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Ecosystem degradation and social sustainability have become important issues in the corporate sphere during the last few decades. However, research discussing corporate social responsibility and related concepts has often focused on larger companies, sometimes neglecting the specifics of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between two common strategic orientations, market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), in relation to sustainability commitment, sustainability practices and management values in SMEs. Questionnaire responses from 450 Swedish SMEs were analyzed, confirming the influence of MO, EO and sustainability practices on commitment to sustainability, implying that firms committed to sustainability see both market and entrepreneurial advantages of sustainability. The results also show that different parts of MO and EO differ in importance for commitment to sustainability among SMEs. Implications concern the importance for firms and policy makers to work with sustainability issues using both internal and external perspectives.

During the last few decades, ecosystem degradation has grown to become a major topic among several actors in society. While larger companies are generally incorporating environmental practices to varying degrees, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often argued to be lagging. Given this development, this study examines the role of two important strategic orientations, market orientation (MO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and their contribution to commitment to sustainability. Questionnaire responses from 450 SMEs were analyzed showing that both MO as well as EO significantly impacts commitment to sustainability, but in different ways. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.