Ecopreneurship in Theory and Practice : A Proposed Emerging Framework for Ecopreneurship

Abstract: What is Ecopreneurship? This thesis proposes to define ecopreneurship in theory, and to increase the understanding of it in practice. Ecopreneurship can be seen as one of several ways of doing business in a more environmentally friendly way. It is conzeptualized as the intersection of entrepreneurship theory and sustainability studies. A non-exhaustive list of three sub-concepts of Ecopreneurship is identified and discussed: Eco-Innovation, Eco-Commitment and Eco-Opportunity. In addition to the theoretical framing, this study also includes an empirical part, in which by means of multiple case studies, insight is gained on how Ecopreneurship and its sub-concepts manifest in practice. Apart from the three concepts already identified in the theoretical part of this study, the themes of social equity, indirect Ecopreneurship and the time aspect of Eco-Innovation emerged from the analysis of the case studies. This thesis presents an emerging framework for ecopreneurship, which still has gaps to be filled if accepted as a framework.