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The role of crowdfunding in moving towards a sustainable society

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  • Testa, Stefania
  • Nielsen, Kristian Roed
  • Bogers, Marcel
  • Cincotti, Silvano

Abstract

Crowdfunding presents many opportunities for moving towards a sustainable society, with specific interest for sustainable entrepreneurs and innovators. In order to examine the potential role of crowdfunding in this context, we position this Special Issue (SI) within the larger stream of sustainability transitions literature, and in particular in relation to one of the field's key frameworks, i.e. the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP). We argue that crowdfunding represents a novel socio-technical practice with the potential of upscaling and transforming financial and – potentially – sustainability regimes. This introductory article contains an overview of the articles, described by using the MLP typology. Some authors describe the role of crowdfunding in enabling user-producer and user-consumer interaction at an early stage; others focus on crowdfunding as a tool for user-legitimators and user-citizens. In terms of future research, the novelty of the phenomenon leaves a wide range of areas open for further research, with the current literature primarily focused on uncovering the antecedents of funding success and failure, something that is also apparent in this SI. To help the field move forward, we identify five areas as the most relevant for future research.

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  • Testa, Stefania & Nielsen, Kristian Roed & Bogers, Marcel & Cincotti, Silvano, 2019. "The role of crowdfunding in moving towards a sustainable society," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 66-73.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:141:y:2019:i:c:p:66-73
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2018.12.011
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    3. Presley K. Wesseh & Boqiang Lin & Yixuan Zhang & Preslyn Sharon Wesseh, 2024. "Sustainable entrepreneurship: When does environmental compliance improve corporate performance?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(4), pages 3203-3221, May.
    4. Wachs, Johannes & Vedres, Balázs, 2021. "Does crowdfunding really foster innovation? Evidence from the board game industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    5. Agnieszka Szewczyk & Zbigniew Stempnakowski, 2021. "Social Energy as the Driving Force behind Crowdfunding—Analysis and Classification of Selected Attributes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-32, September.
    6. Miranda, Bruno Varella & Monteiro, Guilherme Fowler A. & Rodrigues, Vinicius Picanço, 2021. "Circular agri-food systems: A governance perspective for the analysis of sustainable agri-food value chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    7. Alexa Böckel & Jacob Hörisch & Isabell Tenner, 2021. "A systematic literature review of crowdfunding and sustainability: highlighting what really matters," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 433-453, April.
    8. Stefania Testa & Paolo Roma & Maria Vasi & Silvano Cincotti, 2020. "Crowdfunding as a tool to support sustainability‐oriented initiatives: Preliminary insights into the role of product/service attributes," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 530-546, February.
    9. Leone, Daniele & Cristina Pietronudo, Maria & Gabteni, Heger & Rosaria Carli, Maria, 2023. "Reward-based crowdfunding for building a valuable circular business model," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    10. Mansouri, Sasan & Momtaz, Paul P., 2022. "Financing sustainable entrepreneurship: ESG measurement, valuation, and performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(6).
    11. Junge, Louise Bech & Laursen, Iben Cleveland & Nielsen, Kristian Roed, 2022. "Choosing crowdfunding: Why do entrepreneurs choose to engage in crowdfunding?," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    12. Penz, R. Frederic & Hörisch, Jacob & Tenner, Isabell, 2022. "Investors in environmental ventures want good money—and a clean conscience: How framing, interest rates, and the environmental impact of crowdlending projects influence funding decisions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    13. Maria Kukurba & Mariusz Salwin & Aneta Ewa Waszkiewicz, 2023. "Model of Value Transfer in Crowdfunding and Sustainable Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Poland—Based on Survey Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-55, August.
    14. Monk, Alexander & Perkins, Richard, 2020. "What explains the emergence and diffusion of green bonds?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    15. Hörisch, Jacob & Tenner, Isabell, 2020. "How environmental and social orientations influence the funding success of investment-based crowdfunding: The mediating role of the number of funders and the average funding amount," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

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