Sustainability in practice: a multiple case study among Italian SMEs

Purpose - This paper investigates the strategies and policies that a sample of selected small and medium companies in a given geographic area (i.e., Apulia region, in Southern Italy) adopt with respect to sustainability issues. The companies have been selected as they are considered (by the local industrial associations) as sustainability champions in the targeted geographic area. In particular, four research questions are addressed: - Which meaning do the analyzed companies attribute to "sustainability"? - How do they put sustainability into practice? In which way do their specific actions reflect the meaning they give to "act sustainably"? - Which are the main barriers companies found in embracing sustainability?. Which benefits do arise from practicing sustainability and which disadvantages do they deal with? Design/methodology/approach - We use descriptive multiple case studies to investigate the dynamics related to corporate sustainability. We conducted open-ended in-depth interviews with managers and executives for each of the selected cases. Every interview was conducted through direct visits to companies and lasted at least two hours, so allowing the issues under investigation to be comprehensively analysed and the management's views and opinions to be more correctly perceived and interpreted. Originality/value - Based on the in-depth analysis of the selected cases, some initial theoretical findings can be pointed out: when a company embraces sustainability, so simultaneously focusing on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions (e.g. Dyllick and Hockerts, 2002), it also focuses on quality - in its broad meaning, which ranges from product quality to quality of human relationships - and adopts a long-term orientation in decision making. Both quality and long-term orientation are aptitudes that reflect on mental models of any organization; therefore, the company's commitment to embrace sustainability principles shapes its strategy and affects its programs and initiatives. Practical implications - This paper highlights some benefits that the interviewed managers or entrepreneurs put into relation with the adoption of sustainability. They concern profitability, image improvement, attraction of talented workers, better organizational climate, better relationships with partners, development of specific know-how and abilities, access to new markets, and long-term (i.e. sustainable) growth. Nonetheless, adopting a sustainability strategy requires to overcome some barriers - such as the need of strong financial efforts and a high dependency upon public subsidies for conducting investments - and presents some disadvantages (most benefits need time to be fully appreciated and there are higher risks of significant revenue losses).