The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action research
Objective of the study: To support the preparation journey of a small business for B Corporation certification while contributing to the body of knowledge on B certifications. Methodology: The study employed an action research approach, enabling close interaction with the analyzed company. Main res...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Associação Nacional de Estudos em Empreendedorismo e Gestão de Pequenas Empresas (ANEGEPE)
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Regepe Entrepreneurship and Small Business Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.regepe.org.br/regepe/article/view/2663 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849322579446202368 |
|---|---|
| author | Fernando Oliani Vieira da Silva Thomaz Wood Jr. |
| author_facet | Fernando Oliani Vieira da Silva Thomaz Wood Jr. |
| author_sort | Fernando Oliani Vieira da Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Objective of the study: To support the preparation journey of a small business for B Corporation certification while contributing to the body of knowledge on B certifications. Methodology: The study employed an action research approach, enabling close interaction with the analyzed company. Main results: The journey resulted in the submission of the B Impact Assessment (BIA) for the company´s B Corp certification. Formalizing corporate governance and implementing mechanisms to align socio-environmental objectives with business strategy were identified as critical success factors for the transition. Theoretical contributions: The study expands understanding of the transition process for small businesses toward sustainable business models, emphasizing the importance of governance practices and strategic alignment. It also identifies specific challenges faced by SMEs in pursuing B Corporation certification. Relevance: The research addresses a highly relevant topic in today’s context. It focuses on SMEs, a group often overlooked in sustainability discussions, despite representing a substantial portion of global economies. Contribution to management: The findings provide practical insights for SME managers. Formalizing governance and aligning socio-environmental objectives with business strategy are highlighted as fundamental practices for successfully transitioning to more sustainable business models.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1b919b694ee04a9a995437da9af412e2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2965-1506 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Associação Nacional de Estudos em Empreendedorismo e Gestão de Pequenas Empresas (ANEGEPE) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Regepe Entrepreneurship and Small Business Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-1b919b694ee04a9a995437da9af412e22025-08-20T03:49:18ZengAssociação Nacional de Estudos em Empreendedorismo e Gestão de Pequenas Empresas (ANEGEPE)Regepe Entrepreneurship and Small Business Journal2965-15062025-05-011410.14211/regepe.esbj.e2663The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action researchFernando Oliani Vieira da Silva0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8113-9383Thomaz Wood Jr.1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5610-4699Escola de Administração de Empresas de São PauloEscola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo Objective of the study: To support the preparation journey of a small business for B Corporation certification while contributing to the body of knowledge on B certifications. Methodology: The study employed an action research approach, enabling close interaction with the analyzed company. Main results: The journey resulted in the submission of the B Impact Assessment (BIA) for the company´s B Corp certification. Formalizing corporate governance and implementing mechanisms to align socio-environmental objectives with business strategy were identified as critical success factors for the transition. Theoretical contributions: The study expands understanding of the transition process for small businesses toward sustainable business models, emphasizing the importance of governance practices and strategic alignment. It also identifies specific challenges faced by SMEs in pursuing B Corporation certification. Relevance: The research addresses a highly relevant topic in today’s context. It focuses on SMEs, a group often overlooked in sustainability discussions, despite representing a substantial portion of global economies. Contribution to management: The findings provide practical insights for SME managers. Formalizing governance and aligning socio-environmental objectives with business strategy are highlighted as fundamental practices for successfully transitioning to more sustainable business models. https://www.regepe.org.br/regepe/article/view/2663B CorporationsSmall and medium-sized enterprisesAction researchSustainabilityCorporate governance |
| spellingShingle | Fernando Oliani Vieira da Silva Thomaz Wood Jr. The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action research Regepe Entrepreneurship and Small Business Journal B Corporations Small and medium-sized enterprises Action research Sustainability Corporate governance |
| title | The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action research |
| title_full | The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action research |
| title_fullStr | The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action research |
| title_full_unstemmed | The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action research |
| title_short | The preparation journey to B certification in a small service company: Achievements, challenges, and learnings from an action research |
| title_sort | preparation journey to b certification in a small service company achievements challenges and learnings from an action research |
| topic | B Corporations Small and medium-sized enterprises Action research Sustainability Corporate governance |
| url | https://www.regepe.org.br/regepe/article/view/2663 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fernandoolianivieiradasilva thepreparationjourneytobcertificationinasmallservicecompanyachievementschallengesandlearningsfromanactionresearch AT thomazwoodjr thepreparationjourneytobcertificationinasmallservicecompanyachievementschallengesandlearningsfromanactionresearch AT fernandoolianivieiradasilva preparationjourneytobcertificationinasmallservicecompanyachievementschallengesandlearningsfromanactionresearch AT thomazwoodjr preparationjourneytobcertificationinasmallservicecompanyachievementschallengesandlearningsfromanactionresearch |