Alternatives to Capitalism

The seriousness of current social and environmental problems implies that a real transition towards sustainable development is only possible through collaborative actions between actors and organizations. However, most of the research continues to focus on the actions of individual sustainable entrepreneurs with little evidence on business models triggered by collective entrepreneurship. This chapter aims to analyze the role of emerging pro-social collective organizations that aim to offer alternatives to capitalism, that is, an alternative to organizations that only seek to maximize economic revenues at the expense of social and environmental deterioration. Specifically, the chapter analyzes the business models of three sustainable cooperatives in Spain that have initiated a movement that promotes social well-being and environmental concern through collective business models that rely heavily on social media to gain exposure and attract followers to their cause in different strategic sectors. The cooperatives subject of this study are Som Energia, Som Conexió, and Som Mobilitat.