Introduction
Entrepreneurship remains a powerful practice that guides people to launch and grow their startups to become giant corporations. This development explains how individuals can experiment with a small or new idea and make it an evidence-based solution to the problems affecting humanity. Business owners should reflect and examine their achievements, challenges, and opportunities that can take their firms to the next level. The application of emerging concepts and theories in the selected field becomes an opportunity to drive organizational performance. Startups that make corporate social responsibility (CSR) part of their business models achieve their goals much faster, remain profitable and connect human peace with sustainability. This paper supports CSR as a powerful factor for emerging businesses that want to convert to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Topic and Thesis Description
The concept of CSR is not new in the field of entrepreneurship. Emerging firms that want to achieve their goals should consider the unique needs and expectations of the targeted customers. The selected thesis for this discussion is that many startups that rely on CSR to merge human peace and sustainability eventually become profitable. With the problems of environmental degradation and the overuse of available natural resources, the decision to implement CSR at the beginning becomes a new opportunity to ensure that the model is capable of addressing the issues many people face. For example, a new venture manufacturing certain products can introduce a green supply chain to protect the natural environment (Schroeder, 2013). The suppliers of the required raw materials can consider the challenges of climate change and be involved to find the relevant solutions. The first group of customers can receive timely updates and education to recycle or reuse specific materials to avoid polluting the natural environment. Entrepreneurs can go further to design a superior model that solves consumers’ problems while at the same time making it easier for them to achieve their aims. These considerations are capable of promoting peace between the customer and the business and eventually improving the sustainability of the natural environment.
Thesis Analysis
The whole idea behind entrepreneurship is to identify a simple concept and transform it into a product, service, or opportunity that can improve customers’ lives. The origin of any business thought is the desire to meet a specific need (Grimes, 2019). While pursuing this objective, it becomes necessary for the entrepreneur to consider specific procedures and practices that can overcome emerging challenges while at the same time going beyond the expectations of the targeted customers. The application of superior competencies, models, or technological resources can make a difference and deliver positive results within a short period.
Many startups fail to take off or record meaningful success due to the presence of competitors and the inability to consider possible threats that might disorient performance. Schroeder (2013) identifies marketing strategy, effective leadership, and a revolutionary business idea as the key drivers that eventually make small firms successful. However, startups will need to do more than that if they are to maintain a recognizable competitive advantage and achieve their aims. According to Grimes (2019), CSR tendencies as essential since they propel a firm to its next levels for reminding customers about the importance of sustainability and delivering more than what is needed. This concept means that startups will ensure that their goods, services, or products minimize chances of pollution or degradation. The introduced business practices need to be sustainable and capable of protecting the integrity of the natural environment. The expectations and priorities of many customers have changed significantly within the past three decades since they currently associate with firms that take CSR seriously.
Successful startups that eventually grow to become SMEs manage to do various obligations right. For example, they consider and introduce pivoting ideas into the business depending on the challenges and opportunities recorded in the external market. Within the established business model, the starters or owners can consider evidence-based procedures that can prevent any form of damage to the environment and minimize their ecological footprints (Schroeder, 2013). A small venture that decides to deliver solar panels and energy-saving bulbs to rural residents will have increased chances of succeeding since it presents an added advantage to the customer. The leaders can go further to identify emerging technologies that can minimize the overuse of petroleum products that tend to increase the levels of carbon in the atmosphere (Fort & Schipani, 2002). Social media platforms can become the best tools for advertising and promoting the intended products or services. This approach means that the new firm will not have to rely on expensive methods that might not resonate with the demands of the intended customers.
After recording initial success, businesses can use the acquired funds to improve their distribution networks and marketing strategies. Managers should ensure that the designed systems are sustainable and capable of protecting the integrity of the natural environment. A company marketing foodstuffs or groceries may introduce bicycles to supply various materials to different clients (Whaley, 2013). Marketing initiatives can focus on social media platforms since they reduce their environmental impacts on the natural environment. Skilled entrepreneurs will examine what their immediate rivals do and improve their marketing processes in such a way that they introduce an aspect of CSR. This strategy will increase the chances of becoming an SME, meet the demands of more stakeholders, and promote sustainability and global peace.
Owners of new businesses can go further to consider additional ways of empowering customers and making it easier for them to achieve their aims in life. The concept of CSR will include any effort that is capable of transforming the experiences of all stakeholders. The startup can introduce new incentives and encourage community members to undertake specific activities that can support their needs (Fort & Schipani, 2002). Managers can also provide incentives and support to the less privileged members of society. When leaders combine these efforts with those of environmental sustainability, the chances of improving the startup’s level of competitive advantage will increase significantly.
Alternative Thesis
The existing organizational theories hypothesize that entrepreneurs who implement a powerful model, organizational culture, and hire the right people will achieve their business aims much faster and attain the level of SMEs within a short period. Maon and Sen (2016) indicate that leadership is a driving force that makes it possible for followers to work hard and apply their competencies to achieve the intended aims. Managers can remain democratic or influential in an attempt to maximize involvement and performance. The use of an effective culture delivers additional benefits that are associated with improved productivity, such as communication, problem-solving, decision-making, cohesion, and teamwork (Whaley, 2013). Grimes (2019) goes further to support the power of a superior business model because it has the potential to minimize chances of rivalry. Startups that want to achieve positive results will need to match their products with the emerging demands of their customers. The original hypothesis or expectation was that startups and entrepreneurs who took these theoretical assumptions and concepts seriously had the potential to become more profitable.
However, the above thesis is worth rejecting since it ignores the role of sustainability and CSR as powerful drivers of business performance and profitability. Without the notions of peace and environmental integrity, the startup might deliver quality to the customers but only for a short time. Customers might be forced to identify other emerging firms that support their needs while at the same time pursuing the notions of sustainability (Schroeder, 2013). Entrepreneurs need to examine the social, environmental, cultural, and regional forces that can impact their processes directly or indirectly. Such initiatives will be essential to sustain the performance of the new eventually until it attains the status of an SME. This development will also present additional opportunities for the business to become a leading competitor or player in its sector.
Conclusion
The success of startups depends on entrepreneurs’ ability to consider all aspects of business performance without ignoring the benefits of CSR. This approach does not require additional costs or expenses. Instead, business owners need to merge their strategies with the demands of the customers and the concept of sustainability. The original model will go further to promote global peace and protect the integrity of the natural environment. These attributes will make it easier for the startup to become an SME.
References
Fort, T. L., & Schipani, C. A. (2002). The role of the corporation in fostering sustainable peace. Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, 35(2), 389-436.
Grimes, M. (2019). What startups should embrace CSR initiatives from day one. The Sociable.
Maon, F., & Sen, S. (2016). Sustainable value chain management: A research anthology (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Schroeder, C. M. (2013). Startup rising: The entrepreneurial revolution remaking the Middle East. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Whaley, F. (2013). Is corporate social responsibility profitable for companies? Devex. Web.