Approach to Sustainability for Small and Struggling Companies

• Author: William R. Blackburn
• Pages: 419-430

Chapter 12

Approach to Sustainability for Small and

Struggling Companies

“One kernel is felt in a hogshead; one drop of water helps to swell the

ocean; a spark of fire helps to give light to the world. None are too

small, too feeble, too poor to be of service. Think of this and act.”1

—Hannah More

If you are from a large successful corporation, you may have gleaned

ideas from the last 11 chapters that can help your company along the way

to sustainability. But what if your firm is a small one, or one that is strug-

gling financially? Will these ideas help you? The short answer is “yes.”

But your organization must modify the previously discussed strategies,

tools, and approaches to make them suitable to its own circumstances and

characteristics. Let us explore what adaptations may make sense for

small and financially disadvantaged companies.

Approach for Small Companies

Why Small Companies Should Pursue Sustainability

Small companies have a critical role in moving our society toward

sustainability. These companies, along with those of medium size, ac-

count for over 90% of businesses worldwide and are responsible for 50 to

60% of employment.2They tend to have more labor-intensive production

than their large counterparts, which eases the transition of agricul-

tural-based economies to more industrial ones and helps create a more

equitable distribution of wealth. They serve as an incubator for entrepre-

neurship and innovation. Moreover, they strengthen the economic resil-

ience of their communities. Because they can provide essential support

services and products for TNCs, they make their countries more attrac-

tive to foreign investors.

The link between TNCs and their small-company suppliers is just one

reason a limited but growing number of these suppliers are pursing a

sustainability agenda. Large companies can no longer afford adverse

publicity about child labor, poor working conditions, or environmental

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