Scaling sustainability in businesses with a post-growth orientation
An exploratory empirical study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20500084 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mojtaba M Shourkaei (0000-0002-3351-2243, Saint Mary's University, corresponding author), Bruno Dyck (0000-0002-8078-2238, University of Manitoba) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 710-735 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Organization (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1350-5084 • E-ISSN: 1461-7323 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13505084251350847 |
| PMID | 42344155 |
| OpenAlex | W4412112310 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 56 |
To avoid negative social and ecological consequences associated with growth-based economics, businesses with a post-growth orientation intentionally forgo scaling for profit maximization and instead seek to scale positive socio-ecological impacts. This study investigates 35 small and medium-sized businesses (33 private and 2 cooperatives) with a post-growth orientation to examine how they strive to scale their positive socio-ecological impact. Our findings reveal four distinct scaling approaches: Enhancement, Expansion, Bridging, and Collaboration. We provide a typology of these four approaches and explain how they can be interlinked to create synergy. Our study shows how private businesses can participate in creating a post-growth economy, thus broadening the scope of previous post-growth research that has focused on other organizational forms such as social enterprises, benefit corporations, and cooperatives
Business · Economic geography · Economic system · Economics · Empirical research · Epistemology · Exploratory research · Industrial organization · Scaling · Social science · Sociology · Sustainability · Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Mathematics
Harnessing Wicked Problems in Multi-stakeholder Partnerships
Scientists’ warning on affluence
A Paradox Perspective on Corporate Sustainability
Scaling the impact of sustainability initiatives
Generating Theory by Abduction
Scaling Out, Scaling Up, Scaling Deep
Economic de-growth vs. steady-state economy
Sustainability Beyond Instrumentality
Should You Buy Local
Working the fields
A theory of capitalist co-optation of radical alternatives
Theoretical perspectives on organizations and organizing in a post-growth era
Innovation without growth
Scaling in a post-growth era
Organizing degrowth
Prefiguring an alternative economy
Prefiguring alternatives through the articulation of post- and anti-capitalistic politics
Understanding the Diverse Scaling Strategies of Social Enterprises as Hybrid Organizations
No End in Sight? A Greenwash Review and Research Agenda
Scale dynamics of grassroots innovations through parallel pathways of transformative change
Is Green Growth Possible
Think Large and Act Small
Understanding organisations for a post-growth era
Beyond Growth
Five key dimensions of post-growth business
What is Qualitative in Qualitative Research
The Commons
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |