Degrowth in organizations

Businesses can no longer avoid the need to make their operations more sustainable due to climate change, stricter regulations and, last-but-not-least; the consumer’s expectations. That will require most businesses to make a fundamental change in their business strategy. Against that background, how can you build a healthy future for your company, and what should you focus on when economic growth is no longer the main objective?

What is degrowth?

According to Nicolas Chevrollier, associate professor and supervisor of Lotte Levelt, degrowth can be defined as "the transition to an economy and society that are in balance with nature and aimed at prosperity for all. It is a planned reduction in consumption and production."

Why is research into degrowth important?

Chevrollier: "I am convinced that economic growth is no longer suitable for solving the major challenges of our time. We need to focus on a new horizon. Research into 'degrowth' is a step in that direction."

Research findings

As of June 2025, Lotte Levelt is halfway through her PhD trajectory. She has already submitted two articles, and a third has been accepted for a conference, after which it will be expanded into a journal article.

The first article, "Regeneration, Sufficiency, and Degrowth: An Integrative Review of Organizing in a Strong Sustainability Era," has been submitted to the journal Organization. This article examines how three post-growth principles—regeneration, sufficiency, and degrowth—intersect and differ from one another.

The second article, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race: Practicing a ‘Sufficiency of Pace’," has been submitted to the Journal of Business Ethics. It explores the role and conceptualization of time when applying the principle of sufficiency in business.

The third article, in collaboration with researchers from Lund University, focuses on exploring the relationship between profit and legal business structures in various geographical contexts. This is a fascinating topic—with possible implications for practice.

About the researchers

Prof. Dr. André Nijhof is Professor of Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Stewardship at Nyenrode Business University. He is affiliated with the Nyenrode Faculty Expertise Centre Entrepreneurship, Governance & Stewardship. 

He earned his PhD at the University of Twente in 1999, has acted as the former President of the Netherlands Business Ethics Network and served as project manager in the national Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) research program in the Netherlands. He has published many articles in international periodicals like the Journal of Business Ethics, Corporate Governance and Leadership and Organizational Development Journal.

Dr. Nicolas Chevrollier is an Associate Professor at Nyenrode Business University. He is affiliated with the Nyenrode Faculty Expertise Centre Entrepreneurship, Governance & Stewardship.

Chevrollier teaches courses at the BSc, MSc and MBA levels. He also studies how new forms of strategy, business models and organizations lead to higher levels of sustainability performance. Connecting people, planet and business mechanisms is what gives him energy in interactions with students and colleagues.

Dr. Aikaterini Argyrou LL.M is an Associate Professor at Nyenrode Business University. She is affiliated with the Nyenrode Faculty Expertise Centre Entrepreneurship, Governance & Stewardship. 

Argyrou conducts multi-disciplinary research in the fields of law, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Her research focuses on studying normative frameworks that apply and facilitate the concept of sustainability in entrepreneurship and business law, from the perspective of social entrepreneurship. Her interest in research also extends to fields related to sustainability and institutional change, sustainable market transformation, corporate and human rights, CSR and gender issues in organizations. Since 2020, Argyrou has served as a member of the scientific board of the OECD, where she promotes social and solidarity ecosystems in the economy.

Lotte Levelt MSc. Is a fulltime PhD candidate at the Center for Entrepreneurship, Governance and Stewardship. Her research focuses on sustainability and international development, with a particular focus on Degrowth: What do degrowth business models look like? How will we define value in a post-growth society? She gets inspired by idealist colleagues and students who think outside the box!