Building an empirically grounded conceptual frame for business networking as a mechanism for pro-environmental business growth

Whilst there is a growing body of evidence relating to the environmental capabilities, eco innovation, sustainable supply chains and green skills of individual SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), much less attention has been paid to networked approaches to pro-environmental and sustainable SME support. The empirical studies that do exist mostly take a firm-centric approach. This study takes a network centric view to describe hitherto under-explored features of network functionality based on case analysis of a single business support network in the East Midlands of the UK. The resulting conceptual framework offers an analytical tool that can be used to study network functionality in the service of pro-environmental SME development more widely. Empirical data for this case analysis of a regional ‘low carbon’ business network is drawn from interviews with 25 stakeholders, analysis of programme level data and documentation, ‘insider’ observation of network activity and evidence from both independent and internal evaluations. The study charts key aspects of network provision and its impact upon SMEs and wider stakeholders. The paper then presents a conceptual model of pro-environmental business networking that identifies key internal features of network activity as well as various external drivers of multi-stakeholder engagement in the shift to a more sustainable local economy.