Mental Innovation: Values and Attitudes of Entrepreneurs in Fair and Eco-Friendly Businesses
– Building Bridges to a Sustainable Future.

A discussion of fair and eco-friendly versus conventional business practices is taking place in all sectors, from agriculture to the chemical, automotive, and energy industries – to name just some of the more controversial sectors. Researchers and the wider public are debating the feasibility of fairtrade and eco-friendly business models in the face of competition from mainly profit-driven companies. This article goes one step further by examining the attitudes and values of business people, in other words the mindset that precedes and influences their decisions. Our analysis of 35 interviews with the managers and owners of fair and eco-friendly businesses shows that they assume responsibility for the people and resources involved along the entire value chain, from customers and employees to suppliers, the local context, the wider society, and the environment.

These companies are living proof that doing business in a value-oriented, ethical way is indeed feasible in a competitive marketplace.