tl;dr: Compendium of my research on degrowth, postgrowth and the next economy
The First Decade of Degrowth Research
For over a decade now I have researched Degrowth or Décroissance from an organizational and business perspective. At the first International Degrowth Conference in Paris in 2008, I was the only management scholar talking about “Economic De-growth as Corporate Competitive Advantage?” (obviously I had taken crazy pills). In 2010 I engaged with Tim Jackson in London on a CEECEC / SERI workshop on “Toward an International Degrowth Network“, continuing with my theme on Degrowth and its implications for the firm. Via the CASSE Conference in Leeds later that year, which in itself resulted not just in another talk on “Business, Production in Sufficient or Zero Profit World” but also in a full report and book beautifully titled “Enough is Enough: Ideas for a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources“, I co-developed (with Barbara Seeberg) a concept for measuring the absolute environmental performance of companies: Ecological Allowance, a “hard” ecological bottom line.
International Networks on Postgrowth
This first frenzy of talks, developing concepts, and getting into the Degrowth movement, gave way to a more in-depth understanding of the implications of moving beyond growth for a business firm. Initially, I was very much alone, yet slowly a global network of scholars emerged that kept the discussion going, most notably within the Academy of Management Meetings. The fruits of this international intellectual labor were (a) an article on management in the post-growth economy with ephemera in 2017, that combined my interests in system theory with moving management beyond growth, (b) another article about moving beyond growth in the Anthropocene with The Anthropocene Review in 2018, as well as (c) a special issue in Organization on theoretical perspectives on organizations and organizing in a post-growth era, being due in late 2020/early 2021 (all of this is/will be in English). More of my activities can be found on this blog by using the search tag “postgrowth“.
Between Science and Media
In Germany, I have pushed the discourse for a long time now, both with publications and media coverage. As regards research, I increasingly focused on business strategy in connection with Degrowth or A-Growth, resulting in two publications (in German) detailing the strategic implications, the first one in 2013 paying reference to a new theory of the firm, the second one in 2017 developing generic postgrowth strategies. The latter also turned into an interview about the need to adapt to a different growth environment or perish with old and outdated business models. Along these lines I also was a part of a Friends of the Earth Europe workshop in Brussels in 2017 on “Sufficiency: moving beyond the gospel of eco-efficiency” (in English).
In the media, you can find me most notable at German/Austrian/Swiss TV channel 3sat in 2017 on a program on climate change and the question of economic growth, as well as in long interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung in 2018. There are many more talks you can find here on my Talks page as well as YouTube videos on my channel.
Next Growth: Study on Re-Imagining Growth
The biggest splash so far in crossing over from science to a more general audience is my 2018 study with the Zukunftsinstitut from Matthias Horx in Frankfurt on “Next Growth: Wachstum neu denken“. In this study I am taking the growth-critical discourse beyond green growth and postgrowth and reconstruct growth as a combination of societal, ecological and human aspects – the foundations of an economy that is cyclical and evolutionary and creates higher complexity and meaning for everyone. This study is not a strict academic study, it rather speaks directly to companies, entrepreneurs, consultants and all of those who are economically active and curious about change.
The Road Ahead
In the future, my research fields of Degrowth/postgrowth, system theory, Sustainability, and the digital transformation will most likely intersect much more strongly than in the past. Some first ideas are already out when it comes to understand Artificial Intelligence as a convivial technology. But also the notion of (loss of) meaning and how especially western societies suffer from having no positive, humane and progressive vision of the future. Can something like Degrowth become a blueprint for more, is there a positive vision for “Postgrowth Europe“? It is my belief that moving beyond growth can constitute a new economy of freedom and of equity – between people and planet, between politics, business and society. Onto the next decade of research, practice and activism!
References (Publications & Talks/Media)
Reichel, A., & Perey R. (2018). Moving beyond growth in the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Review, 5(3), 242-249.
Reichel, A. (Ed.). (2018). Next Growth: Wachstum neu denken. Frankfurt a.M.: Zukunftsinstitut GmbH.
Reichel, A. (2018a). Sufficiency in Business Strategies. In: L. Rijnhout & R. Mastini (Eds.), Sufficiency: Moving Beyond the Gospel of Eco-Efficiency (22-25). Brussels: Friends of the Earth Europe.
Reichel, A. (2018b). Jenseits des Wachstumszwangs: Postwachstumsökonomie als Wirtschaft der Freiheit. In: GlobArt (Eds.),(UN)ORDNUNG: Was die Welt zusammenhält (59–67). Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter.
Reichel, A. (2017a). Shape of things to come: From the «Laws of Form» to management in the postgrowth economy. Ephemera: Theory and Politics in Organization, 17(1), 89-118. (See also the summary on this blog).
Reichel, A. (2017b). Wachstumsindifferenz: Generische Strategien für die Postwachstumsökonomie. In T. Wunder (Ed.), CSR und Strategisches Management (325-339). Berlin: Springer Gabler.
Kopfmüller, J., Nierling, L., & Reichel, A. (Eds.). (2016). Forschungsperspektiven für Postwachstum in Technik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Technikfolgenabschätzung – Theorie Und Praxis, 25(2), 5–7.
Kopfmüller, J., Nierling, L., Reichel, A., & Albiez, M. (2016). Postwachstumsökonomie und nachhaltige Entwicklung – Zwei (un)vereinbare Ideen? TATuP: Technikfolgenabschätzung – Theorie Und Praxis, 25(2), 45–54.
Reichel, A. (2015). What’s Next? Wirtschaften jenseits des Wachstums. In Zukunftsreport 2016 (110–135). Frankfurt am Main: Zukunftsinstitut GmbH.
Reichel, A. (2014). Green Growth or Postgrowth? Making It, (16), 10–13.
Reichel, A. (2013a). Das Ende des Wirtschaftswachstums, wie wir es kennen: Betriebswirtschaftliche Perspektiven auf die Postwachstumsökonomie. Ökologisches Wirtschaften, 27(1), 15–18.
Reichel, A. (2013b). Das Geschäftsmodell des Weniger: Maß haltendes Wirtschaften in Betrieben. In Vom rechten Maß: Suffizienz als Schlüssel zu mehr Lebensglück und Umweltschutz (Vol. 135, 92–98). München: oekom.
Reichel, A. (2013c). Strategische Handlungsoptionen für Unternehmen in der Postwachstumsökonomie. In H., Binswanger, Hans Chrstoph, Ekardt, Felix, Grothe, Anja, Hasenclever, Wolf-Dieter, Hauchler, Ingomar, Jänicke, Martin, Kollmann, Karl, Michaelis, Nina V Rogall (Eds.), Jahrbuch Nachhaltige Ökonomie 2013/2014: Im Brennpunkt: Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement (191–219). Marburg: Metropolis.
Reichel, A., & Seeberg, B. (2013). Ökologische Allowance: Eine Bewertung der absoluten Grenzen der Betriebswirtschaft. Ökologisches Wirtschaften, 28(2), 35–41.
Reichel, A.; Seeberg, B. (2011). The Ecological Allowance of Enterprise: An Absolute Measure of Corporate Environmental Performance, its Implication for Strategy, and a Small Case, Journal for Environmental Sustainability, 1(1), 81-93.
Reichel, A.; O’Neill, D.; Bastin, C. (2010): Enough Excess Profits: Rethinking Business. In: D. O’Neill, R. Dietz, & N. Jones (Eds.), Enough is enough. Ideas for a sustainable economy in a world of finite resources. (87-94). Leeds: Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy (Arlington, Virginia, USA); Economic Justice for All (Leeds, UK).
Next Growth: Eine neue Vision des Wachstums. Keynote at Grüne Wirtschaft Österreich, Wirtschaftskammer Salzburg, 20 February 2019.
Wirtschaft braucht eine neue Fortschrittserzählung. Interview Die Wirtschaftszeitung, #12, December 2018.
Strategy Beyond Growth: Sufficiency, Subsistency and Degrowth as Strategic Imaginaries. Professional Development Workshop (PDW) at the Annual Academy of Management Meeting, Chicago, 11 August 2018.
Towards a Political Economy of Postgrowth. Talk at 2018 PPE Conference, Universität Witten/Herdecke, 7 April 2018. (see also)
Sustainable growth or sustainable degrowth: on the hard problem of sustainable development. Keynote at “Globalisation XXI: Connected Societies” conference, Universidade Nove de Lisboa, Portugal, 5 April 2018.
Wie hast Du’s mit dem Wirtschaftswachstum? Über die Gretchenfrage der Nachhaltigen Entwicklung. Invited lecture at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, 11 December 2017.
Wachstum vs. Klimawandel. Interview (live TV, German), 3sat makro, 17 November 2017.
Darf das Wachstum Grenzen haben? Keynote/Workshop at 20. Globart Academy, Krems, Austria, 23 September 2017.
Moving Beyond Growth in Management Research, Practice & Education. Professional Development Workshop (Organizer/Speaker), Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Atlanta (GA), 5 August 2017.
Kein Wachstum oder neues Wachstum? Wege zu einer großen Transformation. Keynote at Evangelische Akademie Bad Boll, 28 July 2017.
Wirtschaften jenseits des Wachstums – Chancen und Risiken der NEXT ECONOMY. Keynote at Finanztagung 2016 of ÖPWZ (Austrian Center for Productivity and Economy), Novomatic Forum Wien, 17 November 2016.
Adapt or Die! Keynote at the 2016 Coface Country Risk Conference“Low Growth – High Motion”, Palais Niederösterreich Wien, 26 April 2016.
Re-imagining and Re-organizing Economic Action for Degrowth. Professional Development Workshop at the 2016 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Anaheim (CA), 08 August 2016.
Erfolgreich wirtschaften ohne Wachstum. Keynote with Grüne Wirtschaft Österreich, Urania Wien, 25 April 2016.
Was wächst wenn nichts mehr wächst? Strategische Perspektiven einer Postwachstumsökonomie. Keynote at the StrategieForum Banken, Baden-Württembergischer Genossenschaftsverband, Stuttgart, 17 March 2016.
Angst vor dem Nichtwachsen, Print Interview, Salzburger Nachrichten, 26 January 2016 (longer Interview at Grüne Wirtschaft Salzburg)
Erfolgreich wirtschaften ohne Wachstum: Unternehmensstrategien in der Postwachstumsökonomie. Keynote with Grüne Wirtschaft Österreich (Green Economy Austria), Wirtschaftskammer Salzburg, 20 January 2016.
Postwachstumstransformationen: Pfade in die nächste Wirtschaft? Keynote and discussion, WU Wien (Vienna University of Economics and Business), 19 January 2016.
Adapt or Die! Online Interview, trendupdate ‚From Strategy to Culture’, ZukunftsInstitut 09/2015.
Putting Degrowth to Practice: Re-Imagining Management Education as Disruption and Renewal, Professional Development Workshop, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Vancouver, Canada, 7 August 2015.
Vorsicht, Postwachstum! Talk at the Sustainability of the Graduate Center for Environmental Research, Universität Kassel, Germany, 2 June 2015.
Aus-gewachsen, Print Interview (partial), die wirtschaft (Österreich), 9 April 2015.
Nach dem Wachstum: Die “Next Economy” und ihre Herausforderungen, Presentation at IÖW workshop on “Erfolgreiche Unternehmen zwischen Wachstum und Nachhaltigkeit“, Karlshochschule International University, Karlsruhe, Germany, 8 October 2014.
Genug! Grundzüge einer Wirtschaft jenseits des Wachstumszwangs(Enough! Outlining an Economy beyond the Growth Imperative), Talk at brenet 18. Statusseminar, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 5 September 2014.
Walk the line: Transformative practices for post-growth, Workshop at the Degrowth 2014 International Conference, Leipzig, Germany, 4 September 2014.
Degrowth – Problems with Sense-Making: New Imaginaries for Management Science, Professional Development Workshop, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, USA, 2 August 2014.
Green New Deal oder Postwachstum: Welches Konzept schafft die Kehrtwende des Kapitalismus?, Podium discussion with Ralf Fücksorganized by Heinrich Böll foundation and HauptstadtCampus Zeppelin Universität, Berlin, Germany, 24 March 2014.
Nicht wachsen – und dennoch gewinnen, Mentioned in Print Article, Wirtschaftswoche, 14 March 2014
Konzepte der wachstumsunabhängigen Unternehmen (Concepts of growth-independent companies), IÖW-Workshop “Nicht wachsen oder anders wachsen?“, Berlin, Germany, 5 December 2013.
“Ohne Wachstum ist alles nichts” – Vom grünen Wachstum und andere Märchen (“Without growth everything is nothing” (A. Merkel) – Of Green Growth and other Fairytales), Wednesday Seminars Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten, Weingarten, Germany, 30 October 2013.
Sustainbility Beyond Growth, Keynote speech at the 6th International Lifecycle Management Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden, 26 August 2013.
Degrowth, Capitalism and the Role of Business, Professional Development Workshop, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Lake Buena Vista (FL), 10 August 2013.
Schrumpfen um zu überleben (Contracting for survival), Discussion with Peer Ederer (HUGIN Center for Human Capital, Growth and Innovation), ZU|Daily, 5 August 2013.
Weniger Wachstum – Wie gehen Unternehmen damit um? (Less growth – How do companies cope with it?) Matthias Knappe im Gespräch mit André Reichel auf Bayern 2 “Notizbuch”, 3 July 2013.
Wachstums(w)ende – Betriebswirtschaftliche Perspektiven auf die Postwachstumsökonomie, Vortrag im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung “Postwachstumsökonomie” von Prof. Dr. Niko Paech, Universität Oldenburg, 22 May 2013.
Ist weniger mehr? Postwachstumsstrategien für Unternehmen,Seminar der Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft “Postwachstumsgesellschaft – Neue Maßstäbe für Wohlstand”, Berlin, Haus der Deutschen Wirtschaft, 15 December 2012.
Degrowth – stimulating discourses of change, Caucus, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Boston, 3-7 August 2012.
Jenseits der Wachstumsideologie, Print Interview, Badische Zeitung, 21 June 2012.
Kapitalismus ohne Wachstum? (Capitalism without growth?) Doris Maull im Gespräch mit Dr. André Reichel von der Zeppelin Universität Friedrichshafen. SWR2 Impuls, 21 May 2012.
Business Beyond Growth, ERSCP – European Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production, Bregenz, Austria, 3 May 2012.
Ecological Allowance: Ein Indikator für absolute ökologische Grenzen der Betriebswirtschaft, Ideenwettbewerb des Rats für Nachhaltige Entwicklung, IASS Potsdam, Germany, 26 April 2012.
Ecological Economics & Sustainability, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, UK, 25 April 2012.
Schöpferische Zerstörer, taz.tageszeitung, 27 February 2012.
Ist weniger mehr? Post-Wachstumsstrategien für Unternehmen (engl.: Is less more? Post-Growth Strategies for Business), “Wachstumswende” (Growth change”), Wuppertal Institute, Germany, 19 January 2011.
The Ecological Allowance of Enterprise: An Absolute Measure of Corporate Environmental Performance, its Implications for Strategy, and a Small Case, Environmental Leadership Symposium, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA, 2/3 May 2011.
Rightsizing Business: The Need and Means for Corporate Degrowth, International Sustainable Development Research Conference (ISDRC17), Earth Institute, Columbia University, USA, 8-10 May 2011.
Beyond traditional perspectives on economic growth: Green growth, steady state, and degrowth, Professional Develoment Workshop, Academy of Management Annual Meeting, San Antonio, USA, 12-16 August 2011.
Degrowth as a Business Case, International Society for Ecological Economics: Advancing Sustainability in a Time of Crisis, Oldenburg/Bremen, Germany, 22.-25. August 2010.
Workshop on Business and Production, The Steady State Economy Conference, Leeds, 19 June 2010.
De-Growth and the Firm, Re-Thinking Economic Growth: Towards an International Degrowth Network, London, 12 January 2010. (Video online!)