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Biography & Abstract
Justine Buriller

Justine started her PhD in Entrepreneurship at ESCP Business School in Paris, France in 2021. Her dissertation rethinks entrepreneurship by engaging the social imaginary of growth from a post-growth perspective. She is currently a visiting fellow at CBS.

Reimagining entrepreneurial growth: The case of entrepreneurs’ narratives in the sustainable fashion industry

This paper critically examines the dominant social imaginary of growth in entrepreneurship, with a degrowth perspective. In an evolving environmental context, it delves into the need for a refined understanding of entrepreneurial growth and its limits. I address the following research question: how do entrepreneurs in a sustainable industry characterize their social imaginaries on growth? I conducted interviews with entrepreneurs in the sustainable fashion industry, part of a French association named En Mode Climat, that criticize overproduction and overconsumption. The purpose was to understand their growth trajectories and how they related it to their social context. I identify three narratives from entrepreneurs: (1) Impact growth – an illimited perspective on growth is justified by its positive impact (2) Artisan growth – craft practices lead to a non-scalable activity, (3) Political growth – growth is an issue that requires a collaborative approach. I contribute to a better understanding of the growth phenomena in entrepreneurship.

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