From Trade-offs to Transformation: How Sustainable Strategic Positioning Drives Competitive Advantage in Start-Ups

Jue Nan ()
Additional contact information
Jue Nan: University College London, School of Management

A chapter in Proceedings of the 2025 7th International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2025), 2025, pp 452-462 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract As sustainability has increasingly become a core issue of concern for both enterprises and society, start-ups are facing greater pressure to adopt sustainable strategic positioning. This article explores whether a sustainability-oriented strategy (often associated with higher short-term costs) can bring about long-term brand value and competitive advantages. The article further examines the characteristics of entrepreneurs who are most inclined to adopt sustainable strategies. This study holds that although sustainability orientation initially requires a large number of resources, it can promote sustained value creation. The article concludes by outlining the challenges in the implementation process and emphasizing the future trends in shaping a sustainable entrepreneurial landscape. In addition to answering the core research questions, this study also delves into how sustainability has transformed from an edge concern to a core strategic asset for start-ups. By bridging the gap between theoretical expectations and practical significance, this article emphasizes that sustainable entrepreneurship is no longer a niche approach but an important way for enterprises to achieve consistency between profits and goals.

Keywords: Sustainability; Entrepreneurial companies; Competitive advantages (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:advbcp:978-94-6463-888-2_44

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9789464638882

DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6463-888-2_44

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().