Purpose: As global community faces environmental challenges, the combination of sustainable development along with entrepreneurial practices can balance economic growth with social and environmental protection. This study aims to examine and prioritize the key factors that influence sustainable actions among entrepreneurs. The research focuses on identifying how elements related to the environment, behavior, human relations, and business activity contribute to fostering sustainability in entrepreneurial practices.
Methodology: A structured questionnaire was administered to a panel of experts in entrepreneurship and sustainability. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to systematically evaluate and rank the sustainability-related criteria based on expert responses. AHP enabled the comparison of multiple factors by assigning relative weights to each, thus identifying their importance in promoting sustainable business practices.
Findings: The results reveal that behavioral factors and business-related aspects are the most influential drivers of sustainable entrepreneurship. Among these, ethical principles, personal values, and competitive intelligence emerged as key components that significantly impact entrepreneurs’ sustainable decision-making. While environmental and human-relations factors were recognized as relevant, they were assigned comparatively lower priority.
Practical Implications: The findings offer strategic insights for entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers working to embed sustainability in business ventures. By understanding the prioritized factors, stakeholders can develop targeted training programs, support systems, and policy frameworks that reflect the most impactful elements for sustainable entrepreneurship.
Originality/Value: This study provides a distinctive contribution to prioritize sustainability drivers within the context of entrepreneurship. Unlike previous studies that explore sustainability in general terms, this research offers a structured, expert-informed ranking that enhances both theoretical understanding and practical application of sustainability in entrepreneurial ventures...