Summary of this research

This research examines sustainable green marketing of products provided by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The main purpose is to study the challenges and opportunities SME´s have to face in the economic contexts of sustainable green marketing. The EcoCuva model is proposed and constructed to meet such challenges, and we argue that the EcoCuva model provides a viable and fresh approach, and a new tool for analysis and implementation of new product developments of SME’s. The study brings together the broader concept of sustainable marketing based on sustainable development with the predominant technological-based way of working that represents environmental policy, which is termed green marketing in this research.

The purpose of the study was to respond to the following research questions: The main research question is What challenges and opportunities Smes have in the context of sustainable green marketing?The main research question is approached by three sub-questions, which are Is EcoCuva model an efficient approach and tool in sustainable enterprising?What evidence can be found about product development and production processes that fit the sustainability and green marketing criteria?How should sme’s market their ecoproducts to fit the policy discussion?

The answers to these research questions were addressed using the theory of environmental marketing, environmental policy and ecophilosophy. I utilised multi-criteria decision-making theory (e.g Keeney & Raiffa 1976) and value-based thinking (e.g Keeney 1992) as part of my research.

Using environmental policy, I addressed the life cycle analysis developed for environmental management and integrated product policy, as well as the voluntary EMAS system developed for the company’s own activities, in order to form an understanding of the predominant practices. However, the emphasis for the study was with the life cycle analysis of damage thinking (e.g Hofstetter 1998, Hofstetter et al. 2000). Narrative turning points and descriptions were used as the method for identifying the sustainable green marketing ecoproductization

phenomenon. I illustrate the identification of the ecoproductization phenomenon in section 1.3 by itemising the contexts included in the sustainable green marketing of SMEs.

Ecological companies do not merely sell their products or services, but communicate all over the world (e.g. Wasik 1995, Carson et al. 2004, O’Donnell 2004), so through the empirical, the description of the way of thinking and approach of the SME became a part of ecological product marketing process of change. The process of change was linked to cooperation and interaction on a different level; individual, regional and global. It was linked with environmental policy and integrated product policy, so it could be observed in what way SMEs can participate in the marketing of ecoproducts.

Multi-criteria decision-making theory and it is applications (Hammond et al. 1999, Lillich 1992, Plehn 2003, Müllner 2001, Schulte 2003) is used in this study as part of a way of understanding the way of marketing management (e.g Kotler et al. 2008), and I used a method which allowed the observation of SME entrepreneurs in the adoption of the ecoproductization phenomenon as part decision of the marketing of SMEs. I describe the adoption of the ecoproductization phenomenon in the theoretical section, in the theoretical frame of reference for sustainable green marketing in chapter 1.2.

A qualitative multiple case study and action research approach were chosen as the research strategy, since this seemed a suitable method for addressing the research aims. The empirical cases are four small companies and two organic companies. The case data consists of interviews with five being owners and one a manager. Implementation of the empirical part of the research I have explained in chapter 1.5, and the empirical data in Chapter 5.1.1.

The selection of cases, case descriptions and analysis of the method I described in chapters 5.1 and 5.2.

I analyzed interview texts using the narrative approach to describe the four cases, the company’s single product and the company, and by observing the accumulation of ecological data, and diversity and similarity. On the basis of the observations, I made an assumption for cases E and F that the company and their products have an ecological status, organic, and this is evident in the way the entrepreneur describes the production of the product and its marketing. In these cases, I observed whether or not green marketing and sustainable marketing differed from one another and in what way. I studied cases A and D using three themes. Using these themes, I formed narrative stories to illustrate the company’s way of working and so that one of the products of the companies becomes described through the way of working. According to comprehensive thinking, in the business of SMEs, the activities of the company, the personality of the entrepreneur and the products had a firm relationship with one another. In addition, through systematic thinking I combined theory with the empirical.

In the theoretical frame of reference 1.2 (fig 1) of this study, I discussed the systematic operational logic of the life cycle analysis developed for environmental management and the philosophic damage thinking underlying the analysis (Hofstetter 1998, Hoffstetter et al. 2000). I studied whether damage thinking existed as an understanding of marketing in marketology, and to my surprise I ended up with conflicting environmental friendliness, and the contrasting messages given by these two. I searched for logic as to in what way the marketing of the ecoproducts of SMEs can be verified without damage thinking committed to the products, and on the basis of the theory, I ended up with the theory of multi-criteria

decision-making theory. By utilising multi-criteria decision-making theory (Raiffa 1982), I studied a system that better developed a new tool for analysis and implementation of new product developments of SME’s.

On the basis of theoretical research and my own interpretation, I arrived at the utility value analysis (Bronner 1978 & 2001). The utility value analysis was applied to SMEs, environmental management and the development of the company’s goal-oriented activity.

The utility value analysis process proved to be systematically progressive and analysis will always produce the best possible result from the given alternatives. I set the alternatives as the understanding of green marketing and sustainable marketing, and I formed the concept of sustainable green marketing. Using this concept, I interpreted the various stages of the utility value analysis from the point of view of SME marketing, and I decided to present the theoretical and empirical results using value analysis logic in chapter IV. Using this way of searching for logic from the findings, I wanted to ensure SME opportunities to realize the utility value analysis alongside the life cycle analysis, so as to avoid confrontation on the analytical level and conflicting message in marketing. On the basis of the empirical material, I redefined the stages of the utility value analysis and presented these stages in the findings of the empirical data. The difference between the cases illustrates ecological entrepreneurship and understanding of products and describes, and sameness is illustrated by locality and community.

I answered the main question of the study in chapter IV, where using systematic analysis, I incorporated the theoretical and empirical findings with the stages of the utility value analysis;

What challenges and opportunities Smes have in the context of sustainable green marketing?

The findings of the empirical research answered the sub-questions; Is EcoCuva model an efficient approach and tool in sustainable enterprising?What evidence can be found about product development and production processes that fit the sustainability and green marketing criteria?How should sme’s market their ecoproducts to fit the policy discussion? I answered these through theory and empirical in chapters II, III and IV.

In this study, there are two key notions, sustainable green marketing and ecoproductization, which are based on both theoretical and empirical material I acquired on the phenomenon of ecoproductization and its characteristics. Through the conceptualization of commercialization, I was able to interpret the interviews in such a way that I searched for characteristics that describe ecological qualities. SMEs described the criteria of ecoproduct characteristics as measurable factors, and on the other hand, as values that are difficult to verify. The value of ecological products included one non-natural property among other properties and the superiority of an ecoproduct related to a non-ecological product was the characteristic of the ecoproduct, i.e. value. On the basis of the empirical research, in addition to the specification of this objective value, the ecoproduct included a subjective view of value. The subjective view of value represents the entrepreneur and issues related products that emerged during interviews. The third matter related to values is the utility value associated with the analysis.

In other words, the analysis was to interact with the physical characteristics of the product and the company’s subjective values.