing To study, document and map
small but effective sustainable
development initiatives by
MSMEs
To adopt the stakeholder approach
to manage partners and root
leadership in the values of ethics
and sustainability shown in rela-
tions with customers
Altaf (2019) India Manufacturing To analyse the growth and contri-
bution of MSMEs in terms of
sustainability practices
To support economic growth,
employment creation, poverty
and inequality reduction and
establish partnerships among
SMEs
Nguyen and Ngo (2022) Vietnam Manufacturing To examine the influence of
technological progress as well
as environmental, social and
governance responsibilities to
SDGs
To investigate the moderating
role of supply chains in the
relationship between techno-
logical advancement and the
SDGs
To invest in technological progress
as well as to take environmental
and social responsibilities to
SDGs
To operate so that sustainability
guides all operators in the supply
chain
Oppong (2022) Emerging economies (India)
and Sub-Saharan Africa Manufacturing To study the propensity of SMEs
to disclose their commitment
in terms of sustainability and
achievement of the SDGs
within Sustainability Reporting
(SR)
To disclose the commitment to
sustainable development and
achievement of the SDGs within
SR to improve relations with
stakeholders and increase sus-
tainable partnerships
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Table 1 (continued)
References Geographical context Industry examined in the study Purpose of the research Role of SMEs in achieving the
SDGs
Chege and Wang (2020) Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya Agribusiness To identify the impact of technol-
ogy innovation and environ-
mental sustainability strategies
on performance
To promote technological innova-
tion and employee participation
in environmental protection prac-
tices to enhance firm reputation
to stakeholders and partners and
so economic performance
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highlights the main scientific contributions on this topic, by providing the purpose
of each piece of research and the role of SMEs in the achievement of the SDGs, in
addition to the geographical context and the industry analysed.
This overview of the main themes regarding the role of SMEs in achieving the
SDGs highlights not only that SMEs play a crucial role in this regard but also that
they can better pursue this goal when they activate partnerships (Joseph and Kulkarni
2020; Clarke and Fuller 2010). SMEs operate in a partnership context when a group
of stakeholders collaborates to achieve common socio-environmental goals by
adopting a ‘pluralistic approach’ aimed towards addressing societal needs (Glasber-
gen 2007, p. 1). The success or failure of the partnership depends on the profile and
performance of its key players. Accordingly, the selection of partner organisations is
essential not only from a strategic but also from a sustainability perspective. In this
regard, academics and practitioners have widely debated the issue of identifying the
criteria for evaluating and selecting partners (Dickson 1966; Weber etal. 1991; Ho
etal. 2010; Wu etal. 2020) and have formulated an initial set of economic criteria
that includes attention to environmental (Kuo etal. 2010; Hsu etal. 2013) and social
(Awasthi etal. 2018; Kannan 2018; Tseng etal. 2018; Feng etal. 2017) sustainabil-
ity. Zhou etal. (2018), in particular, revealed that the evaluation of a partner requires
joint analysis of economic, environmental and social commitment. More precisely,
they elaborated a framework based on these three dimensions with specific reference
to the bottom of the supply chain, examining sustainable supply chain practices for
a recycling partner evaluation theme. For each dimension revealed, they highlighted
specific selection subcriteria to evaluate sustainable recycling partners.
Previous studies highlight how the role of SMEs is fundamental in pursuing the
SDGs, and how SMEs can achieve these more effectively by working in partnership.
In turn, the success of a partnership largely depends on the characteristics of the
partners (Ordonez-Ponce and Clark 2020). Therefore, it becomes necessary to inves-
tigate the characteristics of SMEs’ partners that can better contribute to the achieve-
ment of the SDGs.
3 Method
3.1 Research design
This study has an explorative nature and adopts a qualitative methodology through an
abductive approach that supports an iterative movement between theory and data to
better grasp the empirical phenomenon (e.g. Dubois and Gadde 2014; Ketokivi and
Choi 2014). We chose a case study strategy considering the need to understand a phe-
nomenon in its real-life context (Yin 2003). This method is useful when the aim of the
research is to survey ‘how’ and ‘why’ aspects of a case, particularly when knowledge
about the issue is scarce (Beverland and Lindgreen 2010) and for theory building pur-
poses (Eisenhardt 1989). Specifically, we selected the longitudinal case study method
to gain ‘a deep understanding of the actors, interactions, sentiments and behaviours
occurring for a specific process through time’ (Woodside 2010, p. 6). To this end, we
developed an analysis strategy in three phases, and from the focal firm’s perspective, to
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analyse fundamental characteristics of SMEs’ partners relevant to the achievement of
the SDGs. We used an interview process—namely, interviews conducted at three dif-
ferent times—as the longitudinal case study requires (Halinen etal. 2012, 2013).
We selected the interview method because it enables the building of realistic obser-
vations of the case (Snow and Thomas 1994). The data collection process also included
the analysis of the company website and social media, and press releases and articles
in the sustainable fashion press to support and triangulate the findings (Yin 2017) and
to confirm the validity and reliability of the research (Creswell 2014). Content analysis
was used to support the examination of the data to detect themes (dimensions and sub-
dimensions of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners) and obtain new content. Next, we
describe the analysis context and the case study in detail.
3.2 The analysis context
The analysis context is the fashion industry, which it is recognised globally as an
important sector in light of the value it creates. More precisely, it generates economic
value (equal to more than US$1.3 trillion) and social value (e.g. employing over 300
million people along the value chain and supporting employment in countries with low
income) (Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017a). However, from the environmental point
of view, the fashion industry exerts strong pressures on resources and produces pollu-
tion and degradation of the natural environment and its ecosystems (Riba etal. 2020).
As stated by the National Resources Défense Council in 2016, the fashion industry is
one of the most polluting industries in the world (Gabriel and Luque 2020; Hemantha
2021). It uses around 60% of total global textiles, including numerous natural and non-
renewable resources, and contributes to around 10% of global carbon emissions and
20% of water waste (Abdelmeguid etal. 2022; Mintel 2009). Moreover, only 1% of the
materials used in the production process for clothes are recycled, even though around
95% could be (Atstja etal. 2021). Thus, the fashion industry exerts a negative impact
on the natural environment, in line with its high energy consumption, high water,
chemicals, dyes and finishes usage, and high greenhouse gas emissions (Mintel 2009).
It also creates negative social impacts at local, regional and global levels. Indeed,
short lead times and cheap clothes are only made possible by exploitation of labour and
natural resources (Fletcher 2007). Ongoing climate change and conflicts over decreas-
ing natural resources have begun to change the approach to the production and con-
sumption of fashion, transforming sustainable fashion business models from ‘niche’ to
a necessity for the whole industry (Chandak 2014). Consequently, the industry is fac-
ing increasing pressure to fulfil social and environmental responsibilities along with
achieving economic goals (Arrigo 2015; Lewittes 2019).
3.3 The case study
The case selected for this study is Wråd, an Italian fashion design company combin-
ing innovation and sustainability. Wråd emerged in 2015 on social media as a com-
munity, and in 2016 transformed into an innovative startup thanks to the collabora-
tion of partners. The brand was launched by three young professionals (Matteo Ward,
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Victor Santiago and Silvia Giovanardi). In their previous work at large fashion com-
panies in the retail sector, the three co-founders learned the true cost of fashion and
its impact on the environment, society and health. They also noted the low level of
awareness of fashion companies about the alarming effects of their activity. Accord-
ingly, they created their startup driven by their vision of making the world a better
place through sustainable innovation. To this end, the company was born with the
mission statement of inspiring the market to express intangible values through tan-
gible objects, to catalyse the rise of a new order of sustainable action. In alignment
with its mission, Wråd invests in three symbiotic levels of action through design: (1)
raising awareness of the true cost of fashion (education), (2) developing upcycling
technologies (innovation) and (3) offering market products to inspire a conversation
around socio-environmental values and to provide people and retailers with a way to
communicate these products, amplifying their identity (communication).
This case was chosen as particularly interesting because it is recognised all over
the world as following the principles of sustainability and, especially, of the circular
economy (Montalto 2019). It offers educational formats on the fashion sector (Deias
2021) and develops partnerships mainly with fashion brands, suppliers and retail-
ers, but also with local, national and international public and private institutions,
educational institutions, media, non-profit cultural and artistic organisations such
as Cittadellarte Fashion B.E.S.T. (an important laboratory for the design, develop-
ment, production and distribution of ideas and products in the textile and fashion
design sectors), and global non-profit movements such as Fashion Revolution, which
is strongly committed to the chosen path of sustainability.
3.4 Data collection
To collect primary data, we interviewed key informants from Wråd; namely, the co-
founder and current chief executive officer, the sustainability specialist manager and
the communication and consulting manager. Their selection was determined by their
role within the company in terms of achieving the SDGs and their ability to explain
the processes underlying the company’s sustainability and innovation practices.
A three-stage interview process was carried out. The first round of interviews
occurred in December 2018, the second in January 2020 and the third in October
2022. In all these stages, we followed the long-interview approach (McCracken
1988; Woodside 2010), which involved a face-to-face interview in the respond-
ent’s ‘life space’ during which he or she was asked open-ended, semi-structured
questions and to elucidate emerging issues. In line with such procedure, a draft
of the questions was sent by e-mail to the respondents in advance. The interview
guide including the full list of questions is reported in Table2. The interviews
were conducted in a flexible manner, by exploring the various aspects of busi-
ness management with respect to the personal inclinations and profiles of the
interviewees to allow the investigated topics to emerge spontaneously from their
answers. The two interviewers played a mainly strategic role of listening and
interpretation, and tried to avoid potential sources of distraction. The technique
used to collect data ensured the validity and reliability of the research (Yin 2003).
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Each interview lasted 60–90 min. During the data collection, the researchers
encouraged informants to provide concrete examples to support their comments
and to describe some aspects in more detail. In the three-stage interview process,
the informants were the same people, the interviews were conducted in the same
place and the interviewees were asked the same questions.
3.5 Data analysis
Each interview was audio-recorded and fully transcribed verbatim (Miles and
Huberman 1994). Transcriptions were then sent back to the interviewees and they
were asked to verify whether their opinions had been correctly reported.
The examination of the data was carried out through content analysis using
the NVivo 11 software. The approach recommended by Gioia etal. (2013) was
followed for data analysis and interpretation. This approach is useful for avoiding
information loss by encoding the data corpus (informant entries) as first-order
codes before aggregating them into second-order themes (concepts abstracted
from first-order categories) and finally identifying the aggregated dimensions
(aggregate dimensions). Coding was undertaken conservatively, referring only to
what the data explained. Comparison of the codes allowed us to identify similari-
ties and differences, and subsequently reduce the number of codes. Specifically,
each researcher separately coded first-order concepts, performed consistency
checks and accurately coded all textual data. Next, the researchers jointly com-
pared their coding schemes. Any discrepancies that arose during the discussion
were reconciled; therefore, a shared understanding was reached and a unique cod-
ing scheme was subsequently identified. Following this, the connections between
the concepts were identified to develop the second-order themes, elaborated on a
more abstract level. The researchers then assembled the emerging themes related
to the concepts into aggregate dimensions. More precisely, with specific refer-
ence to the characteristics of the partnerships, the number of codes was refined
from 60 first-order concepts to 18 second-order topics, and then to four aggregate
dimensions. The full list of codes is shown in Tables3, 4, 5 and 6, presented
below.
Table 2 Interview guide
Questions
What is Wråd’s mission?
How do you achieve this mission?
What are the main partnerships developed by your company?
What projects have been developed with your partners to achieve the SDGs?
What benefits have these projects provided?
What characteristics of your partner allow you to work well to better achieve the SDGs together?
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Table 3 Analysis of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners: economic dimension
First-order CONCEPT Second-order THEMES Aggregate dimension
“The partnership with Alisea – creator of the Perpetua graphite pencil – allows the reuse and recycling of graph-
ite, giving life to a circular economy process”
“Together with Alisea, we have recycled over 16 tons of graphite powder in three years”
“We managed to reuse the mineral dyeing process of a technique handed down by the inhabitants of Monter-
osso Calabro, where the memory of an ancient Roman custom that used natural graphite to dye fabrics is still
alive, but instead of natural graphite, we recover graphite powder that is non-toxic and without waste from the
production of electrodes”
Quality utility value Economic dimension
“The partnership with Tecno E.D.M. srl, which has invested in machinery and functional resources, has been
invaluable in understanding how to dye with a powder”
“The partnerships activated have generated synergistic relationships between companies possessing technologi-
cal know-how and operating in different interconnected sectors for the development of new fabrics”
“g_pwdr® technology, developed by our R&D partner Alisea, is an innovative dyeing technique based on the
recycling of upgraded graphite powder, enabling all lovers of gray clothing to challenge the status quo”
“Graphic-Tee is the result of an ancient graphite dyeing technique that protects the skin from toxic substances
and saves this precious mineral from ending up in landfills”
“We are collaborating with 1TrueID to apply an innovative technology that will allow us to attribute a unique
digital DNA to each individual product, giving anyone immediate access, via smartphone, to the information
we want to convey about the product”
Technical level
“With our global partners we were able to reach overseas markets, both in North America and Japan”
“We and our partners are aligned on investing in slow capital”
“Thanks to our partners Yoox and Alisea, we have entered a market that we otherwise would not have been able
to penetrate”
“We and our partner Alisea have increased the market attractiveness of our products by selling them together”
Profitability
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Table 4 Analysis of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners: environmental dimension
First-order CONCEPT Second-order THEMES Aggregate dimension
“Our first original product, the Graphi-Tee t-shirt, comes from the Perpetua pencil of our partner
Alisea, using recycled graphite powder”
“g_pwdr® technology is an innovation, inspired by tradition: the Romans used to rely on it to dye
their own fabrics thousands of years ago. We and our partners asked ourselves how we could trans-
form this modern-day waste into the raw material of an innovative and circular supply chain”
Resource consumption efficiency Environmental dimension
“In the fashion sector, almost 1,600 chemicals are used in the treatment and finishing of fabrics, with
a very high environmental impact”
“Graphite is today wasted in vast quantities by the tech industry, as a byproduct of the production of
electrodes”
“On average, people use their clothes for 1–3 Instagram posts and then throw them away. This results
in very high environmental damage”
“There are companies that have a high number of returns generating an environmental impact and
very high CO2 emissions, due to the widespread custom among some young people to buy T-shirts,
take a photo to post on Instagram and then return the product”
Pollution production
“Thanks to the innovative and sustainable technologies created and applied in conjunction with our
partners, we have reduced the consumption of water and energy in the production processes” Energy efficiency
“g_pwdr® technology allows us to reduce the use of chemicals to zero in the fabric production
processes”
“Our supply partners provide all required certifications and traceability of their production and
manufacturing activities. For example, our fabric suppliers use a Global Organic Textile Standard
(GOTS)-certified yarn”
“For every single product, we have the certificates to guarantee what we say. Otherwise we do not
activate the collaboration. For example, we blocked a Capsule Collection for this reason: we had
developed mint fibre, a beautiful product with a spectacular hand feel, that was also requested for
an exclusive Capsule in Yoox Net-a-Porter, but our supplier was unable to supply us with the mint
traceability”
Environmental management system
“In collaboration with our partners, we are integrating blockchain technology to develop traceability
within the supply chain”
“Together with our partners, we have created a circular supply chain in Italy”
Environmental equipment and facilities
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Table 5 Analysis of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners: social dimension
First-order CONCEPT Second-order THEMES Aggregate dimension
“Graphite is a mineral that protects against electromagnetic waves and is a conductor of electricity and heat.
With our partners, we aim to optimise its properties for the development of fabrics potentially capableof
protecting the human body from exposure to electrosmog, considered one of the main causes of many neu-
rological problems, sleep disorders, anxiety and nervousness, and also often considered due to an increase
in the suicide rate”
“Thanks to the innovative and sustainable technologies developed and applied with our partners, we are able
to guarantee the safety of the skin, with significant human, social and environmental benefits”
Public health Social dimension
“Together with our partners, we want to restore value to the human resources employed in the supply chain.
The ‘Who Made My Clothes’ campaign by Fashion Revolution, one of the strongest social movements we
collaborate with, supports brands that start by saying ‘These people made my clothes.’ This manifesto is
part of our DNA”
“We work cohesively as a team, combining high competence, experience and versatility with a view to
improving research and development and innovation processes”
“Both we and our partners support the update of our team members and we note that they have a strong sense
of belonging to the company’s community”
“We support our team members to develop projects from conception to implementation … aiming at
strengthening internal and partnership engagement”
Employee engagement
“We and our partner Alisea are achieving better business results by selling our respective products together
because the consumer understands that our t-shirt Graphi-Tee comes from the Perpetua Pencil’s graphite
recycle and that the Perpetua Pencil inspired the t-shirt Graphi-Tee”
“Our product is no longer just a t-shirt or a jacket, but an innovative tool to communicate our sustainability-
oriented values and increase trust in the brand
“In collaboration with our partners, we design an ad hoc communication plan on the sustainable value of our
products with positive effects on brand awareness”
“We try to make our supply chain transparent so that it represents an additional guarantee on the commitment
of the brands involved in terms of sustainability”
“With several institutional partners (national and international), we have shared innovative and effective
digital communication projects on the sustainability of fashion that have provided us with high visibility
and have attracted the attention of global companies in the sector (from logistics to fabric development),
institutions, the public and consumers”
Brand
reputation
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Table 5 (continued)
First-order CONCEPT Second-order THEMES Aggregate dimension
“In collaboration with our partners, we design communication projects aimed at developing greater social
awareness of the need to act in a sustainable way”
“On Instagram, we have tried to communicate the real impact of the fashion industry through images. First
of all, a digital community has been created, small but with a high engagement rate, from 10 to 20% on our
posts, well above the average in the fashion industry”
“With some partners such as Fashion Revolution or Eco-Age, we have created an educational project on
sustainability for schools”
Local communities’ influence
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Table 6 Analysis of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners: purpose dimension
First-order CONCEPT Second-order THEMES Aggregate dimension
“We were born as an Instagram page to generate awareness about the real cost of the fashion
industry on an environmental and social level. Our partners share this communication approach
with us, which is now widespread throughout the network”
“The product offered to the market is not merely a t-shirt, another pair of jeans or another sweat-
shirt that nobody needs, but a form of personal investment to move towards an educational path
of sustainable development”
“We don’t sell t-shirts and jackets; we sell sustainability awareness through our products”
“We intend to make it clear to global companies, which produce, for example, hundreds of thou-
sands of sweaters a month, that with our technology they can do it by reducing water consump-
tion by 97% … also achieving an economic benefit … then we all win”
Sustainability-oriented awareness development Purposedimension
“With our partner we have reimagined this box containing 2,000years of history for a more
sustainable future”
“In 2017, together with our partner Yoox, we created a communication campaign and an exclu-
sive Capsule Collection called WRÅDoscope, spread all over the world. We communicated
sustainability to a very specific audience and attributed a function, a purpose to the product. For
each zodiac sign, we created a functional communication for a more sustainable lifestyle. The
horoscope communicated how to potentially reduce your environmental impact and be a better
person next year”
“We work with our partners considering fundamental attention to the scarcity of natural resources
and respect for human value”
“We work together with our partners to challenge the status quo in order to find solutions geared
towards sustainable development”
“Learning is a key driver for capturing weak signals and for intercepting changes and needs occur-
ring in society and in the environment”
“Social sustainability is pivotal in our company’s and partners’ strategy, which consists of a set of
core values to spread and promote a culture of sustainable innovation”
Sustainable
orientation
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Table 6 (continued)
First-order CONCEPT Second-order THEMES Aggregate dimension
“One purpose of the network is to catalyse, starting from the product, positive change in the fash-
ion industry and in other industries, so that they become promoters of responsible action”
“One purpose of our network of partners is to potentially develop technologies that other compa-
nies can use in the future”
“There is a shared vision between company members, partners and consumers regarding the need
to solve complex environmental, social and sustainable economic issues”
“We and our partners worked to make our supply chain transparent in every area”
Sustainable collective culture
“The network is supported by strong managerial skills in terms of communication. Everyone
wants to talk about our history. Therefore, we are able to obtain – at essentially zero cost – con-
stant and high media coverage”
“Creativity and non-linear thinking are developed through the relationships we have established
with highly qualified art directors, fashion designers, fashion photographers and sustainability
managers”
Proactive managerial skills
“We spent years figuring out how to effectively communicate the message associated with our
products to the market”
“By working closely with our partners, we have learned that it is necessary that communication
excites and inspires, and is deeply interesting”
Organisational
learning
“In our network, entrepreneurs focus on sharing strategies and knowledge, are open to discussion
and dialogue, are innovation-oriented and seek to encourage internal and external connections
and cohesion. They practice a visionary leadership style to develop the skills of others”
“Our partners’ leaders constantly develop new, sustainable values co-created inside and outside
the organisations”
“We and our partners think that sustainability-oriented change can happen and we can lead it”
“Our network’s entrepreneurs continuously support the development of skills of their employees
and management”
Proactive and innovative leadership
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4 Results
This section proposes the characteristics of SMEs’ partners in achieving the SDGs.
Tables3, 4, 5 and 6 present the data structure by providing a graphical representa-
tion of the transition from the raw data (first-order concept) to the subdimensions
(second-order themes) and then the dimensions (aggregate dimensions) used in the
data analysis. Both the dimensions and subdimensions were used as key categories
to analyse the interviews (data analysis) and, simultaneously, as variables to classify
the results obtained (data interpretation). More precisely, the SME characteristics
dimensions that emerged from this study include economic, environment and social
dimensions (Elkington 1994; Zhou etal. 2018) and a purpose dimension (Mion and
Loza Adaui 2020). Each of these are described by highlighting the connected subdi-
mensions as they emerged via data analysis.
4.1 The characteristics ofSMEs’ partners: economic dimension
With specific reference to the economic dimension, the case examined for this study
highlights the three following subdimensions regarding the characteristics of SMEs
partners: quality utility value, technique level and profitability (see Table3). More
precisely, Wråd has activated partnerships that address quality utility value because
partners allow reuse and recycling of raw materials, stimulating and supporting a
circular economy process. Wråd described this as follows:
Together with Alisea we have recycled over 16 tons of graphite powder in
three years.
Furthermore, this case outlines the importance of collaborating with partners
whose technical level is high. With reference to this, Wråd’s partners favour a pro-
cess of development of technological and procedural skills. The case study high-
lights the application of innovative and sustainable technologies to new fabrics and
fabric dyeing processes. The network also includes companies that, despite operat-
ing in different sectors, have been able to create interconnections through the appli-
cability of their technological know-how for the purpose of the creation of new
fabrics, the digitisation of manufacturing processes in the fashion industry and the
development of traceability of the supply chain. Wråd argued as follows:
The partnership with Tecno E.D.M. srl, which has invested in machinery and
functional resources, has been invaluable in understanding how to dye with a
powder.
We are collaborating with 1TrueID to apply an innovative technology that will
allow us to attribute a unique digital DNA to each individual product, giving
anyone immediate access, via smartphone, to the information we want to con-
vey about the product.
Finally, the Wråd case reveals profitability as an important characteristic of
SMEs’ partners. Profitability is essential because it enables the growth of each
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partner, by favouring the penetration of new markets and the development of syn-
ergistic relationships that are reflected in strategies to enhance the marketing of the
respective products, while facilitating consumer understanding of the sustainable
value of the products made and the commitment to co-create sustainable value con-
nected to the development of a circular economy. Wråd outlined this as follows:
With our global partners, we were able to reach overseas markets, both in
North America and Japan.
We and our partners are aligned on investing in slow capital.
4.2 The characteristics ofSMEs’ partners: environmental dimension
As regards the environment dimension, the analysis underlines the five following
subdimensions of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners: resource consumption
efficiency, pollution production, energy efficiency, environment management sys-
tem and environment equipment and facilities (see Table4). Specifically, Wråd has
developed collaborations with partners that aim to reduce their resource consump-
tion and operate efficiently to empower an innovative and circular supply chain.
Wråd underlined this as follows:
Our first original product, the Graphi-Tee t-shirt, was born from the Perpetua
pencil of our partner Alisea, using recycled graphite powder.
Wråd and its partners are particularly sensitive to the environmental impact gen-
erated by the waste of resources—something that is particularly high in the fashion
industry. As the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017b) revealed, each year millions
of tons of clothes are produced, worn and thrown away. Every second, the equivalent
of a rubbish truck of clothes is burned or buried in landfill. The fashion industry is
one of the major contributors of plastic microfibres entering our oceans. This issue
was emphasised by Wråd as follows:
On average people use their clothes for 1–3 Instagram posts and then throw
them away. This results in very high environmental damage.
The fashion industry needs to tackle the root causes of global challenges such
as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Wråd and its partners agree that
fashion needs to reinvent itself, and that this vision will require an integrated com-
mitment between companies in the sector, and between industry, government and
intergovernmental organisations, to work together and support significant invest-
ment, large-scale innovation, transparency and traceability. These actions are impor-
tant to improve energy efficiency. As noted by Wråd:
Thanks to the innovative and sustainable technologies created and applied in
conjunction with our partners, we have reduced consumption of water and
energy in the production processes.
However, the above-mentioned actions are also fundamental to support an envi-
ronmental management system, which favours the diffusion of holistic standards
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covering the processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling, trading and distribu-
tion of all textiles made from certified organic fibres. These fibres have to be pro-
duced without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified
organisms, and hence, protect farmers and biodiversity. A certification system such
as Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) ensures the responsible and efficient
use of resources because it requires minimisation of the use of water, chemicals and
energy, a decrease in CO2 emissions and an increase in renewable energy. As Wråd
pointed out:
Our supply partners provide all required certifications and traceability of their
production and manufacturing activities. For example, our fabric suppliers use
a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified yarn.
Wråd considers compliance with this condition essential to establishing a partner-
ship with another company, as clearly highlighted below:
For every single product, we have certificates to guarantee what we say. Other-
wise, we do not activate the collaboration. For example, we blocked a Capsule
Collection for this reason: we had developed mint fibre, a beautiful product
with a spectacular hand feel, which had also been requested for an exclusive
Capsule in Yoox Net-a-Porter, but our supplier was unable to supply us with
the mint traceability.
Redesigning the way clothes are made and used requires an environment of
equipment and facilities able to support the development of a circular supply chain
that enables full traceability, from field to finished product. In this regard, Wråd
affirmed its commitment and that of its partners:
In collaboration with our partners, we are integrating blockchain technology to
develop traceability within the supply chain.
Together with our partners, we have created a circular supply chain in Italy.
4.3 The characteristics ofSMEs’ partners: social dimension
With regard to the social dimension, the case analysis highlights the four follow-
ing subdimensions of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners: public health, employee
engagement, brand reputation and local communities’ influence (see Table 5).
Specifically, the protection of public health is a sustainability challenge that Wråd
and its partners face responsibly by carefully choosing textiles and investing in the
research and development of new materials and production processes that are com-
pliant with organic standards to ensure organic integrity of their products. They are
committed to creating an industry that actively lowers its environmental impact and
prioritises human health over short-term profit. As stated by Wråd:
Graphite is a mineral that protects against electromagnetic waves and is a
conductor of electricity and heat. With our partners, we aim to optimise its
properties for the development of fabrics potentially capable of protecting the
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human body from exposure to electrosmog, considered one of the main causes
of many neurological problems, sleep disorders, anxiety and nervousness, and
often also considered due to an increase in the suicide rate.
Thanks to the innovative and sustainable technologies developed and applied
with our partners, we are able to guarantee the safety of the skin, with signifi-
cant human, social and environmental benefits.
Another central aspect for a socially sustainable industry concerns dignity and
respect for workers. Wråd and its partner companies are strongly committed to
employee engagement, supporting professional and skills development, and stimu-
lating the involvement of collaborators in the design and management of projects.
Within Wråd and its partnership network, people work in a cohesive and versatile
manner, with a view to improving research and development and innovation pro-
cesses. Indeed, the company claimed that:
Together with our partners we want to restore value to the human resources
employed in the supply chain. The ‘Who Made My Clothes’ campaign by
Fashion Revolution, one of the strongest social movements we collaborate
with, supports brands that start by saying ‘These people made my clothes.’
This manifesto is part of our DNA.
We support our team members to develop projects from conception to imple-
mentation … aiming at strengthening internal and partnership engagement.
Socially responsible behaviour attracts interest and attention in the competitive
world market; it actively contributes to building a good brand reputation. Wråd
and its partners have a good reputation, they develop synergic strategies to rein-
force their market competitiveness, support their sales, communicate with trans-
parency the sustainable value of their products and their shared commitment to
the co-creation of sustainable value and invest in the traceability of the entire
supply chain, concretely attesting to their credibility. A key variable in the rela-
tionship developed with the market, partners and all relevant stakeholders is trust.
When customers believe an organisation is trustworthy and behaves in a socially
responsible manner, evaluation and assessment of that company is positively
affected. In this regard, Wråd highlighted the following:
Our product is no longer just a t-shirt or a jacket, but an innovative tool to
communicate our sustainability-oriented values and increase trust in the brand.
We try to make our supply chain transparent so that it represents an additional
guarantee on the commitment of the brands involved in terms of sustainability.
With several institutional partners (national and international), we have shared
innovative and effective digital communication projects on the sustainability
of fashion, which have provided us with high visibility and have attracted the
attention of global companies in the sector (from logistics to fabric develop-
ment), institutions, the public and consumers.
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A further relevant commitment of Wråd and its partners is projected towards the
promotion of sustainable development of local communities through communica-
tion projects that contribute to increasing awareness of the need to adopt responsible
behaviours and, in this vein, stimulate active participation of local actors. Among
these, Wråd underlined educational projects on sustainability developed in collab-
oration with educational institutions such as schools and universities, promoted to
high school and university students in order to spread understanding of the impor-
tance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle and encourage greater social proactivity:
On Instagram, we have tried to communicate the real impact of the fashion
industry through images. First of all, a digital community has been created,
small but with a high engagement rate, from 10% to 20% on our posts, well
above the average in the fashion industry.
With partners such as Fashion Revolution or Eco-Age, we have created an edu-
cational project on sustainability for schools.
4.4 The characteristics ofSMEs’ partners: purpose dimension
With specific reference to the purpose dimension, the case analysed for this study
indicated the following subdimensions of the characteristics of SMEs’ partners:
sustainability-oriented awareness development, sustainable orientation, sustainable
collective culture, proactive managerial skills, organisational learning and proactive
and innovative leadership (see Table6).
Within the partnership network generated and supported by Wråd, and by the
numerous actors with which the company has established and consolidated impor-
tant relationships, organisations share and adopt a communicative approach aimed at
the development of sustainability-oriented awareness. Specifically, they aim to cre-
ate awareness of the negative impacts produced by the fashion industry and the need
to promote educational paths regarding sustainable development. This awareness
has become the core of the message conveyed through the products:
We were born as an Instagram page to generate awareness about the real
cost of the fashion industry on an environmental and social level. Our part-
ners share this communication approach with us, which is now widespread
throughout the network.
The product offered to the market is not merely a t-shirt, another pair of jeans
or another sweatshirt that nobody needs, but a form of personal investment to
move towards an educational path for sustainable development.
We don’t sell t-shirts and jackets; we sell sustainability awareness through
our products.
Wråd has established partnerships with organisations that have a profound
sustainability orientation, on which their mission and strategic orientation are
strongly focused. They activate collaborative projects strictly aimed at finding
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innovative and sustainable solutions and respecting the scarcity of resources and
the value of all humans. Furthermore, they attribute to their respective products
a purpose connected to a more sustainable vision of the future and continuously
monitor weak signals to intercept any form of change and need in society and
in the environment. Among the various citable initiatives, Wråd reported the
following:
In 2017, together with our partner Yoox, we created a communication cam-
paign and an exclusive Capsule Collection called WRÅDoscope, spread all
over the world. We communicated sustainability to a very specific audience
and attributed a function, a purpose to the product. For each zodiac sign,
we created a functional communication for a more sustainable lifestyle. The
horoscope communicated how to potentially reduce your environmental
impact and be a better person next year.
Wråd also underlined that:
Social sustainability is pivotal in our company’s and partners’ strategy,
which consists of a set of core values to spread and promote a culture of
sustainable innovation.
In line with the elements highlighted so far, the study shows that the devel-
opment of a sustainable collective culture is an important goal for Wråd and its
partners. They support the need for a shared vision between companies, institu-
tions, employees, consumers and local communities to achieve positive change
and support an effective process of rethinking production and consumption in the
fashion industry to solve complex problems in terms of economic, environmental
and social sustainability. In this regard, Wråd stated:
One purpose of our network of partners is to potentially develop technolo-
gies that other companies can use in the future.
We and our partners worked to make our supply chain transparent in every
area.
The efficient management of the multiple and complex activities character-
ising a sustainable value chain within the fashion supply chain requires highly
proactive managerial skills. Wråd’s and partners’ management have developed
a series of dynamic capabilities and organisational skills that enable them to
acquire, combine and transform tangible and intangible resources in many ways.
This, along with the interfunctional integration of competences, allows them to
continuously address changing environmental conditions, strengthen competitive
capacity, improve performance and offer sustainable value. As Wråd underlined:
Creativity and non-linear thinking are developed through the relationships we
have established with highly qualified art directors, fashion designers, fashion
photographers and sustainability managers.
Wråd also uses strategies for value co-creation with partners to develop organisa-
tional learning focused on the active exchange of knowledge and incentive logic for
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ongoing learning, and on the management of information processes and transparent
communication through the synergic and efficient use of new technologies that help
to increase engagement. As the company pointed out:
By working closely with our partners, we have learned that it is necessary that
communication excites and inspires, and is deeply interesting.
Each partner is constantly involved in the activities of the company by adopting a
leadership style that is versatile, adaptive and proactive in terms of agile strategies in
pursuing the SDGs. As Wråd stated:
In our network, entrepreneurs focus on sharing strategies and knowledge, are
open to discussion and dialogue, are innovation-oriented and seek to encour-
age internal and external connections and cohesion. They practice a visionary
leadership style to develop the skills of others.
5 Discussion
The analysis of Wråd’s activities and processes, designed and launched in collabora-
tion with various partners, shows that the companies involved pursue the objective
of sustainability via every innovative practice and initiative. Their contribution to
the generation of sustainable value is outlined in terms of economic, environmental,
social and purpose dimensions. Thus, the three sustainability dimensions (economic,
environmental and social) found in previous studies are confirmed (Elkington 1994;
Zhou etal. 2018), while a new dimension (purpose), which has emerged in recent
academic thinking, has been added (Mion and Loza Adaui 2020).
In terms of the economic dimension, our analysis shows that SMEs’ partners
engaged in the creation of sustainable value pay attention to the development
of quality utility value, promoting the reuse and recycling of materials and prod-
ucts that have reached the end of their life cycle; technique level, investing in the
improvement of technical and procedural skills; and profitability, generated through
a well-planned recycling program that saves an enormous amount of energy as well
as natural resources.
With reference to the environmental dimension, the analysis highlights the strong
commitment of Wråd and its partners towards reducing resource wastage and pro-
moting their efficient management. In this regard, they believe it is essential to sup-
port substantial investment for the purpose of developing sustainable innovation,
transparency of manufacturing processes and traceability of the supply chain. Spe-
cifically, their vision is projected towards the improvement of resource consump-
tion efficiency, with regard to the optimisation of the consumption of raw materials,
materials and products. It is also projected towards the reduction of pollution pro-
duction, considering the urgency of sustainable practices in light of the serious envi-
ronmental problems produced by the fashion industry, as a result of over-production,
over-consumption and problematic end-of-life solutions. Further important elements
perceived as sustainability needs towards which Wråd and its partners strive include
energy efficiency in the use of energy, water, gas, fuel and other energy sources;
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environmental management systems, through the dissemination of environmental
certifications; and environmental equipment and facilities, for the purpose of effi-
cient environmental management of resources.
These findings are in line with previous studies (Zhou etal. 2018), although it
should be noted that, in this study, labour resources and related tangible and intangi-
ble resources were not included in the resource consumption efficiency characteris-
tic of SMEs’ partners, but rather, assimilated in other characteristics relating to the
social and purpose dimensions.
In the context of the social dimension, Wråd’s responsible action in collabora-
tion with its partners is focused on enhancing public health, demonstrated by the
care with which they choose materials and seek innovative solutions that ensure
the organic integrity of the products. Furthermore, their responsible action does not
neglect employee engagement in all business processes, treating employees with
respect and dignity, developing skills, stimulating their involvement and promoting
cohesion and versatility. A further characteristic sought in the selection of partners
is the management of brand reputation, through transparent communication and
actions that strengthen the trust in and credibility of the company, including invest-
ment in full traceability from raw materials to the stages of processing, spinning,
weaving and knitting, wet-processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling and trad-
ing. Finally, in our analysis, local communities’ influence stands out among the char-
acteristics of the social dimension sought by Wråd in its partners, certifying a com-
mitment to conceive and promote communication and educational projects capable
of building understanding of the importance of responsible conduct and stimulat-
ing its adoption. Many theories and much evidence suggests that education on the
underlying ideas and promotion of sustainability will contribute to cultural change
(Zheng etal. 2021).
With reference to the social dimension, our analysis underlines the inclusion of
a new subdimension in the literature represented by public health and the redefini-
tion of the subdimension ‘employee turnover rate’ proposed by Zhou etal. (2018)
to ‘employee engagement, since this factor not only pertains to the concepts of
employee churn or turnover rate, but can also be affected by working conditions and
wage levels. It aims to include the company’s commitment to the ethical treatment
of employees, care for their professional growth and their involvement in decision-
making processes.
With reference to the purpose dimension, this study indicates the following set of
characteristics of SMEs’ partners. First is the characteristic of sustainable-oriented
awareness development, which is necessary for lifestyle change that supports sus-
tainable development. Another is sustainable orientation, a strategic resource that
can lead to competitive advantage and superior (financial) performance and that pos-
itively influences new product development (Claudy etal. 2016). Also important is
a sustainable collective culture, which seeks to spread in a cohesive way, inside and
outside the company, values based on sustainability, and, moreover, promotes and
enhances a sense of responsible citizenship on the part of numerous social actors
and a sense of belonging towards communities and territories. Two further relevant
characteristics relating to the purpose dimension are represented by proactive mana-
gerial skills, aimed at stimulating the creation and dissemination of knowledge and
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1342
P.Castellani et al.
1 3
new value, and organisational learning, aimed at the acquisition and exchange of
knowledge and skills that support decision-making in the design and management of
sustainable practices. The complexity and dynamism of the design and management
of business processes from a sustainability perspective requires a number of factors,
including continuous training programs, integration between the various functional
areas of the company and sustainable communication platforms based on digitalisa-
tion, harmonised relationships and stakeholder engagement. Finally, also emerging
from the study is the characteristic of proactive and innovative leadership, able to
harmonise strategies and business tactics, a sustainable culture and the continuous
collection of feedback from stakeholders to share and intercept new needs. A leader-
ship team committed to regenerating new sustainable values supports the objective
of sustainable innovation, improved human wellbeing and long-term social, eco-
nomic and environmental benefits. Compared with previous studies, the dimension
of purpose that emerged from this research constitutes a novel contribution to the
literature; one that may be added to those of the TBL theory.
The harmonisation of the analysed characteristics is the basis of the strategic
orientation that guides Wråd and its partners to develop collaborative projects with
the aim to identify and respond to community needs, to predict those needs and to
enrich community members’ lives by supporting them towards a more sustainable
lifestyle. The company and its partners are united by the desire to explore contexts
outside their respective comfort zones, allowing themselves to be stimulated by the
world and its priorities, and acknowledging the urgencies related to the future. They
focus on the environment, while creativity and innovation act as a source of inspira-
tion through a common vision of shared values.
5.1 Theoretical implications
From a theoretical point of view, this study confirms the centrality of SMEs in the
pursuit of the SDGs (Crick and Crick 2021; Oppong 2022; Smith etal. 2022) and,
above all, the importance of the establishment of partnerships between SMEs to
achieve such (Joseph and Kulkarni 2020; Prashantham and Birkinshaw 2020; Jimé-
nez etal. 2021; Russo and Schena 2021; Ordonez-Ponce etal. 2021). The adoption
of forms of partnerships with more stakeholders allows an accumulation of know-
how and skills capable of overcoming the constraints deriving from the small size of
the individual SME (Journeault 2021; Ordonez-Ponce and Clark 2020).
Furthermore, unlike many past studies on selection criteria (Weber etal. 1991;
Ho etal. 2010; Kuo etal. 2010; Hsu etal. 2013; Feng etal. 2017; Kannan 2018;
Tseng etal. 2018; Jenssen and de Boer 2019), this study investigated the main char-
acteristics of SMEs sought in identifying an adequate partner with whom to collabo-
rate to achieve the SDGs. In this sense, it represents the first study aimed at contrib-
uting to filling the identified research gap.
In line with previous studies that underline the importance of expanding the TBL
dimensions (Larner etal. 2017; Raiborn etal. 2013; Arukala and Pancharathi 2020;
Hamidi and Worthington 2021), the empirical evidence of this study suggests a
further extension of this theory with the added dimension of ‘purpose’. Defining
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1343
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Partner selection strategies ofSMEs forreaching the…
the purpose of a company is an important issue, as evidenced by the ever-growing
interest of management researchers (Mion and Loza Adaui 2020). The most recent
developments on the subject embrace a comprehensive understanding of the organi-
sational purpose and of the benefit business organisations can create for society
(Loza Adaui and Mion 2016; Pies etal. 2018). The relevance of this topic is further
reinforced by the existence of firms that explicitly adopt a mission that combines
economic, social and environmental goals (Quinn and Thakor 2018; Muñoz etal.
2018); in other words, firms that pursue sustainability goals.
5.2 Practical implications
From a practical point of view, this study highlights that an SME can contribute to
the achievement of the SDGs by adopting a pluralistic approach (Glasbergen 2007)
that engages multiple partners. To move in this direction, the case analysed high-
lighted the importance of developing a vision supported by a systemic awareness of
the problems that need to be addressed and that transcend the operating sector; in
this case, fashion.
With reference to the economic and environmental dimensions, some conditions
are becoming increasingly essential for the sustainable development of economies,
communities and territories; conditions that the fashion industry cannot ignore if it
intends to maintain and develop its competitiveness in the long term. As emerged in
the findings of this study, these include the production of certified organic raw materi-
als, the use of recycled raw materials and materials, the strengthening of investments
in research and development on recycling processes, and the commitment to creating
an ethical supply chain, in which all phases of the value chain are traceable. There-
fore, these results suggest investing in products and processes engineering capable
of creating real positive value and responding to the real needs of humanity. In this
sense, this case study highlights the importance of realising multifunctional products
aimed to respond to and face, always via a multistakeholder approach, the challenges
and objectives presented by the United Nations via the SDGs (Deias 2021).
As regards the social dimension, this research points out that the ability to
develop symbiotic relationships and collaborations is key to creating real functional
ecosystems and generating paradigm shifts. The partnership network makes it pos-
sible to amplify communication, stimuli and opportunities for the conception and
implementation of projects in support of sustainable development objectives towards
companies, communities and consumers in a more integrated way. The analysis of
the case study suggests SMEs and their partners disseminate, in a more incisive way,
information on the materials used and their impact, because consumer do not imme-
diately understand that what they wear can have a negative effect on their health,
directly through the skin and/or indirectly through the environmental damage gener-
ated by textile production. A further suggestion concerns the reinforcement of the
investment in education: the information asymmetry that characterises the fashion
system today is the main cause of its environmental and social inefficiency. In this
regard, this study recommends brands reinvent their communication strategies and
work to become an important guide on topics that transcend their product. They
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1344
P.Castellani et al.
1 3
should propose honest, inclusive and participatory communication, based on respect
for the customer, to stimulate behavioural changes defined by a renewed awareness
such as more responsible consumption, but also the proposal of innovative, smart
and responsible projects and processes, capable of responding to the renewed needs
of humanity. In this way, companies could support the development of a collective
culture dedicated to sustainability.
Just as important as the field of educational investment is that of innovation, to
catalyse the development of circular models capable of reducing textile waste and
extending the life of clothing. As emerged in this study, it is important for compa-
nies to create products capable of combining ethics and aesthetics, and to convey
this commitment effectively. Traceability, transparency and circularity are funda-
mental, but so is designing ‘pleasing’ products, to activate virtuous exchanges. In
this context, new fashion system designers would be necessary and important.
With reference to the purpose dimension, a further recommendation for compa-
nies, deriving from the analysis carried out, concerns investment in the training of
specialist sustainability skills, and therefore, in the training of specialist sustainabil-
ity managers, since the dimensions of sustainable value and sustainable innovation
are increasingly complex to manage from an integrated perspective. Sustainability
specialists should express multidisciplinary skills and should represent generators
of continuous interconnection between the actors and the widespread knowledge in
the sustainable value chain to promote the search for sustainable solutions across
all business sectors. Moreover, the results highlight for SMEs and their partners the
importance of enhancing their ability to communicate in the digital environment
and to convey their messages in an emotionally engaging and rapid manner, with an
immediate and memorable impact through a variety of initiatives: the effective plan-
ning of communication campaigns, participation in various events such as seminars,
congresses, workshops, tradeshows, TED Talks, competitions and others, which can
be configured or may include specific spaces such as sustainability hubs. Digital
communication channels allow the company to relate to consumers, partners and
other stakeholders, whose perceptions, ideas, proposals and visions offer the oppor-
tunity for cultural contamination and debate and the drive to spread a culture of sus-
tainability and, therefore, the growth of social awareness.
This approach to continuous improvement, and the incessant propensity to accept
new challenges in which SMEs perceive stimuli and opportunities, imply a need to
redefine the conditions of efficient and effective management of research and devel-
opment, supply chain processes and communication projects, in symbiosis with the
purpose of partners.
6 Conclusion
This study fills a gap in the literature related to the characteristics of SMEs’ part-
ners that can better contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. Indeed, while previ-
ous research had analysed the evaluation criteria via which to select specific supply
chain partners, no previous studies have examined the characteristics of SMEs’ part-
ners, such as businesses, public government, educational institutions and non-profit
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1345
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Partner selection strategies ofSMEs forreaching the…
organisations, that support SMEs in a more effective pursuit of sustainable develop-
ment. The Wråd case study confirmed that SMEs can contribute to the achievement
of the SDGs by developing partnerships with multiple stakeholders. This research
contributed to enriching knowledge on the topic by revealing that the characteris-
tics of SMEs’ partners can be classed into the four following dimensions: economic,
environmental, social and purpose. Furthermore, the results of the study enrich the
literature by identifying the subdimensions of the above-mentioned dimensions.
Specifically, the analysis proposed that quality utility value, technique level and
profitability are the subdimensions of the economic dimension; resource consump-
tion efficiency, pollution production, energy efficiency, environment management
system and environment equipment and facilities are the subdimensions of the envi-
ronmental dimension; public health, employee engagement, brand reputation and
local communities’ influence are the subdimensions of the social dimension; and
sustainability-oriented awareness development, sustainable orientation, sustainable
collective culture, proactive managerial skills, organisational learning and proactive
and innovative leadership are the subdimensions of the purpose dimension.
The results of this study also highlighted that, beyond the choice to invest in
compliance with ethical criteria, the commitment of the SME and its partners is
projected towards the engineering of products and processes that are able to create
positive value and respond to the real needs of humanity. Products and processes
thus become multifunctional tools designed and created with a multiple stakeholder
approach and vision to address the challenges of the United Nations SDGs. From
this perspective, each project conceived is the result of synergic work with partners.
The study as a whole offers interesting points for reflection; however, it also suf-
fers limitations. First, the paper proposes the analysis of a single case study operating
in the fashion industry; it is therefore not possible to generalise the results obtained.
To this end, a larger sample of SMEs operating in different businesses and represent-
ing, particularly, companies capable of combining innovation and sustainability in
the process of generating and disseminating value and contributing to SDGs, should
be analysed. This new research direction would be of interest because developing the
analysis with reference to other companies operating in other sectors could allow us
to highlight other types of relevant partners and/or other relevant characteristics in
addition to those highlighted by this study for the purpose of achieving the SDGs.
Second, the analysis was conducted by adopting the company’s perspective to
understand the characteristics of the partners with whom it aims to develop long-
term synergistic relationships and design strategies that favour efficient and effective
management of value co-creation processes and the outcomes obtained in terms of
sustainable innovation. A future research direction could therefore explore the point
of view of the partners, on the basis of which the company consciously modulates its
strategy, culture, leadership and resource selection processes in the business arena,
and the development and consolidation of partnerships. In this respect, it would also
be important to assess how the perceptions of one partner can not only facilitate but
also hinder the co-creation of sustainable value.
A further in-depth exploration could be directed towards the analysis of partner
engagement practices, tools and platforms and the exploration of consumer engage-
ment strategies to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs and to understand
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1346
P.Castellani et al.
1 3
mechanisms through which sustainable innovation is generated. The analysis of
choices and actions could be conducted using qualitative and quantitative techniques
including in-depth interview, focus group, survey and social network analysis.
Funding Open access funding provided by Università degli Studi di Verona within the CRUI-CARE
Agreement.
Declarations
Conflict of interest This study does not have any competing interests to declare and it was not funded.
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License,
which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as
you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Com-
mons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article
are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the
material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is
not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission
directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http:// creat iveco mmons. org/ licen
ses/ by/4. 0/.
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Authors and Aliations
PaolaCastellani1 · ChiaraRossato1 · ElenaGiaretta1 ·
AlfonsoVargas‑Sánchez2
Chiara Rossato
chiara.rossato@univr.it
Elena Giaretta
elena.giaretta@univr.it
Alfonso Vargas-Sánchez
vargas@uhu.es
1 Department ofManagement, University ofVerona, Via Cantarane, 24, 37129Verona, Italy
2 Management andMarketing Department, Facultad de CC. Empresariales, Huelva University,
Plaza de la Merced 11, 21002Huelva, Spain
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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... The dissemination of information over the internet might result in unidirectional usage. However, since they allow for two-way contact between the business and its stakeholders, social media platforms make interactions easier [13,56]. Consequently, symmetric involvement between participants has resulted from online platforms, which have also reduced formal hierarchies. ...
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