Implementing and managing economic, social and environmental efforts of business sustainability

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Göran Svensson ◽  
Beverly Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Society Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Sustainability

Purpose – Current research examines and reports how four companies – each committed to economic, social and environmental efforts of business sustainability – implement and manage their “sustainable business models” and application of sustainable business practices in the marketplace and society. “Business sustainability” is defined as a company’s economic, social and environmental efforts to implement and manage both its own and its business network’s impact on Earth’s life and ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to describe constituents of business sustainability efforts within the economic, social and environmental categories. Design/methodology/approach – The current research is based upon a grounded methodology drawn from four in-depth case studies, spanning over five years in different countries and industries. Data were gathered from multiple sources, including secondary data, company records, internet information, face-to-face interviews and on-site observation. Transcriptions were thereafter returned to interviewees for clarification and accuracy, and for final proofreading and approval. Findings – The research identifies a set of business sustainability constituents within the economic, social and environmental categories of the triple bottom line (TBL) approach. It appears to be the first study over time and across contexts of the content of the TBL consisting of economic, social and environmental categories based upon empirical findings and propositions on how they can be assessed and related to each other. Research limitations/implications – The research provides a foundation of measurement and structural properties of business sustainability efforts. A cause-and-effect relationship between the TBL categories is a new and complementary approach to assess business sustainability that so far appears not to have been revealed in previous research and theory. Practical implications – The research furthers the understanding of implementing and managing economic, social and environmental efforts of business sustainability in a comprehensive, balanced and connected manner. The economic, social and environmental constituents of business sustainability need to be addressed in conjunction with one another, as they ultimately restrain the degrees of freedom in the context of the meta-constituent that frames them (i.e. the Planet Earth). Originality/value – The principal contribution is to demonstrate the breakdown of constituents into common denominators of economic, social and environmental categories, based upon empirical observations. The case studies reported generate a model that combines a conceptual and managerial framework aimed at implementing and managing sustainable business practices; they offer a contribution by shedding light on constituents that may be relevant and essential in framing economic, social and environmental efforts of business sustainability in the marketplace and society.

Responsible entrepreneurship: outlining the contingencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 538-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Vallaster ◽  
Sascha Kraus ◽  
Norbert Kailer ◽  
Brooke Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Responsible Innovation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Society Business ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to give an up-to-date assessment of key topics and methods discussed in the current literature on responsible entrepreneurship. In the past years, sustainable development itself has become a more popular and important topic in the academic literature and hence the field of sustainable entrepreneurship has become a greater topic of interest and opportunity for solution. Therefore, a systematic literature review is conducted to assess new contributions to the field and its potential for the future of sustainable development, with a focus on responsible innovation.Design/methodology/approachSystematic, evidence-informed literature review following Tranfieldet al.(2003).FindingsBased on a conceptual literature review, five streams of research that responsible entrepreneurs distinguish from purely for-profit entrepreneurs are identified and discussed: walking the line between profit creation and value creation for society; business models of responsible entrepreneurs; their role in transforming society; getting ready to innovate responsibly; and the role of market incentives to foster sustainable business practices.Originality/valueThe structured literature review allows to identify future research paths. In detail, ideas as regards the management of upcoming tensions when trying to combine profit creation and value creation for society, and finally, the way innovation processes need to be rethought when innovating responsibly are discussed and outlined.

Validating a triple bottom line construct and reasons for implementing sustainable business practices in companies and their business networks

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 849-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Padin ◽  
Carlos Ferro ◽  
Beverly Wagner ◽  
Juan Carlos Sosa Valera ◽  
Nils M. Høgevold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Triple Bottom Line ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Sustainability ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to validate a triple bottom line (TBL) construct, as well as to describe the TBL reasons for implementing sustainable business practices in companies and their business networks. Design/methodology/approach This study reports on the validation of a TBL construct, in a Spanish context, of a study originally conducted in Norway. In this validation study, 230 companies were selected for participation. A total of 89 usable questionnaires were returned, generating a response rate of 38.5 per cent. Findings The empirical findings indicate major similarities and minor differences between organizations in Spain and Norway across two studies. By extension, the empirical findings appear to be valid and reliable across contexts and through time. Research limitations/implications This study explains the structural properties of the main reasons for business sustainability (economic, social and environmental) and business sustainability efforts in companies and the supply chains or business networks. Practical implications Business sustainability efforts need to be assessed in a systematic manner, and the validated TBL construct offers a foundation for doing this, though it needs to be complemented with other elements and details in connection with business sustainability. Originality/value Business sustainability efforts have been evolving over time and are increasingly seen to consider economic viability, as well as environmental sustainability and social responsibility. This study deals with how these elements of TBL are interrelated with respect to business sustainability.

A framework to navigate sustainability in business networks

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 340-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly Wagner ◽  
Göran Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Business Networks ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Business Network ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Sustainability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a transformative business sustainability (TBS) model of stakeholders and sources in sustainable business practices with an interface and exchange node of resource residuals. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based upon a grounded methodology drawn from four in-depth case studies, spanning over six years in different countries and industries. Data were gathered from multiple sources, and interview transcriptions were returned to interviewees for clarification, accuracy, final proofreading and approval. Findings – The TBS model complements existing research by emphasising the importance of commitment to an overarching vision through corporate leadership assigning areas of strategic priority that respond to current and future environmental regulation and social needs. Research implications/limitations – Efforts aimed towards business sustainability and application of sustainable business practices in business networks include interfaces and interactions between involved stakeholders and sources. We argue that stakeholders and sources should be recognised as intertwined, where resources used in activities in a business network causing resource residuals may be recovered and reused by other actors in the business network. Practice implications – The TBS model can be used by managers to plan, implement and assess practices to provide a holistic view of sustainable business activities that supports the development of a company and its network. It may also be used to map and navigate interactions between elements within and external to the company. Originality/value – The principal contribution of the current research is twofold, a TBS model and a tool to map and navigate corporate sustainability efforts.

Embracing the change

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings MNEs are grappling with the growing and permanent shift toward sustainable business practices. In EDMs, MNEs face increased challenges, but are able to form markets in the image they want, influencing business practices for the long-term. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Biomimetic economy: human ecological-economic systems emulating natural ecological systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 772-785
Author(s):  
Unai Tamayo ◽  
Gustavo Vargas
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Levels Of Abstraction ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of biomimicry to inspire sustainable development in economic systems. The research purpose is to explore the link between ecological systems and economic systems to highlight applied environmental solutions. The goal is to propose some driver to develop sustainable business practices inspired on the principles of biomimicry. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a theoretical approach that builds the basis for a better understanding of the relationship between nature and sustainable economic decisions. The premise is that in the field of sustainable development, strategies based on “learning from nature” are useful. Furthermore, the concept of biomimicry provides principles and tools specifically aimed at design practice. Findings The complexity of economic systems has shown that high levels of abstraction are required when conceptualising problems and explanations related with nature-inspired solutions. Stakeholder engagement and transdisciplinary collaboration are required to face long-term environmental challenges. Moreover, the exploratory analysis applied in this paper appeared suitable to compile existing literature. Practical implications The study provides some general guidelines and empirical approach through case studies that could help decision makers convert nature-inspired alternatives into valuable strategic business opportunities. Although presented practical cases are framed in the local sphere (i.e. the Basque Country), they can serve as references in other international contexts. Social implications New business models should recognize the positive synchronization between well-managed social, environmental and economic systems. Originality/value The proposed ideas deepen the understanding on the sustainable development and the link between ecological and economic systems. In fact, the concept of biomimetic economy has not been dealt with or developed in depth in previous academic works, nor has it been published thoroughly in the field of research.

Relationships among triple bottom line elements

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sitalakshmi Venkatraman ◽  
Raveendranath Ravi Nayak
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Triple Bottom Line ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Outcome

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain more insight of the nature and strength of relationships among the three triple bottom line (TBL) outcomes, namely corporate environmental performance outcome (CEPO), corporate social performance outcome (CSPO) and corporate financial performance outcome (CFPO) and to evolve a roadmap for integrating sustainable business practices that facilitates in managing and improving their sustainable performance. Literature reports that currently businesses try to achieve economic, social and ecological goals independently resulting in silos. The interrelationships of TBL elements have not been explored and integrated. The literature has already pointed out that to achieve corporate sustainability, managers need to integrate TBL goals in all their business decisions. However, the question remains – how to integrate these three competing goals and this paper attempts to answer this question. Design/methodology/approach – In the research design, the authors use a quantitative research methodology with data collected by means of a survey questionnaire that included both descriptive and exploratory flavour. The empirical study examines the relationships of TBL elements as perceived by 85 different Australian-based large, medium, as well as small business organisations. The data collected were analysed by performing factor analysis on 21 items resulting in three latent factors that were aligned to TBL outcomes and the correlations among them were analysed to assess their interrelationships. Findings – The results of the study report weak, positive relationships existing between the TBL. This result has useful implications well-supported by the qualitative feedback. The paper argues that Australian managers do not see any strategic advantage in pursuing “beyond compliance” sustainable business practices, as they perceive no added value to their organisations’ financial performance outcomes. Integrating economic, social and ecological performances is seen as an additional management burden. Originality/value – While most of the TBL studies conducted worldwide focus on predominantly assessing large organisations toward responsible and sustainable business practices, this paper considers large, medium as well as small businesses. Also, economic, social and environmental issues are explored by organisations individually, while this study investigates their inter-connections. Through the empirical study, this paper provides recommendations and proposes a four-step roadmap with the participation of quality circles that would facilitate the integration of the social responsibility and environment protection practices into the core business operations paving way towards achieving corporate sustainability.

Pursuing triple bottom line sustainability through conscious corporate governance

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-107
Author(s):  
BAF Sukhdeo ◽  
CA Arnolds
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Employee Relations ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Business Sustainability

The role of leaders in the pursuit of business sustainability has grown in relevance since the reported corporate scandals and the global financial crisis of 2008. This study suggests that conscious leadership, which differs from current leadership styles, is needed in order to achieve business sustainability. Using a sample of 371 directors and senior managers from 167 JSE-listed and 54 unlisted companies, the study investigated the role of conscious leadership in the achievement of sustainable business practices. Regression analyses and Pearson correlation coefficients, as well as Cohen’s d effect sizes, were calculated in order to analyse the data.The empirical results revealed that the respondents regarded conscious leadership as an important part of corporate governance, which led the present study to coin the phrase “conscious corporate governance”. The results also showed that conscious corporate governance is positively related to healthy employee relations, and to the achievement of equal opportunities and workforce diversity, but that this kind of governance is negatively related to company profitability. The study explores the implications of these results.

Entrepreneurship, innovation, digitization and digital transformation toward a sustainable growth within the pandemic environment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sorin Gavrila Gavrila ◽  
Antonio De Lucas Ancillo
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Society Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Information

PurposeThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken society, business and industries by surprise leading to a worldwide economic recession, pushing organizations to rethink their business model in order to shift from activity shutdown toward sustainable growth. The purpose of this research is to comprehend the implications and relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation, digitization and digital transformation aspects as the levers to achieve this goal.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the existing literature, an empirical approach has been established involving a quantitative analysis of secondary information obtained from official datasets and reports.FindingsThe COVID-19 pandemic was found to be an unfortunate accelerator regarding both consumers' habits and organizations' innovation and digital transformation, breaking with the past leading to new sustainable growth business models.Practical implicationsThe research provides an underlying outcome that addresses how wealth and economic value could be generated within the framework of new economic models in a post-pandemic environment.Originality/valueThe research highlights how the pandemic has disrupted what was known about sustainable business growth, and how this affects the future of business beyond the pandemic scenario, transforming the way society, businesses and customers interact.

Authenticity in business sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 666-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubiná Mahsud ◽  
Jessica Ludescher Imanaka ◽  
Gregory E. Prussia
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Mutual Benefit ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Sustainability ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Future Strategy ◽  
Corporate Social

PurposeThis paper critiques existing approaches to business sustainability and recommends a new course of action. This paper focuses the critique on sustainable business practices (SBP) and gaining sustainable competitive advantage (SCA), as they have increasingly been the focus of strategy and management scholars.Design/methodology/approachThe relative progress in the strategy and management domains is reviewed with regard to incorporation of concepts such as sustainability, corporate social responsibility and stakeholder theory. The defense industry is explored as a paradigmatic case of inauthentic sustainability.FindingsFindings reveal that existing constructs lack authentic sustainability, largely on account of the tendency of these discourses to privilege select stakeholders in the developed world. Strategic management research needs to evolve further to accommodate a broader, systemic and global focus that will yield authenticity in business sustainability. Mutual benefit for all stakeholders necessitates a paradigm shift in our thinking from competition to collaboration and creation.Practical implicationsWhen SBP and SCA get applied to certain industries, such as defense, they prop up a form of inauthentic sustainability. All global stakeholders must be included in sustainability frameworks, and some businesses, by their very definition, should not be sustained.Social implicationsMutual benefit for all stakeholders necessitates a paradigm shift in people’s thinking from competition to collaboration and creation. This paper suggests that Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) can provide the requisite direction for future strategy scholarship so as to overcome existing limitations with SPB and SCA.Originality/valueThis paper suggests that BOS can provide the requisite direction for future strategy scholarship so as to overcome existing limitations with SPB and SCA.

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