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This collaborative guide is designed to help entrepreneurs of all kinds but particularly those in the startup phase, to integrate responsibility into the core of their project right from the first step of the entrepreneurial journey.

Methodology and Approach

Developed by the EDHEC Entrepreneurs teams, including Yasmine Machwate, Chloé Jouve, Justine Soudier, Ludovic Cailluet, and Maylis Gillet, the guide is based on results from in-depth interviews with 15 founders, 30 experts, and 5 professors, and draws from existing relevant literature. A significant portion of the research used for this guide is publicly available through articles and open-access journals.

Discussions about responsibility, particularly in the context of early-stage startups, are relatively recent. The goal of this guide is to offer founders a starting point for their considerations of responsibility, without trying to establish a normative set of rules to follow.

So, it is up to startups to adapt these recommendations to best suit the specific needs of their employees, customers, investors, and the broader society.

The guide suggests a path to follow rather than a specific outcome to achieve. Hence we've chosen to structure it around important questions for entrepreneurs to ask themselves at each stage of a startup's development, rather than to promote an exhaustive list of all possible actions.

The topic of responsibility is a focus, but is not treated in isolation. Indeed, responsibility cannot be thought of in isolation; it must be woven into the startup's development in all aspects. This guide provides practical advice to young company founders about how to do this and thus to create the conditions for the success of their projects.

Your Feedback

This guide is a living document. If you have suggestions, additions, or corrections to make, feel free to contact us here.

We've created this guide as a dynamic resource and strongly encourage you to share your comments and suggestions.

Disclaimer

This guide on responsible entrepreneurship is an open-source publication of EDHEC Entrepreneurs. The information, recommendations, and advice presented herein are based on research and experiences gathered by our team. However, this information should not be considered as professional legal, tax, or financial advice. Users of the guide are advised to conduct their own research, to verify the information presented, and to consult qualified professionals before making decisions that could have significant implications for their businesses.

The guide does not aim to create rankings or to assign labels. Neither does it claim to be exhaustive or suitable for all industries. We encourage each entrepreneur to reflect on their own entrepreneurial path.

The EDHEC Entrepreneurs incubator cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in this guide, nor for the consequences of using the information provided in it. By using this guide, users agree to do so at their own risk and not to hold the incubator liable for any loss or damage arising from its use.

The "guide" is the exclusive property of EDHEC. In accordance with Article L122-4 of the Intellectual Property Code, the guide cannot be subject to any representation or reproduction, in whole or in part, in any medium whatsoever.