Papers by Cecilia Mark-Herbert
Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
Journal of Forest Economics
Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
In a world of sustainability challenges, use‐oriented product‐service system seems promising to e... more In a world of sustainability challenges, use‐oriented product‐service system seems promising to encourage resource efficiency. For this project, the concept is integrated in a sustainability‐oriented interpretation of the business model Canvas. The aim was to identify enabling factors with a use‐oriented business model. A case study was conducted on rental business models in the outdoors apparel industry in Scandinavia. The key findings indicate that companies introducing use‐oriented services struggle with increased transportation, linear technological systems, large financial capital needs and cultural barriers. To overcome these challenges the case study points to the importance of partnerships. Furthermore, this paper suggests expanding the Business Model Canvas framework with three additional elements: reduced material flows, reverse logistics and cultural adoption factor. The extended Canvas model can be used as a conceptual tool for companies when developing rental services.
International Journal of Forest Engineering, Sep 19, 2022
Wood Material Science & Engineering
Sustainability
With the world of business often criticised for contributing to social and environmental damage, ... more With the world of business often criticised for contributing to social and environmental damage, addressing sustainability has become necessary for virtually all business models, including co-operatives. This article investigates ways in which worker co-operatives can contribute to a more sustainable world, using the conceptual lens of Doughnut Economics (DE). It places enterprises, as a supporting pillar of our economies, at the intersection between meeting social needs and operating within planetary boundaries. A descriptive multiple case study of six worker co-operatives in the UK indicates that these enterprises contribute to sustainability primarily by embodying a mission of fulfilling the needs of workers and their communities, rather than just aiming for financial gains. Worker co-operatives are enterprises with highly generative design traits, distributive of the wealth they generate, and to some degree regenerative by design. Their strengths lie in learning capacity and dis...
Corporate action is subject to more scrutiny than ever. An attempt to legitimize the corporate ro... more Corporate action is subject to more scrutiny than ever. An attempt to legitimize the corporate role is seen in corporate social responsibility as a part of a triple bottom line framework. Corporate principles are communicated in various forms to a wide set of stakeholders. Ideally, what is communicated in terms of principles is also seen in business practice. In cases where the principles and actions differ, the platform for creating a brand territory is limited. The communication platform is affected by, for example, corporate documents, actions and media perceptions. The studied cases, from the construction industry, illustrate how media portrays business conduct. It shows that the corporate communication strategy is affected by media’s verdicts. Driven by outside pressure, a set of ethical principles were declared but they received little attention since their press release was poorly timed; the press release coincided with a scandal of unethical business conduct concerning the s...
Forest Policy and Economics
The connection between the abundance of food with high contents of sugar or salt, often expe- rie... more The connection between the abundance of food with high contents of sugar or salt, often expe- rienced as palatable, and childhood obesity is widely recognised. In the report “Ending Child- hood Obesity”, one of the WHO Commission’s main recommendations to the private sector is to “Support the production of … food and non- alcoholic beverages that contribute to a healthy diet”. All data show that too many children drink and eat too much poor food, rich in sugar or fat, and low in nutrients, and that in many settings, this consumption pattern is more fre- quent among vulnerable socioeconomic groups. Among the stakeholders, the food industry could play a more central role in leading children and their parents towards healthier food patterns through strategic actions, innovations and effec- tive communication. An often cited argument is that the food indus- try has a vested interest in continuing to produce and sell food and beverages that are high in e.g. sugar and salt. But there is a...
ObjectivesAs we are crossing new planetary boundaries (Steffen et al., 2015), changing human beha... more ObjectivesAs we are crossing new planetary boundaries (Steffen et al., 2015), changing human behavior is becoming the central focus of sustainable development work. However, social marketers have not yet reached the potential required for shaping pro-environmental lifestyles (McKenzie-Mohr & Schultz, 2014), which are embedded in complex systems where both individual factors and surrounding environment play a defining role in their adoption.We all live in communities be that our neighbourhood or entire town, and community is a great example of a system where constant interactions between individuals and their environment shape daily practices. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework based on Social Practice Theory (Shove et al, 2012) and test its applicability for understanding and aiding behavior change campaigns for entire communities. Consequently, the paper’s objective is to contribute to the debate between the advocates for upstream and downstream social marketing inte...
Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, 2019
Learning outcomes This teaching case aims to stimulate the debate over the issue of arsenic in ri... more Learning outcomes This teaching case aims to stimulate the debate over the issue of arsenic in rice and prepares students to make a decision by evaluating trade-offs and aligning moral values in a business context. Case overview/synopsis Rice feeds people in many parts of the world. This teaching case focuses on an entrepreneurial food producer who has strong sustainability values built into his business model. The CEO, Johan Henriksson, of Vegoganic faces a dilemma when a press release by the Swedish National Food Agency potentially threatens the core existence of the business. It challenges the CEO to take a stand on food safety and food security, as well as personal and societal values. Complexity academic level It is a discussion case, developed with undergraduate students in mind, but could be taken to a graduate level by including more advanced literature and questions. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain...
In theory, the logic behind partnerships is simple: All organisations have strengths, but no orga... more In theory, the logic behind partnerships is simple: All organisations have strengths, but no organisation has all the strength required to do everything. Triggered by global perspectives and challenged by sustainability objectives, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 pointed out needs for corporate responsibility. In this conference, Private-public partnership, PPP, was identified as a potential way to work towards sustainability, especially as a way to emphasize a corporate responsibility commitment. Nowadays, organizations exist to satisfy the needs and interests of all their stakeholders, such as customers, markets, shareholders, as well as secondary stakeholders such as media, NGOs, and society at large. Addressing all stakeholders and working towards a sustainable business development makes PPP a potential solution, but also a source of challenges. Therefore, PPP has been also described as a form of art, given that today’s leaders have to manage their businesses in a world of complicated issues and uncertainties. So the question arises, what are the challenges and motivators from a corporate perspective? And within this context, what are the perceived conditions for PPP to be a part of SBD strategy? Food retailers have a special function given that they are the link between consumers and food producers and therefore have somewhat a negotiating and influencing role. The focus of this project is to describe different conditions for a perceived successful PPP from a retailer’s perspective. It is based on a comparative case analysis of three major retailing companies in Sweden (ICA, COOP and Axfood). Given that these retailers combined own more than 85% of the Swedish retail market for Fast Moving Consumer Goods, the findings in this project carry importance in the future development of the industry. NGO perspectives from Radda Barnen, WWF and Naturskyddsforeningen have been taken into account to provide a holistic analysis. Further, this project is based on an exploratory and qualitative research methodology, aiming at understanding underlying rationale and reasons beyond what a quantitative study could provide. Interviewees were chosen with representative persons in each organization. After the theoretical framework was developed in a careful review, we decided on a stakeholder and network theory, Charter & Polonksy's (1995) concept of motivators and challenges and Sustainable Business Development strategies by Rainey (2006). This study aimed at understanding why and how PPP is approached, what are the motivators and challenges perceived. The findings are similar to the ones pointed out in previous literature, yet it seems that PPP is used rather as an operational tool than as part of a holistic management strategy such as Sustainable Business Development (SBD). Access to knowledge was found to be the main common motivator for PPP, whereas on the challenges side there was a wider confusion. The governance and structure of the organization seem to have a significant impact on how and why the PPP is managed, where network ties are rather weak. Further, it seems that long-term perspectives are not in the immediate stakeholder analysis, where private organizations need to be more inclusive and actively addressing stakeholder's interests. PPP can be constructive and effective way to address sustainability issues, yet it should be taken seriously as the concept that it is; a holistic approach that requires respect, commitment, trust, transparency and reciprocity. Yet, this is highly dependent on time, assuming that the concept of time exists and is valid. Finally, clear objectives and constant dialogues with all stakeholders are key factors for a successful PPP.
Report-Swedish University of …, 2000
AGRIS record. Record number, SE2000022082. Titles, Technological and market innovation. A case st... more AGRIS record. Record number, SE2000022082. Titles, Technological and market innovation. A case study of the development of a Functional food - Pro Viva. Personal Authors, Mark-Herbert, C.,Nystroem, H. (SLU, Uppsala (Sweden). Inst. foer Ekonomi). ...
Sustainable textiles, 2024
Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences
Archives of Public Health
The current malnutrition epidemic calls for actions. Current practices in the EU show a variety o... more The current malnutrition epidemic calls for actions. Current practices in the EU show a variety of communication efforts but the international character of food markets call for a harmonized language. The aim of the project is to identify the themes in the on-going debate regarding the development of a single front-of-package nutrition label in the European Union. A case study approach was used, focusing on the positions of different key stakeholders in Sweden and Italy. Overarching EU-perspectives, European Commission and European Council of Ministries were also included. Collected data from semi-structured interviews and strategic documents were used in a thematic content analysis. The results show that the stakeholders are influencing the process towards contradicting outcomes. Different stakeholders argue for opposing ideal labelling schemes, while still agreeing on the need for a harmonization. Major disagreements arise on whether the label should be voluntary or not, based on ...
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Papers by Cecilia Mark-Herbert