This study investigates the managerial approaches family SMEs adopt to address sustainability in the context of the Blue Economy. Using a qualitative methodology, we conduct nine case studies of family firms operating in Sicily's COSVAP Fishing District area. The data are collected via semi-structured interviews with the founders/managers and analyzed using the Gioia method. The results reveal that family SMEs approach sustainability by adopting three managerial approaches. In the first approach, SME managers conceive sustainability as a threat to the economic sustainability of their firms. The second approach implies that sustainability must undergo specific compromises. The third approach considers sustainability as an opportunity whereby social, environmental, and economic sustainability goals are balanced. Regarding the theoretical implications, our work provides a comprehensive account of managerial approaches of family SMEs toward sustainability. The study offers insights for practitioners and policymakers concerning how to facilitate the transition of family SMEs – and, specifically, fisheries – toward sustainability.

This study enters the debate on the interplay between digital technologies and the pursuit of sustainable development goals in organizations. The article investigates whether external pressures at the supply chain level push companies toward a digital and green (twin) transition, and how this effect differs according to company size and their collaborative relationships. Using a sample of fashion industry firms located in northeastern Italy, we propose and test a conceptual model by applying a moderated mediation analysis. Our proposed model suggests that collaborative partnerships between firms are essential in leveraging digital technologies for a green transition, emphasizing the importance of coordinating technological adoption across the value chain. Results confirm that adopting collaborative partnerships boosts companies' willingness and ability to leverage digital technologies toward the green transition. Moreover, we found that the positive relationship between external pressures for technology adoption and firms' collaborative behavior is moderated by firm dimension. On the one hand, when external pressures for digital transformation increase, smaller firms tend to collaborate more frequently than larger ones. On the other hand, regardless of size, all firms demonstrate increased collaboration when facing the highest pressure levels. This study offers novel insights into the importance of interorganizational collaborations at the supply chain level in companies' twin transitions.