Encyclopedia Entry: Beyond Academic Recognition, A Paradigm Shift

David and I are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the journey of Harmonious Entrepreneurship! The concept has been officially recognised and featured in the prestigious International Encyclopedia of Business Management, published by Elsevier.

This inclusion represents more than just academic validation but signals that the business world is finally ready for a transformative approach we desperately need. While traditional entrepreneurship has focused primarily on wealth creation, Harmonious Entrepreneurship presents a systems approach where profit, planet, and people exist in harmony. As the UN Secretary General warned at COP 27, “we are in the fight of our lives and we are losing”. This isn’t about choosing between profitability and sustainability, it’s about proving they can thrive together, offering real hope that business can be a force for positive change rather than environmental and social harm.

Real-World Impact, A Global Movement

The concept isn’t just theoretical. Since we starting sharing Harmonious Entrepreneurship through the society, in concrete detail 5 years ago, and updating on our projects with students and educators, we’ve curated 162 enterprises across 29 countries and regions that exemplify its principles. This online global collection demonstrates the universal applicability of our approach, spanning from developed economies like England and Sweden to emerging markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The diversity is incredible: from established enterprises like SEKEM in Egypt (transforming 684 acres of desert into thriving agricultural land while improving the lives of 2,000 employees and their communities) to innovative startups like Notpla creating biodegradable packaging from seaweed in England. We see traditional industries being transformed, like Hiut Denim pioneering sustainable fashion in Wales, alongside cutting-edge solutions like Takachar in the USA/India turning agricultural waste into valuable products. The breadth covers everything from social enterprises and B-Corps to cooperatives and traditional companies that have embraced harmonious principles. Whether it’s Riversimple revolutionising automotive manufacturing in Wales, Sanergy tackling sanitation challenges in Kenya, or Volta Greentech reducing methane emissions from livestock in Sweden—these ventures prove that profit, planet, and people really can work in harmony across cultures, industries, and business models.

Getting into this encyclopedia isn’t just about academic publications (though we’re excited to influence this sector and to be accessible in this way). But more so that Harmonious Entrepreneurship is being taken seriously by the business community. When you’re featured alongside 200+ other essential business management topics, it signals that this isn’t some fringe idea, it’s becoming mainstream thinking. And honestly, we need this recognition now more than ever. The climate crisis isn’t waiting for us to figure things out, and traditional business models clearly aren’t cutting it. This encyclopedia inclusion feels like validation that we are on the right track with something that could actually make a difference.

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To learn more about Harmonious Entrepreneurship, visit our case studies and educational resources, or explore how your venture can contribute to this growing movement of purpose-driven enterprises.