Launching ecologically sustainable products: Identifying and understanding the antecedents that determine the launch strategy of ecologically sustainable products offered by start-ups
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2023-07-14
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en
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This study aims to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the antecedents that determine the launch strategy of ecologically sustainable products offered by start-ups. The explorative case study focuses on eight distinct mini-cases situated in eight different Dutch start-ups, with each case representing the launch of an ecologically sustainable product. The results demonstrate that both external and internal antecedents are detrimental in shaping the launch strategy. Key external antecedents include industry type, market growth rate, competitiveness and consumer preferences. Key internal antecedents include technological capability and financial resources. The findings show that start-ups are often limited in their ability to adopt a launch strategy that focuses on a broad customer segment as a result of financial resource constraints. The study also shows how various aspects of sustainability, such as sustainable objectives, sustainable consumer needs and sustainable product attributes play a role in shaping the launch strategy. Here, showing that start-ups offering ecologically sustainable products are often inclined to target specific niches in which sustainable needs are the most prevalent. Most importantly, this study unveils the multifaceted and interconnected nature of the antecedents that determine the overall adopted launch strategy, and presents this in a detailed conceptual framework. For start-ups, this implies the need of adopting a holistic approach wherein the antecedents are not considered separately, but are rather considered and diagnosed comprehensively. Through this, gaining a deeper understanding of their antecedents, establishing a solid view of their contextual foundation from which the launch strategy should be developed.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen