Values of innovation and growth in the craft beer industry

The craft beer brewing industry is a fast-growing industry with an emphasis on social values. As breweries continue to grow, owners face decision of scale and growth, which may undermine a value-driven industry with close ties to local community. Drawing on value-based research and stakeholder theory, we examine how craft breweries attempt to resolve tensions derived from pursuing economic and social values simultaneously. Findings from five craft breweries, operating in Northern New England, suggest a complex dialectical tug-of war involving experimentation and growth, local authenticity and geographical expansion, and independent and business-partnering. We further unpacked these dialectical tensions that operated at local and non-local levels