Social Innovation for Business Success - Shared Value in the Apparel Industry

Shared value not only offers a new concept to face the current business environmental dynamics but it also responds to macro-economic challenges. The creation of more value than mere profits can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage. Thus, it offers huge economic potential and presents a new challenge to corporate optimisation endeavours. Julia Schmitt draws on current sustainability and innovation research approaches in order to provide a deeper understanding of the shared value concept as a differentiation strategy for small and medium sized enterprises. Her empirical study on the German fair trade and organic fashion industry provides insights into possible configurations of a shared value business strategy. The awareness of these findings is essential to make a shared value strategy lead to business success.

Julia Schmitt, M.Sc. in International Business Studies at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, works now in Sustainability Management for a German medium sized enterprise.