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Pluriversal perspectives in the Finnish business context: Exploring analogies between post-development, buen vivir, degrowth, sufficiency, and regenerative approaches through a practical lens
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
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en
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118
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Abstract
Sustainability discourse in the Global North is dominated by frameworks such as sustainable development and the green transition, which prioritize growth and reflect Western worldviews, often overlooking more diverse and inclusive perspectives. In response, the concept of the pluriverse – a world of many worlds – has been proposed as an alternative worldview, which embraces and acknowledges diverse value systems and more relational, place-based, and cooperative sustainability practices. Addressing a gap in research, especially within the Global North business context, this thesis explores how Finnish businesses engage with alternative approaches that move beyond the dominant development paradigm. Focusing on post-development, buen vivir, degrowth, sufficiency, and regenerative approaches, it examines how these are reflected in the values and practices of Finnish organizations. The study uses a qualitative, exploratory approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with researchers and alternative food organizations.
The findings suggest that such approaches are largely absent in conventional enterprises but are more commonly practiced by alternative food organizations resisting mainstream market logics. These organizations embody principles of the studied approaches, such as the critique of economic growth and universalization, engagement with plural knowledge systems and decolonial orientation, and the prioritization of ecological, relational, and communal values. They also highlight equity and justice, holistic well-being, and embrace notions of ‘enoughness’. While most organizations do not strictly follow these approaches, their practices reflect context-specific expressions of them and a shared commitment to sustainability that moves beyond dominant models.
This thesis contributes to the discourse on pluriversality and opens space for dialogue and cross-learning among diverse sustainability paradigms. The research offers both theoretical and practical insights into how sustainability can be expressed in business through locally grounded, non-growth-oriented practices, inviting scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to support more diverse models of organizing.