Hug, Miriam Dorothea (2025). Transformative enterprises and sustainable regional development in the timber sector. (Thesis). Universität Bern, Bern
|
Text
25hug_md.pdf - Thesis Available under License Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial (CC-BY-NC 4.0). Download (12MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Planetary boundaries have been exceeded but the prevailing economic structures still depend on continued growth. In this situation, calls for a sustainability transformation understood as systemic ecological, technological, economic, institutional and cultural changes towards modes of living, working and economic activity that do not exceed the ecological basis of the planet, are getting louder. But who could contribute to changing current unsustainable economic structures and what sectors may play a pivotal role in this transformation? This dissertation examines one category of actors who could become important change agents, so-called transformative enterprises, pioneering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that strive for fundamental changes towards sustainability. Empirically, the focus lies on the timber sector. The latter not only has the potential to replace petroleum-based substances and products but is also an important pillar of local economies – particularly in peripheral and mountain areas – and can thus contribute to sustainable regional development. This dissertation addresses the lack of research investigating the role of SMEs in sustainability transformations. Also, the timber sector has only received little attention in economic geography research and its role for sustainable regional development remains unexplored. Further, research on drivers and barriers of sustainability transformation is sparse. By drawing on evolutionary approaches to economic geography and post-growth geographies, this thesis contributes to filling these research gaps. It investigates (1) in what ways and to what extent SMEs can shape sustainability transformations, (2) how the timber sector can promote sustainability transformation and sustainable regional development and (3) what the drivers and barriers of sustainability transformation are in the timber sector. The dissertation’s findings were gained by synthesizing the results of three research articles, which applied a qualitative research design with a literature review and semi-structured interviews as the main methods of investigation. In two empirical case studies, it examined the timber sector in Switzerland (Canton of Bern) and Austria (province of Vorarlberg). Despite social and cultural commonalities, the timber sector in those two regions differs in terms of structure and performance, which allows insightful comparisons. The findings demonstrate that SMEs can indeed contribute to sustainability transformations. Different facets of that transformative potential are circumscribed by the definition of transformative enterprises with nine key dimensions and 30 corresponding indicators developed in this thesis. The results also show how the extent to which SMEs have transformative potential varies between five empirical types of potentially transformative SMEs identified in the timber sector. The findings moreover illustrate the transformative potential of the timber sector, i.e. how it can promote sustainability transformation and sustainable regional development beyond technological innovation for the bioeconomy or digitalization of production: the timber sector can contribute to sustainability transformation through regional value creation and by providing local jobs. Besides, the timber sector can be a driver of a lived building culture and transmit the values of craftmanship and ecology. Finally, this thesis shows that resourceful individuals who act as change agents are important enablers of sustainability transformation, especially if they encounter favorable organizational and structural preconditions. At the same time, change agents face important limits of change agency which range from individual limits (e.g. limited financial or time resources) to unfavorable structural preconditions, namely the prevailing neoliberal market system and growth-oriented economy.
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Dissertation Type: | Cumulative |
| Date of Defense: | 25 June 2025 |
| Subjects: | 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology 300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology > 330 Economics 700 Arts > 710 Landscaping & area planning 900 History > 910 Geography & travel |
| Institute / Center: | 08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography |
| Depositing User: | Hammer Igor |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Aug 2025 14:44 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Aug 2025 14:44 |
| URI: | https://boristheses.unibe.ch/id/eprint/6586 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |