Sustainability as a driver for innovation – towards a model of corporate social entrepreneurship at Odebrecht in Brazil

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to present a model of corporate social entrepreneurship. The case of Odebrecht demonstrates how companies are using society's sustainability challenges to innovate, in particular by adopting a corporate social entrepreneurship approach that allows the company to differentiate from competitors and create shared value.Design/methodology/approach -This research applies a comparative case study design in combination with a review of the literature in order to present a model of corporate social entrepreneurship.Findings -The case study of two major projects within the Odebrecht group allows us to design a model of corporate social entrepreneurship explaining how the company transforms external triggers such as socio-environmental risks into sustainability innovations, creating competitive advantages.Research limitations/implications -The two case studies provide some evidence of how companies blend sustainability and innovation within corporate social entrepreneurship strategies. More research is needed in order to refine the patterns and components of the corporate social entrepreneurship model.Practical implications -Integrating sustainability into the innovation process allows Odebrecht to differentiate itself from competitors and have meaningful engagement with stakeholders. This helps the company to grow, especially in developing economy markets, which face similar sustainability challenges as Latin America.Originality/value -The combination of corporate entrepreneurship models and these case studies of sustainability innovation helps to create a model of corporate social entrepreneurship explaining how companies can transform external sustainability challenges into shared value creation. Keywords Sustainable innovation, Corporate social entrepreneurship, Shared value, Social intrapreneurship Paper type Case study Union's ''2020 Horizon'', the report calls for inclusive forms of growth creating employment and education, internalising externalities, valuing ecosystem services, as well as avoiding carbon emissions. These initiatives as well as many others demonstrate global society's struggle to achieve sustainable development to ensure that future generations have the same access to essential resources and services as we have today (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).This societal demand has met with a new consciousness in the corporate world that realises that satisfying society's sustainability needs not only helps to avoid risks, but may also create opportunities, for -as Porter and Kramer (2011) termed it -shared value creation. Companies at the higher end of corporate sustainability maturity have started to adopt their

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