IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v46y2014i5p1088-1107.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rethinking Sociotechnical Transitions and Green Entrepreneurship: The Potential for Transformative Change in the Green Building Sector

Author

Listed:
  • David Gibbs
  • Kirstie O'Neill

Abstract

This paper explores the development of green entrepreneurship and its potential role in transformative change towards a green economy. It achieves this through a study of the green building sector in England and Wales, based on qualitative empirical data from fifty-five semistructured interviews with businesses in the green building sector and with support organisations, including banks, financial sources, and business advice and support. The paper both critiques and synthesises two bodies of literature— entrepreneurial research and sociotechnical transitions theories, specifically the multilevel perspective (MLP)—to better understand the role of green entrepreneurs in facilitating a shift towards a green economy. This analysis embeds green entrepreneurs in a wider system of actors, rather than reifying the lone entrepreneurial hero, in order to explore how green entrepreneurs facilitate sustainability transitions. The paper challenges the notion that green entrepreneurs are an unproblematic category. We discovered that individuals move between ‘green’ and ‘conventional’ business, evolving over time, such that this is a fluid and blurred, rather than static, state. Moreover, while the green economy and the green building sector are often referred to as coherent sectors, with agreed and consistent practices, our evidence suggests that they are far from agreed, that business models vary, and that there are significant contradictions within so-called green building practices. The paper contributes to the development of sociotechnical transitions theory and suggests that the MLP needs to incorporate complexity and multiplicity within niches, that niches may be inherently conflictual rather than consensual, and that the concept of ‘protection’ for niches is problematic.

Suggested Citation

  • David Gibbs & Kirstie O'Neill, 2014. "Rethinking Sociotechnical Transitions and Green Entrepreneurship: The Potential for Transformative Change in the Green Building Sector," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 46(5), pages 1088-1107, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:46:y:2014:i:5:p:1088-1107
    DOI: 10.1068/a46259
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a46259
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a46259?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Seyfang, Gill, 2010. "Community action for sustainable housing: Building a low-carbon future," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7624-7633, December.
    2. Heather Lovell, 2007. "The governance of innovation in socio-technical systems: The difficulties of strategic niche management in practice," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 34(1), pages 35-44, February.
    3. Hockerts, Kai & Wüstenhagen, Rolf, 2010. "Greening Goliaths versus emerging Davids -- Theorizing about the role of incumbents and new entrants in sustainable entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 481-492, September.
    4. Smith, Adrian & Raven, Rob, 2012. "What is protective space? Reconsidering niches in transitions to sustainability," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(6), pages 1025-1036.
    5. Meek, William R. & Pacheco, Desirée F. & York, Jeffrey G., 2010. "The impact of social norms on entrepreneurial action: Evidence from the environmental entrepreneurship context," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 493-509, September.
    6. Per Davidsson & Frédéric Delmar & Johan Wiklund, 2006. "Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3971, March.
    7. Adrian Smith, 2003. "Transforming technological regimes for sustainable development: A role for alternative technology niches?," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(2), pages 127-135, April.
    8. Geels, Frank W., 2002. "Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and a case-study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(8-9), pages 1257-1274, December.
    9. Frank W. Geels, 2005. "Technological Transitions and System Innovations," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3576, March.
    10. Hodson, Mike & Marvin, Simon, 2010. "Can cities shape socio-technical transitions and how would we know if they were?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 477-485, May.
    11. Frédéric Delmar & Johan Wiklund & Per Davidsson, 2006. "Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms," Post-Print hal-01892801, HAL.
    12. Frédéric Delmar & Johan Wiklund & Per Davidsson, 2006. "Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms," Post-Print hal-01892798, HAL.
    13. Per Davidsson & Frédéric Delmar & Johan Wiklund, 2006. "Entrepreneurship and the Growth of Firms," Post-Print hal-02298077, HAL.
    14. Remco Hoogma & Matthias Weber & Boelie Elzen, 2005. "Integrated Long-Term Strategies to Induce Regime Shifts towards Sustainability: The Approach of Strategic Niche Management," Springer Books, in: Matthias Weber & Jens Hemmelskamp (ed.), Towards Environmental Innovation Systems, pages 209-236, Springer.
    15. Shove, Elizabeth, 1998. "Gaps, barriers and conceptual chasms: theories of technology transfer and energy in buildings," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(15), pages 1105-1112, December.
    16. Fiona Tilley & Bradley D. Parrish, 2006. "From poles to wholes: facilitating an integrated approach to sustainable entrepreneurship," World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 2(4), pages 281-294.
    17. Dean, Thomas J. & McMullen, Jeffery S., 2007. "Toward a theory of sustainable entrepreneurship: Reducing environmental degradation through entrepreneurial action," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 50-76, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Birtchnell, Thomas & Böhme, Tillmann & Gorkin, Robert, 2017. "3D printing and the third mission: The university in the materialization of intellectual capital," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 240-249.
    2. Baoshan Ge & Dake Jiang & Yang Gao & Sang-Bing Tsai, 2016. "The Influence of Legitimacy on a Proactive Green Orientation and Green Performance: A Study Based on Transitional Economy Scenarios in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Jenny Pickerill, 2017. "Critically Interrogating Eco-Homes," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 353-365, March.
    4. Christopher M. Chini & James F. Canning & Kelsey L. Schreiber & Joshua M. Peschel & Ashlynn S. Stillwell, 2017. "The Green Experiment: Cities, Green Stormwater Infrastructure, and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Luis Felipe Cândido & Jose Carlos Lazaro & Adriano Olivier de Freitas e Silva & José de Paula Barros Neto, 2023. "Sustainability Transitions in the Construction Sector: A Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-26, August.
    2. Sengers, Frans & Wieczorek, Anna J. & Raven, Rob, 2019. "Experimenting for sustainability transitions: A systematic literature review," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 153-164.
    3. Stefano Bianchini & Giulio Bottazzi & Federico Tamagni, 2017. "What does (not) characterize persistent corporate high-growth?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 633-656, March.
    4. Elert, Niklas & Stam, Erik & Stenkula, Mikael, 2019. "Intrapreneurship and Trust," Working Paper Series 1280, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    5. Maria Tunberg & Alistair R. Anderson, 2020. "Growing a small firm; experiences and managing difficult processes," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 1445-1463, December.
    6. Stephan Weemaes & Johan Bruneel & Ann Gaeremynck & Jonas Debrulle, 2022. "Initial external knowledge sources and start-up growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 523-540, January.
    7. Boris Urban & Zethu Dlamini, 2020. "Intersections between policy and institutions: a focus on enterprise growth in Swaziland," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(3), pages 253-275, April.
    8. McKeever, Edward & Jack, Sarah & Anderson, Alistair, 2015. "Embedded entrepreneurship in the creative re-construction of place," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 50-65.
    9. van Geenhuizen, Marina & Ye, Qing, 2014. "Responsible innovators: open networks on the way to sustainability transitions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 28-40.
    10. SooGeun Ahn & Jeewhan Yoon & YoungJun Kim, 2018. "The innovation activities of small and medium-sized enterprises and their growth: quantile regression analysis and structural equation modeling," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 316-342, April.
    11. José Miguel Giner & María Jesús Santa-María & Antonio Fuster, 2017. "High-growth firms: does location matter?," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 75-96, March.
    12. Kholekile L. Gwebu & Jeffrey Sohl & Jing Wang, 2019. "Differential performance of science park firms: an integrative model," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 193-211, January.
    13. Fan, Terence & Schwab, Andreas & Geng, Xuesong, 2021. "Habitual entrepreneurship in digital platform ecosystems: A time-contingent model of learning from prior software project experiences," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    14. Juan Federico & Joan-Lluis Capelleras, 2015. "The heterogeneous dynamics between growth and profits: the case of young firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 231-253, February.
    15. Ivan Miroshnychenko & Alfredo De Massis & Danny Miller & Roberto Barontini, 2021. "Family Business Growth Around the World," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 682-708, July.
    16. Reid, Gavin C & Xu, Zhibin, 2009. "Growth and Survival Determinants of Chinese Private Firms: Fieldwork evidence and econometric estimates," SIRE Discussion Papers 2009-60, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    17. Heli Koski & Mika Pajarinen, 2013. "The role of business subsidies in job creation of start-ups, gazelles and incumbents," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 195-214, June.
    18. Barnabas Gogo Pepple & Gladys Jumbo & Iwowari Bernice Gentle Abbey, 2022. "Female Entrepreneurship: A Driver of Socio-Economic Activities," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 6(7), pages 663-666, July.
    19. Jun Du & Yama Temouri, 2015. "High-growth firms and productivity: evidence from the United Kingdom," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 123-143, January.
    20. Sullivan, Diane M. & Marvel, Matthew R. & Wolfe, Marcus T., 2021. "With a little help from my friends? How learning activities and network ties impact performance for high tech startups in incubators," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:46:y:2014:i:5:p:1088-1107. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.