UPDATE: Sustainopreneurship, October, 15, 2007. Blog Action Day!
Today is Blog Action Day, where thousands of people have signed up to blog about the "environment". Since I have been idle some months writing, I thought it was the best day to get back on track! Here is my take on the "environment", or "ecosystem" at large, including the embedded systems "humanity", the social system, and in turn the "economy" system embedded in that. Focus on the whole, and you will get great results in the small part you influence! Go look up a place where the light disturbance is at lowest level to see the stars in a clear night covering the sky, and conclude that you, yeah - you! - is a part of universe, and everything you do comes back to you. Karma-verse, right?
So - with that note as a connection to the Blog Action Day theme, let's limit my influence to the part of the biosphere to what has happened lately during 2007.
Sustainopreneurship - above, beyond, next level - the sky, as always, the limit
The update covers education, events, publications, a new organization, a virtual community, a new research-focused blog and a change in "blogging policy and frequency" as consequence, and immediate future, with resources needed for further advancement.
- Education - Master of Science, Business Administration, Växjö University. Thesis Hand-In April 27, approved May 3, degree June 25.
I have completed, finally, the tailor-made little Master's program, which I spread over the years, to mix with the sustainopreneurial practitioner route of On a Mission / Ignition. What made the final point of the empirical journey was the first concluded externally recruited client collected beyond already established network March 22, 2007, which made a natural point to close the very wide circle that began in January, 2000 - the original "Ignition". Ten thousand stories later, and a few crucial, critical and main course of events defining both concept and venture in its well-research business model covered in the Thesis, made the bulk in the empirical testing of the concept first tested theoretically and analytically dry and academically from the conference 2005 and published in September 2006.
The structure of the definition almost magically made it possible to structure the story-telling as well in the auto-ethnographic/enactive research approach towards the writing and final delivery of the product. The thesis got graded 8 out of 9 (with very, very few getting 9/9 in general) - meaning close to the top grade :). I am very happy and contempt with this sense-making, where my mind now getting clear to tell the world what "sustainopreneurship" is about. Now well anchored in the academic community, close to one of the epicentres of world leading research on entrepreneurship done at Växjö University. Presto! I wish to thank all that contributed, full acknowledgement is found in the preface.
The thesis is findable both at "regular" Google, as well as the "academic", Google Scholar.
Google - general search "sustainopreneurship" - on top 3, today
Google Scholar
Direct link for download full text PDF is found at the abstract page here;
http://www.diva-portal.org/vxu/undergraduate/abstract.xsql?dbid=1254 - the scientific swedish digital archive.
- Event - International Sustainable Development Research Society, 13th Conference, Västerås, Sweden - paper contribution, "Researching Sustainopreneurship"
As a direct sequel, I got a short-term employment of three weeks from the University, funded by Swedish Foundation for Small Business Research through my professor Bengt Johannisson who is co-chairing one of the research programs there.
The full title;
"Researching Sustainopreneurship – conditions, concepts, approaches, arenas and questions"
- Publications - beyond - Two book chapters, One special report
Both the Thesis and the paper will be edited and published in new formats and contexts.
The Thesis, integrated and syntetisized with the conference article outlining future research and its agenda, will be published as a special report through FSF/Växjö University. The paper will be edited and adapted to fit in a book about entrepreneurship and small business contribution to local and regional development co-edited by the chairs of the mentioned research program that funded my paper in the first place, besides Bengt, also Åsa Dahlström-Lindstrand.
At the ISDRS conference, I also got invited to contribute with my works in relation to the "Base of the Pyramid" paradigm (where e. g. this blog has been featured in this context at a reference site earlier, see www.design4billions.com > BoP Library). The book will be published May 2008 - see outline and idea of the book here at publisher Greenleaf Publishing site.
The working name of my contribution is
"Sphering the Pyramid – empowering the world through sustainopreneurial events"
It will be an attempt to contrast and tie the sustainopreneurship conceptual ideas with the Base of the Pyramid idea-sphere, and thus enlarge the discource created with the BoP idea development. This is partly done by more closely examine some considered-to-be sustainopreneurial events emerging from the specific needs found in the BoP context, and also tries to more deeply coin the SEEDS acronym. SEEDS has been concluded as good areas for sustainopreneurial applications and ventures to grow from, where SEEDS stands for Strengthening of Health, Education, Entrepreneurship, Digital Unification and Sustainable Distributed Energy.
The SEEDS is also partly covered in the Thesis (especially the process which this model was researched and deeply evolved, especially through synchronicities and serendipities). The SEEDS concept is a cornerstone to guide the investments in sustainability innovations which will be made with parts of the annual results generated from the sustainable trade business Ignition.
- iÆREAS initiated - Organizing Sustainopreneurship Research
Since the publication list now have reached a critical mass, and needs for advancement and further organizing the knowledge development surrounding this discovered phenomenon, I was branding a new organization as a suggestion of further actions from my research paper at the ISDRS conference. The future name of this will be Association for Enactive Research, Education and Application of Sustainopreneurship. As a first step, an interim association will be created. It is intended to be a multi-stakeholder, bridging organization in between researchers, educators and practitioners - where optimally all are one in one person. The Enactive Researcher and Learner (not Teacher ;). Or at least, as an influence maybe from the organization, you can become it! A website and blog was finished last week, and a closed, private invitation round commences from today, October 15!
If you feel that you are interested in contributing to the research, you are welcome to contact me, done with convenience and simplicity through the website.
- Sustainopreneur's Café - a Community for Sustainopreneurs launched!
Since much of the work the past years has rendered a far-stretched network of interested stakeholders, and the need for conversation around the sustainopreneurship concept has been identified, especially at the conference seminar this summer, a virtual community has been created, open for anyone interested. It was claimed March 21 when the community ICT platform used was launched (Ning), but will be activated now with the above created - Sustainopreneur's Café: http://sustainopreneurship.ning.com.
- Changing the publishing flow - separating the streams, changing the frequency
As a consequence, the more research/academia/publishing oriented work will be published through the iÆREAS blog, whereas the more everydayness of sustainopreneurship, with interesting case studies, related notes and events to come in an experienced frequency increase lately, will be published here on the blog - finally living up to its name: "Notes". Thus, the more applied stream will occur here with more frequent posting than before. Time to get leverage for the concept in action, now when inception of the "next level" has been - concluded with this posting!
That, said: Now I especially welcome you to the community, taking place in the central as a key cornerstone and platform to continue the conversation and sharing/caring amongst the most proximate stakeholders, i. e. my 1st degrees from all contexts in the first round - Sustainopreneur's Café!
Free coffee on the house from yours sincerely, the Café Host, for all that joins during October :). Fair traded and organically grown, of course ;).
In a final note, I would like to make this posting a tribute to one of the original sustainopreneurs in retrospect - Dame Anita Roddick, that tragically and fast passed away in September. We will always remember that you convincingly and with endurance made the face of business as an activity in life change, for the true betterment created through Body Shop. I dedicate this posting to you, Anita! I feel very sad about the fact that I never had the chance to experience her live, whereas she had a public appearance in Stockholm at Sustainability Day earlier this spring.
Let's continue the journey that you started, to proliferate and spread the idea, applied - to create Businesses with a Cause. In the end, being the mainstream way to do business globally!
Dear reader - you're welcome to join this journey!
Peace,
Anders
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