Research on Corporate Sustainability: Review and Directions for Future Research

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to see the situation regarding the indicators from the Sustainability Reports. For this we use a qualitative research, a content analysis of these reports. Our sample is composed by the banks that develop their activity in our country for which we analysed the last year reports at group level. We choose only an industry sector to obtain the homogeneity of the sample. The findings reveal a number of 86 indicators, which were used in these reports. We analyzed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators used by 12 companies. The most reported indicators are EN4, EN8, LA1, LA10, while the last reported indicators are E5, E10 E13 E15, EN20, EN21, EN23, EN27, HR9, HR10 The results obtained are important for future research in this area, for both managers and researchers.

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Literature Review of Management System Frameworks for CSR and Other Sustainability Concepts

Journal of Management and Sustainability ◽

10.5539/jms.v8n4p22 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 22

Author(s):

Pek Yew Liew ◽

Christoph Luetge

Keyword(s):

Social Responsibility ◽

Management System ◽

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Iso 14001 ◽

Organizational Level ◽

Future Research ◽

Extensive Literature ◽

Iso 26000 ◽

Management Standard ◽

Corporate Social

This paper presents an overview and analysis of plan-do-check-act (PDCA) based management system frameworks and other similar structured frameworks that were developed for the systematic implementation and management of corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate sustainability (CS) and sustainable development (SD). With the aim of providing a comprehensive insight to support future research on this topic, this paper focuses on uncovering the different systematic approaches that can be adopted for the implementation and management of these stakeholder concepts at the organizational level. Our extensive literature search for articles that were published between 2000 to 2017 was able to identify only nineteen relevant articles, which indicates that there is very limited research in this field of work. Our analysis of the frameworks revealed that diverse approaches were developed for CSR. Apart from the traditional management system approach that are based on ISO 9001 (quality management standard) or ISO 14001 (environmental management standard), a variety of other approaches such as frameworks that are built on ISO 26000 (social responsibility guidance standard), organizational change management theories as well as other concepts that are similar to the PDCA cycle were developed for CSR. In contrast to the approaches for CSR, the frameworks that were developed for the implementation and management of CS or SD are mainly based on ISO 14001.

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Achieving Corporate Sustainability: Toward a Practical Theory

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11154155 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 4155 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sooksan Kantabutra

Keyword(s):

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Empirical Literature ◽

Future Research ◽

Sustainability Performance ◽

Corporate Sustainability Performance ◽

Sustainability Research ◽

Framework Approach ◽

Managerial Implications ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

Future Theory

The present study aims at exploring processual relationships between corporate sustainability predictors and sustainability performance, as informed by the Thai philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, and accordingly proposes a theory of corporate sustainability to fill in the fundamental gap in the literature. Based on a framework derived from the literature, multi-data collection methods and the framework approach to qualitative data analysis are adopted to explore the relationships at a sustainable enterprise in Thailand. Findings reveal six processual relationships leading to improving corporate sustainability performance directly and indirectly. Grounded upon seven established theories, the existing empirical literature and the findings of the present study, a coherent theory of corporate sustainability is developed to inform future theory building and guide future corporate sustainability research. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.

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The transformation of corporate sustainability model in the context of achieving the UN SDGs: evidence from the leading Russian companies

Corporate Governance ◽

10.1108/cg-01-2020-0047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Yury E. Blagov ◽

Anastasia A. Petrova-Savchenko

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Model Transformation ◽

Corporate Social Performance ◽

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Current Status ◽

Future Research ◽

Business Practices ◽

Content Type ◽

Corporate Social ◽

Sustainability Model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the current status and identify the main trends in leading Russian companies’ corporate sustainability model transformation in the context of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Design/methodology/approach A theoretical approach is based on the interpretation of corporate sustainability model transformation within the corporate social performance (CSP) framework. The corporate sustainability model is described according to Dyllick and Muff (2016) business sustainability (BST) 1.0-3.0 spectrum. The analysis is settled on survey data collected from leading Russian companies participated in the “Report on Social Investments in Russia” project conducted by the Russian Managers Association from 2008 to 2019. Findings This paper finds that the BST 2.0 is becoming a dominant model based on the “creating shared value” goal. The related CSP is characterized by their orientation to the principles of the UN Global Compact; by the emergence of a coordinating role for specialized departments of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and/or sustainability; and by the regular sustainability reporting. The SDGs are generally correlated with responsible business practices that are already in existence in companies. The emerging trend towards the advanced BST 3.0 model including the SDGs integration into the main business processes is constrained by the lack of active cooperation between companies. Research limitations/implications The research sample includes only large Russian companies with a significant industry diversity, participating in the “Report on Social Investments in Russia” project, thereby restricting the analysis of non-participants. The relatively low repetition of participants in this long-term project does also restrict the degree of generalization. Future research could be based on the findings of this paper to create and test hypotheses via a nationwide study of Russian businesses as well as cross-national comparative studies. Practical implications The analysis of the corporate sustainability model transformation through studying the key CSP framework elements could support Russian companies in creating systemic changes of their principles, processes and outcomes measurements in the context of achieving the UN SDGs. Originality/value This study contributes to existing literature by combining the corporate sustainability model transformation analysis with the CSP framework. It describes the experience of large Russian companies that publicly position themselves as national leaders in the field of CSR and sustainable development.

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Performance management to enhance employee engagement for corporate sustainability

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration ◽

10.1108/apjba-07-2015-0064 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 84-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Molraudee Saratun

Keyword(s):

Performance Management ◽

Employee Engagement ◽

Practical Implication ◽

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Performance Outcomes ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Psychological Conditions ◽

Contextual Elements ◽

And Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine literature in order to explore the reasons why performance management (PM) positively affects employee engagement (EE) as well as how PM should be conducted to achieve EE. It also provides future research suggestions. Design/methodology/approach – Derived from substantial literature review, approaches describing how three PM processes (performance agreement, on-going feedback, and performance evaluation) can enhance EE are discussed. Findings – Throughout the three PM processes, the following should be applied to foster EE: employee development facilitation and support, employee involvement, trust, and justice. In order to have a PM system achieve EE, the broad context and culture of organizations may have to change to be sustainability oriented. Research limitations/implications – Future research can test possible associations between a set of integrated PM activities and Kahn’s (1990) concept of three psychological conditions (meaningfulness, availability, and safety), leading to EE, and eventually sustainable corporate performance outcomes. Research examining associations between particular preceding sustainable contextual elements and PM, leading to engagement, also deserves attention. Practical implications – One practical implication of this paper is that it may provide possible guidance to managers seeking to engage their employees when managing their performance, and increase awareness of potential constraints created by non-sustainable contextual elements. Originality/value – This paper fulfills a need to explore how PM can be conducted to achieve EE, which is still scarce in current literature and research. The paper offers a holistic perspective that sustainable contexts in organizations are also needed, if PM to engage employees will flourish.

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Fostering corporate sustainability in the Mexican coffee industry

PSU Research Review ◽

10.1108/prr-10-2016-0002 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 51-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nora Munguia ◽

Alejandra Varela ◽

Javier Esquexr ◽

Luis Eduardo Velázquez Contreras

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Paris Agreement ◽

Research Centre ◽

Future Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Improve Energy Efficiency ◽

Measuring Devices

Purpose At the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) in Paris, 195 governments reached an agreement pivotal not only for countries but also for companies. The Paris Agreement makes it impossible to practice business as usual. The transition to a low-carbon coffee industry could be achieved by fostering corporate sustainability. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence of how to adopt the principles of Paris Agreement by enhancing the corporate sustainability of a Mexican coffee-roaster company using the inventory phase of the life cycle assessment tool. Design/methodology/approach The data collection process followed the requirements of the International Reference Life Cycle Data System Handbook, developed by the Institute for Environment and Sustainability in the European Commission Joint Research Centre, and data on packaging materials and energy production were drawn from a commercially available database in the LCA software SimaPro. Findings Compiling data on the energy of the firm’s material flows in a firm revealed opportunities to improve energy efficiency and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The results of the inventory analysis can be used to evaluate the specific environmental impacts of the coffee-roasting process at this Mexican coffee company. Data compilation activities for energy flows identified the need to install liquefied petroleum gas measuring devices and individual measuring devices for electricity consumption in different areas of the coffee plant. It is recommended that, while implementing this option, the company also develop an energy management program to achieve energy efficiency. Practical implications The inventory data in this case study permit comparisons of the current state of the system studied and its possible future states and offer stakeholders relevant information on resource use. Similarly, the project results provide the basis for future research on environmental performance in the coffee industry in Mexico and for the development of policies regarding the production process in the coffee supply chain. Consequently, this research can help fulfil Mexico’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. Social implications Reaching the goal of the Paris Agreement will require gathering key information for each single company. The current case study has provided key data to foster the principles of sustainability in the Mexican coffee industry to help this sector to transit toward sustainable development, which is a new demand of the Mexican society. Even though it may seem simple, this is the hardest step for enhancing stakeholder involvement in corporate sustainability. Originality/value The main contribution of this research to science and practice is to confirm that fostering corporate sustainability is easier and more feasible when energy flow information is available.

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The Corporate Sustainability Strategy in Organisations: A Systematic Review and Future Directions

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11226214 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (22) ◽

pp. 6214 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rodrigues ◽

Franco

Keyword(s):

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Global Strategy ◽

Future Research ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Future Directions ◽

Theoretical Contribution ◽

Agenda 2030 ◽

Sustainability Strategy ◽

Current Topic ◽

The Subject

The corporate sustainability strategy in organisations is a current topic and set in Agenda 2030 for sustainability, and so this study aims to map the literature on the subject through a bibliometric analysis. From 97 documents identified and analyzed, the results obtained show the fragmentation and hiatus between the planning of a global strategy and inclusion therein of a sustainable strategy. Furthermore, these results provide the construction of a framework as an auxiliary tool for managers of different organisations to implement a sustainable strategy, this being the main contribution of the study. In addition, the theoretical contribution of this study is to obtain evidence that the resources and market position of organisations is crucial to the successful implementation of this type of strategy, in which the resource-based view and competitive advantage proved to be appropriate to support the same. The contribution to the practice showed the importance of having full involvement and commitment of all stakeholders in this implementation, so that the organisations acquire the so ambitious internal and external legitimacy. Finally, some limitations, indications for future research are draw.

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Tradition, innovation and relationships: emergent profiles from agro-food Italian industry

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-04-2020-0306 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 123 (1) ◽

pp. 279-299

Author(s):

Antonietta Cosentino ◽

Paola Paoloni ◽

Barbara Iannone ◽

Valerio Temperini

Keyword(s):

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Small And Medium Enterprises ◽

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Future Research ◽

Relational Capital ◽

Content Type ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Executive Process ◽

And Performance ◽

Medium Enterprises

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the link between innovation technology (IT), relationships which affect the relational capital (RC), and intangible value for the environment, focusing on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of agro-food sector (AFS) in which these topics are prominent.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a qualitative research methodology, based on a multiple case study. The empirical data were obtained from interviews designed to reveal the determinants of the Paoloni's CAOS model (characteristics, ambience, organization, start-up) useful to analyze the relational capital from the firm's perspective. The content analysis shows the most important factors influence the relationships of the companies analyzed.FindingsThe empirical analysis highlights the strong link between tradition and innovation in the AFS and its positive effects on corporate sustainability and company relationships as well as in enhancing knowledge. The introduction of ITs and the positive effects it produces in terms of efficiency, product quality, environmental sustainability and new communication channels is an important factor that influences business's relationships.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the RC literature by stressing how ITs improve not only the executive process and performance of SMEs, but also the intangible resources of the territory. Accordingly, it provides both triggers for future research in the AFS, as well as suggestions to SMEs decision-makers to enhance their competitiveness. Furthermore, the paper offers insights to push policy makers in adopting policies that favor ITs investments in the AFS.

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In pursuit of corporate sustainability: factors contributing to employees' workplace behavior

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management ◽

10.1108/jfmm-09-2019-0203 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 235-249

Author(s):

Stacy H. Lee ◽

Jung E. Ha-Brookshire

Keyword(s):

Moral Responsibility ◽

Organizational Citizenship ◽

Cognitive Theory ◽

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Critical Role ◽

Cultural Influences ◽

Future Research ◽

Workplace Behavior ◽

Content Type ◽

Fashion Retail

PurposeAchieving sustainability is imperative for all businesses but perhaps even so more in fashion retail. As a vital group of stakeholders, employees interact with all other stakeholders and play a critical role in the sustainability of an organization.Design/methodology/approachThis study is to investigate internal and external factors that influence employees' harmful or useful behaviors based on the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) of morality.FindingsThe findings show that employees' perceptions of the moral responsibility of achieving corporate sustainability both as an internal corporate ethical value and as an external factor influenced their organizational citizenship behavior, as well as their propensity toward displaying counterproductive workplace behavior. Higher quality relationships with managers were found to strengthen the relationship between corporate ethical values (CEVs) and organizational citizenship behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsThe objective of this study focused exclusively on the US fashion retail employees. Therefore, it is suggested that future research compares the cultural influences on employees as related to the moral responsibility of corporate sustainability.Originality/valueThis study is one of few studies which have explored the level of employees' perceived moral responsibility toward the notion of how corporate sustainability should be accomplished.

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Strategic Corporate Sustainability in a Post-Acquisition Context

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6017

Author(s):

Zsuzsanna Vincze ◽

Linda Hällerstrand ◽

Daniel Örtqvist ◽

Lena Rist

Keyword(s):

Corporate Sustainability ◽

Evaluation Framework ◽

Systematic Evaluation ◽

Future Research ◽

Proactive Management ◽

Sustainability Strategies ◽

Internationalization Strategies ◽

Areas Of Interest ◽

Globally Distributed

To reach the global sustainability goals, multinationals, regardless of origin, play a significant role. Given their market power and globally distributed operations, they have the position to either accelerate or inhibit sustainability changes. Knowledge about how corporate sustainability (CS) develops within internationalization strategies such as post-acquisition integration is, however, sparse. The purpose of this paper was to analyze and evaluate the development of CS strategies of originally distant companies within an international post-acquisition context. The paper drew on the resource-based view (RBV) to provide a holistically integrated framework for the systematic evaluation of CS strategies and applied the framework to a longitudinal in-depth case study. Findings indicated that long-term perspective, partnering approach and, emphases on learning positively influenced the integration process and the maturity level of the common corporate sustainability strategies. In contributing with an in-depth understanding of strategic CS integration within a post-acquisition case, the study generated implications for proactive management in similar post-acquisition contexts. While the focus of this paper was neither on the differences in legislations and regulations as influencing factors nor on the national and organizational culture and their impact on the integration of strategic CS, these are relevant areas of interest, and future research could consider incorporating those into the new evaluation framework.

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