Social Entrepreneurship in the Dutch Jewellery Industry: Exploring the Motives of Fairtrade Goldsmiths
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2016-05-25
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en
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Abstract
This master’s thesis presents a qualitative research on Dutch goldsmiths’ motives to start using Fairtrade gold. A great deal of research has been conducted on conflict minerals, on the fair trade system and on social entrepreneurship. However, research that focuses on the motives of European fair trade social entrepreneurs is rare. This is important to study, because middle-men, such as goldsmiths, are key actors in selling and promoting fair trade products.
Via semi-structured interviews, goldsmiths were asked amongst other things what motivated them to start using Fairtrade gold, how they evaluated their decision to do so and if they had already sold jewellery made with Fairtrade gold. More than half of the research sample, which consisted of all Dutch goldsmiths participating in the Fairtrade gold scheme, was interviewed.
Based on the data, I conclude that the goldsmiths’ most important motive for engaging with Fairtrade gold was that they wished to improve the labour conditions for small-scale, artisanal gold mine workers. The second most important motive has to do with business image; the goldsmith wants to be able to offer the product to customers. Other motives include the wish to diminish the negative environmental implications of mining gold, the wish to support the surrounding community and lastly, the fact that Fairtrade International and Fairtrade Netherlands provide transparency in the whole supply chain.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen