Sustainability, epistemology, ecocentric business and marketing strategy: ideology, reality and vision

Helen Borland, Adam Lindgreen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This conceptual article examines the relationship between marketing and sustainability through the dual lenses of anthropocentric and ecocentric epistemology. Using the current anthropocentric epistemology and its associated dominant social paradigm, corporate ecological sustainability in commercial practice and business school research and teaching is difficult to achieve. However, adopting an ecocentric epistemology enables the development of an alternative business and marketing approach that places equal importance on nature, the planet, and ecological sustainability as the source of human and other species' well-being, as well as the source of all products and services. This article examines ecocentric, transformational business, and marketing strategies epistemologically, conceptually and practically and thereby proposes six ecocentric, transformational, strategic marketing universal premises as part of a vision of and solution to current global un-sustainability. Finally, this article outlines several opportunities for management practice and further research.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)173-187
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Business Ethics
Volume117
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2013

Bibliographical note

The final publication is available at link.springer.com

Keywords

  • sustainability
  • ecocentric business
  • epistemology
  • transitional
  • transformational
  • marketing strategy
  • vision

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