Navigating moral and market realities: Sustainability strategies for ethical SMEs
References
- ABDELZAHER, D. M. & ABDELZAHER, A. (2017): Beyond environmental regulations: Exploring the potential of “eco-Islam” in boosting environmental ethics within SMEs in Arab markets. In: Journal of Business Ethics, 145(2), pp. 357–371.
- ADAMS, R., JEANRENAUD, S., BESSANT, J., DENYER, D. & OVERY, P. (2016): Sustainability-oriented innovation: A systematic review. In: International Journal of Management Reviews, 18(2), pp. 180–205.
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12068 - ADESANYA, A. S., OGUNLUSI, C. F. & IHEANACHO, V. F. (2025): Leadership Agility and Entrepreneurial Resilience Among Nigerian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMES). In: Annals of Spiru Haret University Economic Series, 25(2), pp. 118–134.
- AMOAH, J. (2020): Social media and its impact on the financial performance on SMEs in developing countries: A literature review. In: Ch. Karpasitis & Ch. Varda (eds.): Proceedings of the 7th European conference on social media, ECSM 2020. Reading, UK: Academic Conferences and Publishing International Ltd., pp. 37–41.
- ÁLVAREZ JARAMILLO, J., ZARTHA SOSSA, J. W. & OROZCO MENDOZA, G. L. (2019): Barriers to sustainability for small and medium enterprises in the framework of sustainable development—Literature review. In: Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(4), pp. 512–524.
- ARROYABE, M. F. & ARRANZ, C. F. (2026): Social innovation in SMEs: Examining the role of artificial intelligence and social and environmental sustainability. In: Journal of Environmental Management, 398, 128439, pp. 1–20.
- AHINFUL, G. S., TAURINGANA, V., ESSUMAN, D., BOAKYE, J. D. & SHA'VEN, W. B. (2022): Stakeholders pressure, SMEs characteristics and environmental management in Ghana. In: Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, 34(3), pp. 241–268.
- ALZAYANI, F., MOHAMMED, A. & SHOAIB, H. M. (2024): The impact of smart technologies on SMEs' sustainability: the mediation effect of sustainability strategy. In: Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, 34(1), pp. 28–50.
- ALFIREVIĆ, A. M., MIHALJEVIĆ KOSOR, M. & ALFIREVIĆ, N. (2025): Institutional and Entrepreneurial Drivers of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises' Circular Economy Practices in Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. In: Sustainability, 17(16), 7239, pp. 1–12.
- ANDRIOPOULOS, C. & LEWIS, M. W. (2009): Exploitation-exploration tensions and organizational ambidexterity: Managing paradoxes of innovation. In: Organization Science, 20(4), pp. 696–717.
https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1080.0408 - AWAMLEH, F. T., SHWAWREH, S., AL-KHARABSHEH, S. A. I. & ALZGHOUL, A. (2025): The integration of renewable energy adoption in sustainability practices for sustainable competitive advantage in Jordanian SMEs. In: Challenge Sustainability, 13(1), pp. 135–145.
- BANSAL, P. & ROTH, K. (2000): Why companies go green: A model of ecological responsiveness. In: Academy of Management Journal, 43(4), pp. 717–736.
https://doi.org/10.5465/1556363 - BELAS, J., ZVARIKOVA, K., STREIMIKIS, J. & JAKUBCINOVA, M. (2024): Are there differences in business ethics within SMEs' most important business sectors in the V4 countries? Empirical research. In: Ethics & Bioethics (in Central Europe), 14(1–2), pp. 124–136. DOI:10.2478/ebce-2024-0006124
- BIECEK, P. & BURZYKOWSKI, T. (2021): Explanatory model analysis: explore, explain, and examine predictive models. New York: Chapman and Hall/CRC.
- BRUCE, E., SHURONG, Z., AMOAH, J., EGALA, S. B., SARFO, P. A., BAIDOO, B. E. ... & YONGXING, Y. (2025): Examining the impact of social media usage on start-ups' performance: Mediating role of brand image. In: Plos one, 20(5), e0320133, pp. 1–22.
- BRATNICKA-MYŚLIWIEC, K. & INGRAM, T. (2022): Paradox mindset, slack resources, and organisational creativity in family and non-family businesses. In: Problemy Zarządzania – Management Issues, 20(2), pp. 176–196.
- BÜRGI, J. (2010): A comprehensive model for SMEs: Measuring the dynamic interplay of morality, environment and management systems–Towards continuous improvement. In: L. Spence & M. Painter-Morland (eds.): Ethics in small and medium sized enterprises: A global commentary. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 147–171.
- CAPUTO, F., CARRUBBO, L. & SARNO, D. (2018): The influence of cognitive dimensions on the consumer-SME relationship: a sustainability-oriented view. In: Sustainability, 10(9), 3238, pp. 1–19.
- COHEN, E., MCKAY, A. & WOLFE, P. (2017): Sustainability for SMEs. London: Routledge.
- CSIBI, O. (2026): Navigating paradoxes in sustainable SME internationalization. In: Critical perspectives on international business, pp. 1–26 (Earlycite).
- CISZEWSKA-MILNARIC, M., WOJCIK, P. & MORGAN-THOMAS, A. (2025): Paradoxical logics in strategic renewal: The evolution of SMEs from a transition economy. In: Conference presentation at the 51st European International Business Academy Conference. Glasgow: Enlighten Publications (Accepted for Publication).
- DILCHERT, S. (2018): Cognitive ability. In: D. S. Ones, N. Anderson, Ch. Wiswesvaran & H. P. Sinangil (eds.): The SAGE handbook of industrial, work & organizational psychology: Personnel psychology and employee performance, 2nd ed. London: Sage, pp. 248–276.
- EL NEMAR, S., EL-CHAARANI, H., DANDACHI, I. & CASTELLANO, S. (2025): Resource-based view and sustainable advantage: a framework for SMEs. In: Journal of Strategic Marketing, 33(6), pp. 798–821.
- FARMANESH, P., SOLATI DEHKORDI, N., VEHBI, A. & CHAVALI, K. (2025): Artificial intelligence and green innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises and competitive-advantage drive toward achieving sustainable development goals. In: Sustainability, 17(5), 2162, pp. 1–20.
- FIGURA, M. & VEVERE, V. (2025): Business transformation in Slovak companies shaped by digital technology adoption, sustainability orientation and strategic resilience. In: Journal of Business Sectors, 3(2), pp. 80–92.
- FORBUS, K. D., FERGUSON, R. W., LOVETT, A. & GENTNER, D. (2017): Extending SME to handle large-scale cognitive modeling. In: Cognitive Science, 41(5), pp. 1152–1201.
- FRANQUESA, J. & BRANDYBERRY, A. (2009): Organizational slack and information technology innovation adoption in SMEs. In: International Journal of E-Business Research (IJEBR), 5(1), pp. 25–48.
- GALPIN, T., WHITTTINGTON, J. L. & BELL, G. (2015): Is your sustainability strategy sustainable? Creating a culture of sustainability. In: Corporate Governance, 15(1), pp. 1–17.
- GBONGLI, K., XU, Y. & AMEDJONEKOU, K. M. (2019): Extended technology acceptance model to predict mobile-based money acceptance and sustainability: A multi-analytical structural equation modeling and neural network approach. In: Sustainability, 11(13), 3639, pp. 1–33.
- GEORGE, K., STEPHANE, G. & PATRICIA, N. (2026): Exploring performance optimization of employees through cognitive flexibility during the shift to sustainable digital solutions at SMEs. In: AIP Conference Proceedings, 3383(1), 020008). AIP Publishing LLC.
- HAHN, T., PINKSE, J., PREUSS, L. & FIGGE, F. (2015): Tensions in corporate sustainability: Towards an integrative framework. In: Journal of Business Ethics, 127(2), pp. 297–316.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2047-5 - HAIR, J. F., RISHER, J. J., SARSTEDT, M. & RINGLE, C. M. (2019): When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. In: European business review, 31(1), pp. 2–24.
- HASU, E., SAUNILA, M. & UKKO, J. (2025): Sustainability strategy and financial performance in SMEs—On the role of sustainability management control systems. In: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(4), pp. 4819–4834.
- IQBAL, Q. & PIWOWAR-SULEJ, K. (2022): Organizational ambidexterity, sustainable manufacturing practices and SMEs' performance: The role of management support function. Journal of Strategy and Management, 15(1), pp. 97–120.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JSMA-10-2020-0328 - JONKUTĖ, G., STANIŠKIS, J. K. & DUKAUSKAITĖ, D. (2011): Social responsibility as a tool to achieve sustainable development in SMEs. In: Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, 57(3), pp. 67–81.
- KALEKA, A. & MORGAN, N. A. (2017): Which competitive advantage(s)? Competitive advantage–market performance relationships in international markets. In: Journal of international marketing, 25(4), pp. 25–49.
- KRYEZIU, L., KURUTKAN, M. N., KRASNIQI, B. A., RAMADANI, V., HAJRULLAHU, V. & HAZIRI, A. (2024): Cognitive styles and dynamic managerial capabilities: implications for SMEs in a transition economy. In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 30(1), pp. 200–231.
- KOCK, N. (2015): Common method bias in PLS-SEM: A full collinearity assessment approach. In: International Journal of e-Collaboration (ijec), 11(4), pp. 1–10.
- KOWALCZYK, R. (2020): How does stakeholder pressure influence CSR-practices? A construction industry model based on a European sample. In: A. Ujwary-Gil & M. Gancarczyk (eds.): New Challenges in Economic Policy, Business, and Management. Warsaw: Institute of Economics Polish Academy of Sciences, pp. 319–333.
- KRAUS, P., STOKES, P., COOPER, S. C., LIU, Y., MOORE, N., BRITZELMAIER, B. & TARBA, S. (2020): Cultural antecedents of sustainability and regional economic development-a study of SME ‘Mittelstand’ firms in Baden-Württemberg (Germany). In: Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 32(7–8), pp. 629–653.
- KULSUM, U., HAQUE, A., HASAN, R. & HASAN, F. (2025): Encouraging SMEs' green innovation through stakeholder pressure: The moderating and mediating role of environmental commitment and ethics. In: Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 18(12), p. 721.
- LEWIS, A. & JURAVLE, C. (2010): Morals, markets and sustainable investments: A qualitative study of ‘champions’. In: Journal of Business Ethics, 93(3), pp. 483–494.
- LEWIS, M. W. (2000): Exploring paradox: Toward a more comprehensive guide. In: Academy of Management Review, 25(4), pp. 760–776.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2000.3707691 - LU, J., SONG, Z., GHEITH, M. H., TROISE, C. & BRESCIANI, S. (2026): Internal dynamics of SMEs for their sustainable development: investigating the antecedents and outcomes of sustainable innovation behavior and ESG strategies. In: Business Strategy and the Environment, 35(2), pp. 1866–1879.
- MALJA, S. N. & AFRASIABI, H. (2025): Perceptions of moral capital by marketers: a grounded theory study in Yazd traditional market: SN Malja and H. Afrasiabi. In: Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 14(1), pp. 153–175.
- MARLIN, D. & GEIGER, S. W. (2015): The organizational slack and performance relationship: a configurational approach. In: Management Decision, 53(10), pp. 2339–2355.
- MCHUGH, J. P. & CROSS, D. A. (2021): The application of organizational slack to hospital system responsiveness during the COVID-19 pandemic. In: Journal of Hospital Management and Health Policy, 5(17), pp. 1–11.
- METZKER, Z. (2025): The impact of financial management on the CSR perception in the SME segment. In: Journal of Business Sectors, 3(1), pp. 61–70.
- MIRON-SPEKTOR, E., INGRAM, A. & O'REILLY, C. A., III. (2018): Paradoxes of knowledge creation: The tension between perceiving and enacting. In: Strategic Organization, 16(4), pp. 428–446.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127018788805 - MORGAN-THOMAS, A., WÓJCIK, P. & CISZEWSKA-MLINARIČ, M. (2026): Strategic renewal in internationalising SMEs: a paradox perspective. In: Critical Perspectives on International Business, pp. 1–23 (Earlycite).
- MORGAN, K. (1970): Sample size determination using Krejcie and Morgan table. In: Kenya Projects Organization (KENPRO), 38(1970), pp. 607–610.
- NÄSLUND, B. (1964): Organizational slack. In: Ekonomisk tidskrift, (66)1, pp. 26–31.
- NGUYEN, N. P. & ADOMAKO, S. (2022): Stakeholder pressure for eco-friendly practices, international orientation, and eco-innovation: A study of small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam. In: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 29(1), pp. 79–88.
- OGREAN, C. & HERCIU, M. (2021): Romania's SMEs on the Way to EU's Twin Transition to Digitalization and Sustainability. In: Studies in Business and Economics, 16(2), pp. 282–295.
- PAINTER-MORLAND, M. & DOBIE, K. (2014): Ethics and sustainability within SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa: Enabling, constraining and contaminating relationships. In: African Journal of Business Ethics, 4(4), pp. 7–19.
- PARHANKANGAS, A., MCWILLIAMS, A. & SHRADER, R. C. (2014): Doing well by doing better: Entrepreneurs and Sustainability. In: Journal of Small Business Strategy (archive only), 24(2), pp. 1–20.
- PODSAKOFF, P. M., MACKENZIE, S. B., LEE, J. Y. & PODSAKOFF, N. P. (2003): Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. In: Journal of applied psychology, 88(5), pp. 879–903.
- PORTER, M. E. & KRAMER, M. R. (2011): Creating shared value. In: Harvard Business Review, 89(1/2), pp. 62–77.
- PETRÁKOVÁ, Z. & KARASCONY, P. (2024): Sustainability of SMEs and their determinants. Comparative analysis from V4 countries. In: Journal of Business Sectors, 2(2), pp. 50–61.
- PERÉNYI, Á., SELVARAJAH, C., TANAS, J., TUČKOVÁ, Z., ODROWAZ-COATES, A., TÓTH-BOZÓ, B. & MINAROVA, M. (2020): Exploring ethical business in Central Europe: Leaders' values and perspectives on good practices. In: Sustainability, 12(2), 670, pp. 1–30. doi:10.3390/su12020670.
- PEPRAH, J. A., AMOAH, J., KWARTENG, K., JIBRIL, A. B. & SHARIF, T. (2025): Artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing for resilient supply chain in Africa: A systematic literature review. In: Future Business Journal, 11(54), pp. 1–12.
- QALATI, S. A., SIDDIQUI, F. & WU, Q. (2024): The effect of environmental ethics and spiritual orientation on firms' outcomes: the role of senior management orientation and stakeholder pressure. In: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1746, pp. 1–15.
- SULAIMAN, M. A. B. A. (2025): Green product innovation as a mediator between green market orientation and sustainable performance of SMEs. In: Sustainability, 17(4), 1628, pp. 1–17.
- RYBAROVA, D., REMENOVA, K., KMETY BARTEKOVA, M. & MAJDUCHOVA, H. (2023): Analysis of the attitudes of Central European small- and medium-sized enterprises towards adaptation to the low-carbon economy and its implementation barriers. In: Energies, 16(22), 7663, pp. 1–13.
- SARMA, G. D., CHOUDHURY, S., BHARADWAJ, P. & SARMA, M. (2024): Navigating corporate governance and ethics: the cornerstones of sustainable business practices. In: Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(5), pp. 5442–5454.
- SAKYI, R., TENGAN, C., AHLIJAH, B., JIBRIL, A. B. & DADSON, G. (2025): Effect of integrated marketing communication on brand recognition of upscale hotels in Ghana. In: Journal of Business Sectors, 3(1), pp. 71–83.
- SEO, Y., PARK, C. A. & POLLOCK, T. G. (2025): Navigating moral markets: How strategic sensegiving and category membership shape media sentiment following acquisitions in the US food processing industry. In: Strategic Organization, pp. 1–34 (OnlineFirst).
- SHIELDS, J. & SHELLEMAN, J. M. (2015): Integrating sustainability into SME strategy. In: Journal of Small Business Strategy (archive only), 25(2), pp. 59–78.
- SIGALAS, C., PEKKA ECONOMOU, V. & GEORGOPOULOS, N. B. (2013): Developing a measure of competitive advantage. In: Journal of strategy and management, 6(4), pp. 320–342.
- SVOBODA, O., BADIE, N. B., SRIVASTAVA, M. & TYLL, L. (2026): Navigating preparedness for corporate sustainability due Diligence Directive Compliance in Czech manufacturing businesses. In: Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management (Early View).
- SMITH, W. K. & LEWIS, M. W. (2011): Toward a theory of paradox: A dynamic equilibrium model of organizing. In: Academy of Management Review, 36(2), pp. 381–403.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2009.0223 - SMITH, W. K., BINNS, A. & TUSHMAN, M. L. (2017): Complex business models: Managing strategic paradoxes simultaneously. In: Long Range Planning, 43(2–3), pp. 448–461.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2009.07.003 - SOULSBY, A., REMIŠOVÁ, A. & STEGER, T. (2021): Management and business ethics in Central and Eastern Europe. In: Journal of Business Ethics, 174(4), pp. 739–746.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04924-y - SUNDARAMURTHY, C. & LEWIS, M. (2003): Control and collaboration: Paradoxes of governance. In: Academy of Management Review, 28(3), pp. 397–415.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2003.10196772 - TACANHO, M. (2025): The Africonomics Theory of structural justice: A Transformative framework for civilized and prosperous society. In: Afrindependent Institute Academic Paper, (006), pp. 1–30.
- UDOMSAP, A. D. & HALLINGER, P. (2020): A bibliometric review of research on sustainable construction, 1994–2018. In: Journal of Cleaner Production, 254, 120073.
- VUORIO, A., FAROQUE, A. R. & KUIVALAINEN, O. (2022): The role of slack resources and managerial capabilities in early and late internationalization: a configurational approach. In: Small Enterprise Research, 29(3), pp. 227–249.
- WANG, H., ZHANG, L. & XU, D. (2025a): Breakthrough technological innovation, market competition, and corporate competitive advantage. In: Finance Research Letters, 76, 107030.
- WANG, J., WAN, J. & WU, Z. (2025b): Seeking competitive advantage of farmers' cooperatives through organizational resilience: examining the role of chairpersons' self-efficacy and environmental dynamism. In: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 9, 1554308, pp. 1–14.
- WHITE, P. (2009): Building a sustainability strategy into the business. In: Corporate Governance: The international journal of business in society, 9(4), pp. 386–394.
- WINCZOREK, J. (2022): Moral communication and legal uncertainty in small and medium enterprises. In: Kybernetes, 51(5), pp. 1666–1691.
- ZAK, P. J. (2011): Moral markets. In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 77(2), pp. 212–233.
- ZVARÍKOVÁ, K., BAŘINOVÁ, D., BELÁS, J. & PALČÁK, L. (2023): Empirical research on business ethics of SMEs in the V4 countries. In: Ethics & Bioethics (in Central Europe), 13(1–2), pp. 51–63.
https://doi.org/10.2478/ebce-2023-0007 - ZHAO, Z. & YAN, Y. (2023): The role of organizational unlearning in manufacturing firms' sustainable digital innovation: The mechanism of strategic flexibility and organizational slack. In: Sustainability, 15(13), 10371, pp. 1–23.
Language: English
Page range: 29 - 47
Published on: Jun 10, 2026
Published by: University of Prešov
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Related subjects:
© 2026 John Amoah, Sulemana Bankuoru Egala, George Ewur, Emmanuel Bruce, Appiah Sarpong, published by University of Prešov
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.