How Sustainability and a Culture of Trust Shape Entrepreneurial Success at VAUDE

Abstract

With the vision to become Europe’s most sustainable outdoor outfitter, VAUDE Sport GmbH & Co.KG has demonstrated how to successfully integrate environmental and social value creation with economic objectives. Driven by its sustainable vision, the family-owned company has embedded sustainability considerations into strategies at various levels in the organization and the entire supply chain. This vision-driven approach has created a work environment that facilitates responsibility as well as commitment and promotes innovative entrepreneurial behaviour. To bring sustainable strategy to action, product life cycles are designed to enable durability, the use of sustainable materials, environmentally friendly and fair production, and environmentally friendly use with a strong emphasis on recycling rather than disposal. To realize its aspiration, VAUDE fosters a corporate culture of trust and innovation which facilitates self-efficacy within the organization. This work environment promotes people’s creativity, honesty and loyalty. Trustful relationships are considered as a foundation for successful innovation and sustainable collaboration along the entire value chain. A new idea management called “Steps” has been introduced to identify and leverage unexploited knowledge, skills and motivation in the entire network. VAUDE’s commitment to sustainability is ideologically anchored and reflected in its audited Common Good balance sheet. It has been able to realize above average economic success through its entrepreneurial conviction.