Café Imports Case Study – Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage Through Principled Entrepreneurship

Authors

  • Jay Ebben University of St. Thomas
  • Alec Johnson University of St. Thomas

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33423/jabe.v23i4.4452

Keywords:

business, economics, principled entrepreneurship, sustainable entrepreneurship, values-driven entrepreneurship, business for the common good

Abstract

This case study was written to illustrate how a for-profit company can build sustainable competitive advantages via principled entrepreneurship. The case follows a recent college graduate’s journey at a mission-driven coffee importer and asks students to analyze how he developed strategic initiatives that align with the company’s core values. The case leaves students with three main perspectives: 1) Pursuit of the common good is not limited to not-for-profit firms; 2) Entrepreneurial firms do not need to sacrifice their core values in order to compete; and 3) Core values should be considered in commonly-used analysis frameworks such as Porter’s Five Forces.

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Published

2021-08-23

How to Cite

Ebben, J., & Johnson, A. (2021). Café Imports Case Study – Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage Through Principled Entrepreneurship. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 23(4). https://doi.org/10.33423/jabe.v23i4.4452

Issue

Section

Articles