This special issue contributes to island studies highlighting a variety of contexts, topics, and theoretical and conceptual depth, with a focus on sustainable development. Island studies is an interdisciplinary research field that covers varied perspectives and contexts, highlighting natural, geographical, social, economic, and many other perspectives and theoretical strands. One special feature of island studies is that there are as many contexts as there are islands, therefore, the study of islands requires both a theoretical and conceptual depth, as well empirical richness. The articles published in this special issue depart from the realization that meeting the varied expectations on island communities, more research is needed. Contributions are based on experiences from Croatia, Finland, and Sweden, highlighting how archipelagos are envisioned in social media and the consequences of from primary production, e.g., fisheries and agriculture being replaced by tourism by highlighting tourism entrepreneurship, drawing lessons from seasonal tourism and multi-seasonal tourism. However, most articles highlight various challenges and opportunities for sustainability by analyzing the changing role of second homeowners, demographic challenges, and obstacles to permanent residence on islands, democracy gaps, and solutions to meet sustainability challenges in studied countries. 

Effectuation is comprehended as a strategy that is used in an uncertain context being explored in co-created opportunities orthe co-creation of markets. In discussions of effectuation asa theoretical model, branding is only briefly touched upon. This article aims to deepen the discussion of effectual branding byshowing how the personas of an entrepreneur can be importantfor sense-making and creating trust in an uncertain setting. Focusing on how the meanings of brands emerge from a network of stakeholders, this article suggests conceptual propositions regarding how the personas of entrepreneurs become important resources in the intertwined processes of co-authoring brandmeanings and co-creating new ventures. A case from the fashionindustry clarifies how these concepts provide insight into entrepreneurial venture processes.

Here, eight university teachers in business administration describe their own teaching situations, on the basis of which they, with the help of pedagogical and philosophical theories, examine and reflect on their practical knowledge. What can these teachers’ accounts and reflections tell us about the working situation of university teachers? When problematic situations arise, how are they dealt with? How do the teachers encourage students with widely different expectations, contrasting backgrounds, and with varying degrees of motivation, to learn new ways of thinking and to develop into independent professionals?

Originally published in Swedish in 2014, this volume offers a compelling picture of how university teachers grapple with pedagogical challenges in a higher education system increasingly focused on efficiency and maximizing the number of students who complete their studies. The difficulties described by the teachers then have not diminished – if anything, they have grown. For this English edition, a new preface has been added, situating the discussion in a contemporary context of higher education pedagogy, along with a new chapter exploring how the transformation of the university system has impacted the actual practice of teaching today.

This study is the result of a participatory and collaborative project in which Swedish scholars and representatives of island organizations in Sweden set out to define what Swedish island research is and identify imminent research gaps. The article answers the following questions: 1) Which key research gaps can be identified in Swedish island research? 2) How can we relate Swedish island research to the international field of island research? The study is based on community based participatory research. Data was collected through a participatory process with workshops, webinars, and participatory activities in 2022. The main conclusion is that there is a democracy deficit affecting island development which is caused by the institutional structure in Sweden where island communities are mainly subordinated mainland municipalities, and a lack of island and archipelago policies.

Despite the urgency of decarbonising, the shipping sector has demonstrated a slow-paced response to climate change challenges. Some frontrunner firms are engaged in sustainability-oriented innovation processes. However, there is limited knowledge of how such processes emerge and contribute to societal sustainability transitions and what the role of technology is in companies' (re)orientation towards sustainable business models. This study contributes to filling these gaps through a comparative case study of the ongoing innovation process within an incumbent and a newcomer firm developing wind-powered energy solutions for deep-sea transportation. The study's findings bear implications for theory and practice. This paper's combination of a dynamic capabilities approach and a multi-level perspective from sustainability transitions research is a conceptual novelty, enabling an understanding of the activities involved in the (re)orientation process towards sustainable business from a company's perspective, as well as broader societal and sustainability needs.

The lion’s share of entrepreneurship research highlights conditions in core regions, while entrepreneurship in peripheral areas has been less studied. This longitudinal study aims at exploring the interplay between the peripheral contexts of island and archipelago communities and firm outcomes - paying special attention to spatial variations and non-linear temporal dimensions. We focus on the survival of all firms active on 17 islands in the Stockholm archipelago, Sweden during a 20-year period (2000-2019). Using longitudinal multilevel modelling, we find that - despite being a seemingly ‘homogeneous’ place - spatial and temporal variations, however small, would have substantial effects on the conditions for everyday entrepreneurship in these communities. Our results show that firms located on islands with higher population density and seasonal dependability face increased probabilities of exit, while access to digital ecosystems, local services in the form of kindergartens, and year-round grocery stores decrease the probabilities of exit. Islands with thicker institutional context, indicating trust and community support, lead to higher survival rates.

Covid-19 increased the social and economic vulnerability of island societies. Swedishislands are key tourism destinations but are also home to many island residents. Previous studies have highlighted the impact of Covid-19 on core areas, but our knowledge of its impact on island communities is lacking. We use phenomenology to analyse how communities in small Swedish islands perceive the impact ofCovid-19. We use institutional theory and the concepts of social capital and accessibility in the analysis.Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with islanders and representatives of local organizations on sampled islands. Pandemic regulations affected island communities differently.Authorities and shipping companies strove to discourage people from visiting islands. This affected tourismnegatively in some islands, whereas tourism increased in others. Informal institutions established a basis forgood community relations; enabled the mobilization of social capital, especially given action by local agentswho were endorsed by the community. Cooperation was a key to reducing negative impact. Accessibilityincreased on islands with well-developed and expanded IT-infrastructure that enabled holiday homeownersto work from their holiday islands. This helped create a sustained positive economic trend for grocery storesand the construction industry

La Covid-19 aumentó la vulnerabilidad social y económica de las sociedades insulares.Las islas suecas son destinos turísticos clave y hogar para muchos isleños. Estudios anteriores destacan elimpacto de la Covid-19 en áreas centrales, pero nuestro conocimiento sobre su impacto en comunidadesinsulares es escaso. Usamos la fenomenología para analizar cómo las comunidades en pequeñas islas suecasperciben el impacto de la Covid-19. El trabajo realizado emplea conceptos de teoría institucional, capitalsocial y accesibilidad. Los datos se recopilaron vía entrevistas semiestructuradas y grupos focales conempresarios y representantes de organizaciones locales. Las regulaciones de la pandemia tuvieron unimpacto diferente según islas. Las autoridades y las compañías navieras actuaron para que el público se abstuviera de visitar las islas. Esto afectó negativamente al turismo en algunas islas y positivamente en otras.Las instituciones informales que llevaron a buenas relaciones comunitarias, posibilitaron la movilización decapital social, especialmente cuando agentes activos avalados por la comunidad actuaron. La cooperaciónfue clave para reducir el impacto negativo. La accesibilidad aumentó en las islas con buena infraestructurade IT y permitió que isleños y dueños de casas de veraneo trabajaran desde sus respectivas islas. Este últimohecho creó una tendencia económica positiva sostenida en los sectores de alimentación y construcción.