How environmentally sustainable SME Business Strategies affect Shareholder Profits within a Liberal Market Economy

Master's Thesis , 2017 , 33 Pages

Business economics - Investment and Finance

The main aim of this empirical research study is to assess the implications for shareholder returns both short term and long term in a liberal market economy when SME’s put in place or develop their Corporate Social Responsibility agenda and in turn develop a sustainable environmentally positive business strategy.

It was not long ago that we thought that the world's resources were never ending and the short term view was that better business and greater profit was gained by learning how to harvest and manipulate those resources whatever the consequences. Little thought was given to the environmental impact that our activities were having on the planet. Companies are there to make a profit for their shareholders and the company share price must be protected at all costs, whatever the cost. Increasingly companies understand that rather than finding new ways to exploit the planet, companies and populations need to find new ways to grow in a sustainable way and protect the planet’s resources.

Corporate Social responsibility is one of the most important business developments to happen over the last 40yrs. Starting in the 1970’s, the idea that a business could cease to do harm to its environment and community and instead put in strategies to limit its impact upon the world and still make a profit, was radical, but with the benefit of hindsight seems like a natural evolution. Integrating CRS into a business comes with its own set of unique problems though and the aims of this work are to assess the short term and long term viability and impact both negative and positive on short and long term profits for the shareholders of small and medium-sized enterprises adopting a sustainable and environmentally positive business strategy within the scope of a Liberal Market Economy. Some emphasis will also be on the CSR activities and shareholder returns relating to the environmentally damaging, SME Textile industry.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• INTRODUCTION
  • Background
  • Research objectives
  • Research questions
  • Research aim
  • Significance of research
• LITERATURE REVIEW
  • Introduction
  • Research
  • The UK and Europe Textile Industry
• METHODOLOGY
  • Research Design
  • Data Collection
  • Instrumentation
  • Research Ethics and Confidentiality
  • Validity and Reliability
• FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
  • Introduction
  • Implications for Business
  • Practical Considerations
  • The UK and Europe Textile Industry
  • Positive Signs of Change
  • Progressing towards Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility
• CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• REFERENCES

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This research examines the impact of environmentally sustainable strategies adopted by SMEs within a Liberal Market Economy on shareholder profits, with a focus on the short-term and long-term viability of such practices. The study explores the evolving understanding of corporate social responsibility and its implications for businesses, particularly in the context of the textile industry.

• The impact of environmentally sustainable strategies on shareholder profits in SMEs
• The role of corporate social responsibility in balancing environmental sustainability with shareholder value
• The challenges and opportunities of integrating sustainable practices into business operations within a liberal market economy
• The specific case of the textile industry and its environmental impact
• The evolving concept of stakeholders and the shift from shareholder-centric to stakeholder-centric perspectives

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides background information on the historical context of business practices and the evolving concept of corporate social responsibility. It highlights the shift towards a more sustainable approach to business operations and explores the challenges and opportunities for SMEs within a liberal market economy. The literature review delves into existing research on corporate social responsibility, stakeholder theory, and the environmental impact of the textile industry, providing a comprehensive overview of the key concepts and debates in the field. The methodology chapter outlines the research design, data collection methods, and ethical considerations employed in the study. Findings and analysis are presented, examining the implications of sustainable business practices for shareholder profits, practical considerations for implementation, and the specific case of the UK and European textile industry.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The main keywords and focus topics of the work include environmentally sustainable business strategies, shareholder profits, corporate social responsibility, stakeholder theory, liberal market economy, textile industry, environmental impact, and sustainable development.

• College: University of Birmingham (Birmingham Business School)
• Course: Masters in Business Administration
• Author: Dirk Cox (Author)
• Publication Year: 2017
• Pages: 33
• Catalog Number: V426293
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668721371
• ISBN (Book): 9783668721388
• Language: English
• Tags: MBA, DISSERTATION, ENVIROMENTIAL, SME, SHAREHOLDER PROFITS, LIBERAL MARKET, STRATEGY