Abstract:

Sustainable Development is a concept that emerged with the Declaration of Stockholm adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Human Rights in 1972. This abstract concept was soon applied in the business field, with more concrete meanings, under the term of “Corporate Social Responsibility”. While for corporations, the concept was largely explored in academic papers, its particularities for SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) remain unclear. Together with sustainable development, innovation is a prerequisite for the longevity of a business. In our study, we analyze the process of integration of sustainable development and innovation in a SME. The aim of our study is to determine the particularities linked to the workplace learning of sustainable development and innovation practices in a SME. The methods of our study include a literature review -in order to clarify the concept of sustainable innovation- and a case study for a French SME. Our conclusions point out the role of the owner-founder in the implementation of sustainable innovation in a company, as well as the pressure of the stakeholders (including employees) for its integration in the workplace.

Keywords:

Sustainable development, innovation, SME, workplace learning.