New and existing companies are looking for ways to thrive in a competitive environment with innovative business models while respecting society and avoiding actions that harm the planet. Trends such as circular economy, fair trade, lowsumerism, and sharing economy are some of the many emerging entrepreneurial approaches that address this issue, but there is still a gap between what theory argues and the levels of environmental and social sustainability realized when theory is put into practice. In fact, most research on the topic of sustainable business models is still exploratory and does not fully acknowledge these emerging approaches, whose definitions, boundaries, and defining characteristics are still somewhat vague. This study seeks to contribute to the understanding of the inner entrepreneurial dynamics of innovative sustainable business models. In particular, we focus on the fashion business, a resource-intensive industry in which opportunities to reduce environmental impacts and to innovate business models abound. The aim of our research is to investigate innovative business models in the fashion industry that have sustainability as their defining characteristic, especially in terms of value proposition. In order to do that, we combine a systematic review of the literature with empirical research comprised of six interviews with specialists in sustainability, business model innovation, and the fashion industry, along with eight case studies on innovative fashion startups we define as 'born sustainable.' As a result, we propose a synthesizing framework that discloses trends and drivers of innovative and sustainable business models in the fashion industry. We also highlight opportunities and challenges for researchers and entrepreneurs interested in this topic.

PurposeThis study aims to identify the drivers for adopting the circular economy (CE) in a born-sustainable business of the fashion sector.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study was carried out with a unique and relevant case: the only Brazilian company implementing circularity practices defined through a sectoral commitment, the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment.FindingsFrom an analysis of the literature, a theoretical scheme composed of internal and external drivers is proposed. In the case studied, there is a prevalence of internal drivers that led the company to implement the CE. Most of the internal drivers described by the literature were identified in this research, except for two: profitability and available technology. Regarding the external drivers, of the 12 listed, only laws and regulations were identified. Thus, the results suggest that internal drivers are more numerous and may be more prominent than external ones for CE adoption in the born-sustainable business.Research limitations/implicationsDue to its exploratory design and unique case study, the research does not allow generalizations, suggesting replication with a larger number of companies and carrying out quantitative research with born-sustainable companies and incumbent companies, for comparison. Considering that there is a difference between companies that decide for sustainable practices and companies that were already born sustainable, it can be questioned if the drivers for implementing CE for both companies are also different.Originality/valueThis study proposes a theoretical scheme that indicates the main internal and external drivers for companies' CE implementation. Developed from a literature review and applied in an empirical case, this scheme is comprehensive and can be adopted to analyze companies of different sizes and industries. Hence, this paper generates new perspectives for CE literature.

A inovação configura-se como um fenômeno complexo e dinâmico, cuja interface organizacional que se caracteriza pela sua dificuldade de entendimento e, sobretudo de mensuração, reflete na minimização de estudos que intentam compreendê-la. Com vistas à essa perspectiva, este ensaio teórico aborda a problemática sob o contexto do agronegócio, considerando seus fenômenos e stakeholders. Além da relevância socioeconômica desse segmento, tal circunscrição é pautada pela maximização de apelos concernentes a segurança alimentar, avanços tecnológicos na produção de alimentos, criação de novos nichos de mercado e vantagem competitiva sustentável. Assim, embasadas na literatura clássica, no estado da arte e em descobertas empíricas são apresentadas distintas proposições genéricas a partir de constructos teóricos pré-estabelecidos. Dentre estas, tem-se a influência direta e positiva entre aprendizagem organizacional e inovação organizacional e entre orientação para o mercado e inovação organizacional. Também, verificou-se a possibilidade da capacidade absortiva agir como variável mediadora da relação entre inteligência competitiva e inovação organizacional. Sob uma abordagem específica, sugere-se também que as cadeias produtivas agroindustriais consideradas como curtas, tanto requerem quanto promovem a inovação organizacional. Desse modo, são oferecidos insigths acerca dessa tipologia de inovação, precariamente explorada no âmbito agrícola, de modo que se apresentam sugestões para investigações futuras pautadas nestas proposições. Palavras-chave: Atividades agrícolas. Gestão da inovação. Processo de inovação.