Aušrinė Šilenskytė – författare

This book advances the central thesis that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are integral to the strategic management and everyday realities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), even if managers and employees may not explicitly use DEI terminology. Addressing long-standing critiques of DEI scholarship, the book explains why conventional DEI frameworks often feel inaccessible, irrelevant, or overly complex for resource-constrained SMEs. In response, the authors reconceptualize DEI management for the SME context and introduce a framework and a set of best practices grounded in the lived realities of SMEs and insights from international surveys, interviews, workshops, and real-world cases from Europe. The book offers teaching cases along with online teaching notes and managerial reflections to equip current and future entrepreneurs and SME managers with the competencies needed to leverage social sustainability, in particular DEI, for a firm’s growth, strategy implementation, regulatory compliance, and conflict resolution. The book deepens understanding of intersectionality in SMEs and demonstrates how DEI contributes to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Small and Medium Enterprises is a vital resource for scholars and students of business and management, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. Business educators and SME managers will also benefit from its actionable recommendations for effectively incorporating DEI best practices.

This book provides a holistic conceptualization of social sustainability, going beyond the topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and showcases how the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasizing social sustainability can be integrated into business studies’ curricula in different parts of the world. A unique collection of literature comprising educational principles, content, activities, and cases will guide educators, managers of business study programs, and higher education leaders in developing engaging, high-impact educational experiences that enable students to solve grand societal challenges and grow as ethical, inclusive leaders.  This handbook features a wide-range of tested teaching innovations. These cover education models addressing newest trends, such as utilizing artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies in education about-and-for socially sustainable business or skill development for enabling circular economy and sustainable production and consumption patterns. The classical, impactful yet underutilized in business studies instructional techniques such as storytelling and theatre are also discussed comprehensively.  A cross-disciplinary approach of the handbook speaks to scholars aiming to research and implement business education, which connects social, environmental, and economic dimensions in quality education that promotes sustainable development.