Managing Paradoxical Tensions at the Intersection of the Triple Bottom Line Goals: The Case of Under The Mango Tree

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the sustainable entrepreneurship process and to understand how sustainable entrepreneurs manage the inherent tensions involved in achieving triple-bottom-line goals by combining business logic with social value and environmental sustainability logic. The empirical study is based on an interpretive method aimed to study the meanings of phenomena and human experiences in specific situations. Using the case study research method, the process of sustainable entrepreneurship as evolved in a mission-driven venture -Under The Mango Tree (UTMT)- was studied in detail. UTMT is an India-based gourmet honey company committed to increasing the agricultural productivity of small and marginal farmers (SMFs) through indigenous beekeeping. The findings suggest that the triple-bottom-line goals of UTMT are not only beneficial to each other but mutually constitutive in defining the demands as well. UTMT managed to blend market, social, and environmental logic by organizing itself along the lines of the hybrid model. The firm's hybrid structure helped it to raise funds from both commercial sources and philanthropic sources, achieve better focus on different priorities, and implement different management practices in both entities. Both the entities are integrated through a common identity and purpose, revolving around the sustenance issues of small and marginal farmers. Findings suggest that creating social and environmental values may be closely linked or even integral to the achievement of financial goals. The sustainability mission of UTMT was a source of its legitimacy and this mission was effectively leveraged to address inherent tensions.