What is Progressive Business?

This introductory chapter signposts the rationale, framework, and case study contents of the book. First, we offer an overview of the need for new more progressive business models than the mainstream which exists at present, identifying the current challenges facing business in Europe and beyond in its international ramifications. To remedy these challenges, we present our alternative vision of progressive business functioning, whose basic criteria comprise ecological sustainability, respect for future generations, and pro-socialness. Then, synopses of our case examples follow. Business models are basically stories about how enterprises work, so case studies lend themselves to telling a story. The case study is a structured narrative that depicts the past, present and potential future of the enterprise, how it came to develop and implement its business model and how it works. Since no business is perfect in all its dimensions, issues and challenges with respect to progressive business principles fulfillment and enterprise sustainability faced by the organization and its business model will be presented in the case studies. The case chapters conclude with generalizable insights offered by the case. These insights provide a basis for pedagogical analyses which can be applied to the material and used by instructors with students as appropriate.