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Showing papers on "Corporate sustainability published in 2018"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In contrast to the business case logic, a paradox perspective does not establish emphasize business considerations over concerns for environmental protection and social well-being at the societal level as discussed by the authors, and a framework to delineate its descriptive, instrumental, and normative aspects is proposed.
Abstract: The last decade has witnessed the emergence of a paradox perspective on corporate sustainability. By explicitly acknowledging tensions between different desirable, yet interdependent and conflicting sustainability objectives, a paradox perspective enables decision makers to achieve competing sustainability objectives simultaneously and creates leeway for superior business contributions to sustainable development. In stark contrast to the business case logic, a paradox perspective does not establish emphasize business considerations over concerns for environmental protection and social well-being at the societal level. In order to contribute to the consolidation of this emergent field of research, we offer a definition of the paradox perspective on corporate sustainability and a framework to delineate its descriptive, instrumental, and normative aspects. This framework clarifies the paradox perspective’s contents and its implications for research and practice. We use the framework to map the contributions to this thematic symposium on paradoxes in sustainability and to propose questions for future research.

278 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study reviews the literature on data envelopment analysis (DEA) applications in sustainability using citation-based approaches and constructs a directional network based on citation relationships among DEA papers published in journals indexed by the Web of Science database from 1996 to March 2016.

235 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore links between different ethical motivations and kinds of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to distinguish between different types of business cases with regard to sustainability, and conclude that the design of CSR and corporate sustainability can be based on different ethical foundations and motivations.
Abstract: This paper explores links between different ethical motivations and kinds of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to distinguish between different types of business cases with regard to sustainability. The design of CSR and corporate sustainability can be based on different ethical foundations and motivations. This paper draws on the framework of Roberts (Organization 10:249–265, 2003) which distinguishes four different ethical management versions of CSR. The first two ethical motivations are driven either by a reactionary concern for the short-term financial interests of the business, or reputational, driven by a narcissistic concern to protect the firm’s image. The third responsible motivation works from the inside-out and seeks to embed social and environmental concerns within the firm’s performance management systems, and the fourth, a collaborative motivation, works to bring the outside in and seeks to go beyond the boundaries of the firm to create a dialogue with those who are vulnerable to the unintended consequences of corporate conduct. Management activities based on these different ethical motivations to CSR and sustainability result in different operational activities for corporations working towards sustainability and thus have very different effects on how the company’s economic performance is influenced. Assuming that corporate managers are concerned about creating business cases for their companies to survive and prosper in the long term, this paper raises the question of how different ethical motivations for designing CSR and corporate sustainability relate to the creation of different business cases. The paper concludes by distinguishing four different kinds of business cases with regard to sustainability: reactionary and reputational business cases of sustainability, and responsible and collaborative business cases for sustainability.

232 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the relationship between business model innovation, corporate sustainability, and underlying organisational values and examined how the three dimensions correlate with corporate financial performance, concluding that companies with innovative business models are more likely to address corporate sustainability and that business models innovation and corporate sustainability alike are typically found in organisations rooted in values of flexibility and discretion.
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between business model innovation, corporate sustainability, and the underlying organisational values. Moreover, the paper examines how the three dimensions correlate with corporate financial performance. It is concluded that companies with innovative business models are more likely to address corporate sustainability and that business model innovation and corporate sustainability alike are typically found in organisations rooted in values of flexibility and discretion. Business model innovation and corporate sustainability thus seem to have their origin in the fundamental principles guiding the organisation. In addition, the study also finds a positive relationship between the core organisational values and financial performance. The analysis of the paper is based on survey responses from 492 managers within the Swedish fashion industry.

225 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an analysis of the literature concerning the impact of corporate sustainability on corporate financial performance, and find that 78% of publications report a positive relationship between corporate sustainability and financial performance.
Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of the literature concerning the impact of corporate sustainability on corporate financial performance. The relationship between corporate sustainable practices and financial performance has received growing attention in research, yet a consensus remains elusive. This paper identifies developing trends and the issues that hinder conclusive consensus on that relationship. We used content analysis to examine the literature and establish the current state of research. A total of 132 papers from top-tier journals are shortlisted. We find that 78% of publications report a positive relationship between corporate sustainability and financial performance. Variations in research methodology and measurement of variables lead to the divergent views on the relationship. Furthermore, literature is slowly replacing total sustainability with narrower corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is dominated by the social dimension of sustainability, while encompassing little to nothing of environmental and economic dimensions. Studies from developing countries remain scarce. More research is needed to facilitate convergence in the understanding of the relationship between corporate sustainable practices and financial performance.

203 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors performed a systematic review of 46 corporate sustainability reports in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods sector aiming to explore how companies incorporate the Circular Economy concept in their sustainability agenda.
Abstract: Despite the increasing interest of business and academic research toward Circular Economy, the investigation of its uptake by industry remains limited. To contribute to filling this gap, we perform a systematic review of 46 corporate sustainability reports in the Fast‐Moving Consumer Goods sector aiming to explore how companies incorporate the Circular Economy concept in their sustainability agenda. We focus on (i) companies’ uptake of Circular Economy, (ii) the relationship between Circular Economy and sustainability and (iii) the Circular Economy practices presented. Our results show that Circular Economy has started to be integrated into the corporate sustainability agenda. Most reported activities are oriented toward the main product and packaging, focusing on end‐of‐life management and sourcing strategies, and to a lesser extent on circular product design and business model strategies. Most identified collaborations are with businesses, whereas initiatives addressing consumers are largely missing although considered critical for the transition toward Circular Economy.

182 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a content analysis of corporate sustainability reports is performed to understand the corporate message conveyed regarding what sustainability or corporate social responsibility is and how to enact it, and the most dominant corporate sustainability worldview is focused on the business case for sustainability, a position anchored in the weak sustainability paradigm.
Abstract: Companies commonly issue sustainability or corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. This study seeks to understand worldviews of corporate sustainability, or the corporate message conveyed regarding what sustainability or CSR is and how to enact it. Content analysis of corporate sustainability reports is used to position each company report within stages of corporate sustainability. Results reveal that there are multiple coexisting worldviews of corporate sustainability, but the most dominant worldview is focused on the business case for sustainability, a position anchored in the weak sustainability paradigm. We contend that the business case and weak sustainability advanced in corporate sustainability reports and by the Global Reporting Initiative are poor representations of sustainability. Ecological embeddedness, or a locally responsive strategy that is sensitive to local ecosystems, may hold the key to improved ecological sensemaking, which in turn could lead to more mature levels of corporate sustainability worldviews that support strong sustainability and are rooted in environmental science. This must be supported by government regulation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

177 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the European Union Directive 2014/95 on non-financial and diversity information is discussed and a research agenda is developed to conduct pragmatic, theory-oriented research into the Directive and corporate sustainability reporting.
Abstract: Motivated by the new European Union Directive 2014/95 on non-financial and diversity information, this paper aims to develop a future research agenda to conduct pragmatic, theory-oriented research into the Directive and corporate sustainability reporting.,Drawing upon the relational dynamics between states, firms and society in regulating non-financial reporting (NFR), this essay frames and analyses the Directive and its grand theories, as unproven theories, by discussing its practical concerns and reviewing the academic literature.,The Directive is an act of policy to legitimise NFR that encompasses two grand theories: improve the comparability of information and enhance corporate accountability. From a pluralist perspective, companies can rest assure that their compliance with the Directive will be perceived as socially desirable, proper and appropriate. However, some of the forces involved in translating the Directive into actionable policies operate contra to the Directive’s goals and, instead, act as barriers to its grand theories. In addressing these barriers, a research agenda is proposed that both traces backward to re-examine the foundational theories of the past and looks forward to explore alternative possibilities for achieving these goals.,This paper provides researchers with a practical-driven and theory-oriented agenda for future research in light of the rising academic interest in the Directive.,The barriers to the Directive’s grand theories help policymakers and practitioners to understand the practical concerns about the implementation of the Directive and other mandatory NFR policies.,This paper enriches the emerging debate on the Directive and highlights future possibilities for fruitful empirical research by developing a research agenda.

168 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a cross-country research on South Asian countries’ corporate governance elements and total sustainability disclosure practices is presented, which considers a set of insightful theories, namely, the signaling and agency theories of understanding the motives and drivers of sustainability reporting, to investigate how board and shareholding structures convey signals to the market and different stakeholders.
Abstract: There is a dearth of research on corporate governance and total sustainability disclosure (economic, environmental, and social) in developing, particularly South Asian, countries. This is unique cross-country research on South Asian countries’ corporate governance elements and total sustainability disclosure practices. The study considers a set of insightful theories, namely, the signaling and agency theories of understanding the motives and drivers of sustainability reporting. Based on data from the Global Reporting Initiative database, the study analyzes Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. We have collected annual report and sustainability reports from the GRI database for the period between 2009 and 2016. Based on the signaling and agency theories, the study investigates how board and shareholding structures convey signals to the market and different stakeholders. Our empirical results find that total sustainability disclosure has a positive and significant relationship with foreign shareholding, institutional shareholding, board independence, and board size. On the other hand, we document that director shareholding is negatively but significantly associated with total sustainability disclosure. Therefore, we conclude that corporate governance elements have very strong influential power to send positive signals to the market that lead to reduced information asymmetry and ensuring honest signals from different stakeholders.

158 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review is unique in defining corporate sustainability performance evaluation for the first time, exploring the gap between sustainability accounting and sustainability assessment, and coming up with a structured overview of innovative research recommendations about integrating analytical assessment methods into conceptual sustainability frameworks.

131 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the effects of national culture and corporate governance on corporate social responsibility reporting and the extent to which corporate governance has a moderating effect on the cultural influences on Corporate Social Responsibility reporting.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Lean-Integrated Management System for Sustainability Improvement (LIMSSI) as discussed by the authors is based on the rational use of resources and energy while engaging and empowering people.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that while corporate political actions such as lobbying can have a greater impact on environmental quality, they are ignored in most current sustainability metrics, and it is time for these metrics to be expanded to critically assess firms based on the sustainability impacts of their public policy positions.
Abstract: Corporate sustainability has gone mainstream, and many companies have taken meaningful steps to improve their own environmental performance. But while corporate political actions such as lobbying can have a greater impact on environmental quality, they are ignored in most current sustainability metrics. It is time for these metrics to be expanded to critically assess firms based on the sustainability impacts of their public policy positions. To enable such assessments, firms must become as transparent about their corporate political responsibility (CPR) as their corporate social responsibility (CSR). For their part, rating systems must demand such information from firms and include evaluations of corporate political activity in their assessments of corporate environmental responsibility.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of corporate governance on economic, social, and environmental sustainability disclosures is analyzed. And the authors conclude that a large board size consisting of a female director and a CSR committee is better able to check and control management decisions regarding sustainability issues (be they economic, environment, or social) and resulted in better sustainability disclosure.
Abstract: This research paper aims to understand the impact of corporate governance (CG) on economic, social, and environmental sustainability disclosures. This paper adopted an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach. The data regarding corporate governance and sustainability disclosure were collected from top 100 companies listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE) for the period ranging from 2012 to 2015. In addition to the quantitative data, we collected qualitative data through interviews with five board members of different companies. Overall, our results indicate that CG elements enhance sustainability disclosures. This study concludes that a large board size consisting of a female director and a CSR committee (CSRC) is better able to check and control management decisions regarding sustainability issues (be they economic, environment, or social) and resulted in better sustainability disclosure. This paper, through quantitative and qualitative analysis, provides a methodological and empirical contribution to the literature on corporate governance and sustainability reporting in emerging and developing countries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the relationship between corporate sustainability performance (CSP) and choices related to sustainability reports and found that companies with a superior CSP are more likely to employ third parties to provide assurance on their sustainability reports than companies with an inferior sustainability performance.
Abstract: In response to investors and other stakeholders questioning the credibility of the performance information displayed in sustainability reports, companies increasingly have their sustainability reports voluntarily assured by an independent third party. However, voluntary third-party assurance on sustainability reports (SA) may vary considerably in terms of the choice of the assurance provider as well as the scope and level of assurance. In this study, the relationship between corporate sustainability performance (CSP) and choices related to SA is explored. Using a panel data set of 4686 listed companies (from 21 European and North American countries) during the period 2009–2014, the results indicate that companies with a superior CSP are more likely to employ third parties to provide assurance on their sustainability reports than companies with an inferior sustainability performance. For companies that employ third parties to provide assurance, we also find that, among the companies headquartered in the more shareholder-oriented countries, CSP plays a significant role in explaining variation in the choice of the assurance provider, while predominantly in the more stakeholder-oriented countries, companies with a good CSP are more likely to choose a broader assurance scope than companies with a poor CSP. The results support the notion that companies with a superior CSP make different choices related to SA than companies with an inferior CSP. The results also indicate that country-specific characteristics are important for understanding the variation in choices related to SA. We discuss the findings and their implications. © 2017 The Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explored the role of three organizational capabilities for implementing proactive socio-environmental practices and related economic performance: collaboration with partners-suppliers, adoption of advanced technologies and product innovation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The concept of strategic agility is introduced in this paper to manage corporate sustainability with a paradoxical lens, where contradictory elements are managed concurrently, and three organisational meta-capabilities are identified: strategic sensitivity, collective commitment, and resource fluidity.
Abstract: Corporate sustainability introduces multiple tensions or paradoxes into organisations which defy traditional approaches such as trading-off contrasting options. We examine an alternative approach: to manage corporate sustainability with a paradoxical lens where contradictory elements are managed concurrently. Drawing on paradox theory, we focus on two specific pathways: to the organisation-wide acceptance of paradox and to paradoxical resolution. Introducing the concept of strategic agility, we argue that strategically agile organisations are better placed to navigate these paradox pathways. Strategic agility comprises three organisational meta-capabilities: strategic sensitivity, collective commitment, and resource fluidity. We propose that strategically agile organisations draw on strategic sensitivity and collective commitment to achieve organisation-wide acceptance of paradox, and collective commitment and resource fluidity to achieve paradoxical resolution. For each of these meta-capabilities, we identify three organisational practices and processes specifically related to corporate sustainability that organisations can leverage in pursuit of strategic agility. We offer a conceptual framework depicting the strategic agility meta-capabilities, and associated practices and processes, which organisations draw on to successfully manage corporate sustainability with a paradoxical lens.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a structural equation model that links frontline employee perceptions of internal sustainability orientation, supervisory support, training and reward systems to their propensity to adopt in-role and extra-role sustainable behavior was developed.
Abstract: This article theorizes and empirically tests the relationship between employee perceptions of human resource practices and their propensity to adopt sustainable behavior (SB) to support organizational change for sustainability. Informed by the literature on corporate greening and organizational behaviour, we developed a structural equation model that links frontline employee perceptions of internal sustainability orientation, supervisory support, training and reward systems to their propensity to adopt in‐role and extra‐role SB. Furthermore, we investigated the mediating role of “affective commitment to change” with regard to the relationships between human resource practices and SB. Our results show that when sustainability is valued and promoted by the organization and line managers, employees are more likely to internalize and make sense of sustainability, which is subsequently reflected in a higher commitment to adopt SB. Although we also expected that training and rewards would strengthen commitment and willingness to adopt in‐role and extra‐role SB, rewards appeared to have no effect, and training affected willingness to adopt in‐role sustainable behaviour only when mediated by affective commitment. These results provide scholars of corporate sustainability and managers with evidence‐based insights on how to design HR practices and strategies to enhance employees' commitment and behaviour supporting organizational change for sustainability.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The notion that corporations are expected to have social and environmental performance standards and practices while meeting their financial and legal obligations is commonly referred to as "social responsibility" or "social accountability".
Abstract: The notion that corporations are expected to have social and environmental performance standards and practices while meeting their financial and legal obligations is commonly referred to as...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an integration of 22 micro-and macro-level models of stages of development from literature in corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility, environmental management, and sustainable development is presented.
Abstract: Businesses are increasingly adopting sustainability, yet the environment continues to decline. This research responds to Dyllick and Muff’s assertion that this paradox is caused by a constricted understanding of the meaning of corporate sustainability, lack of inclusion of constructs from related streams of literature, and failure to integrate micro and macro perspectives of sustainability. The current research addresses these concerns through an integration of 22 micro- and macro-level models of stages of development from literature in corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility, environmental management, and sustainable development. This integration results in a new unified model of stages of corporate sustainability that broadens the current narrowly constricted understanding of corporate sustainability, extends the paradigm of corporate sustainability beyond the business case and into the realm of ecological science and strong sustainability, and sheds light on the paradox.

Posted Content
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an analysis of the literature concerning the impact of corporate sustainability on corporate financial performance, and find that 78% of publications report a positive relationship between corporate sustainability and financial performance.
Abstract: This paper presents an analysis of the literature concerning the impact of corporate sustainability on corporate financial performance. The relationship between corporate sustainable practices and financial performance has received growing attention in research, yet a consensus remains elusive. This paper identifies developing trends and the issues that hinder conclusive consensus on that relationship. We used content analysis to examine the literature and establish the current state of research. A total of 132 papers from top-tier journals are shortlisted. We find that 78% of publications report a positive relationship between corporate sustainability and financial performance. Variations in research methodology and measurement of variables lead to the divergent views on the relationship. Furthermore, literature is slowly replacing total sustainability with narrower corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is dominated by the social dimension of sustainability, while encompassing little to nothing of environmental and economic dimensions. Studies from developing countries remain scarce. More research is needed to facilitate convergence in the understanding of the relationship between corporate sustainable practices and financial performance.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore how corporate social responsibility has developed within the tourism and hospitality literature, paying particular attention to current gaps and highlighting the contributions of the research in this special issue, highlighting the importance of integrating a range of stakeholder perspectives and needs throughout the planning, implementation and evaluation of CSR initiatives.
Abstract: The past decade has seen significant growth in the tourism and hospitality literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR). Indeed, over 70% of the articles on this topic have been published in the past five years. Through the application of a stakeholder lens, this paper explores how CSR has developed within the extant literature, paying particular attention to current gaps and highlighting the contributions of the research in this special issue. This emerging research on CSR in the context of tourism and hospitality is pushing past the boundaries of early approaches to corporate sustainability by providing empirical evidence to support the importance of integrating a range of stakeholder perspectives and needs throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation of CSR initiatives. We observe that while there is ample research on certain stakeholder groups such as management, employees, shareholders, and consumers, there is less emphasis on the role of communities and ecosystems as stakeholders and very little related to suppliers, NGOs, and government. Although tourism and hospitality firms may not be subject to the same pressures as other industries, there remain important opportunities to both document and engage these external stakeholders in the journey towards sustainability.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Corporate sustainability has recently been challenging traditional business models that have been based on value proposition, creation and capture as mentioned in this paper, and there has been a steady increase in publications about the challenges of corporate sustainability.
Abstract: Corporate sustainability has recently been challenging traditional business models that have been based on value proposition, creation and capture. There has been a steady increase in publications ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a framework and a typology to classify the potential HR roles in corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability and comprehensively review the literature at the intersection of HR with CSR and CS.
Abstract: Although research on human and social sustainability has flourished in the past decade, the role that human resource management departments play (or should play) in facilitating more socially responsible and sustainable organizations remains unclear. In practice, this lack of clarity is due to the multiple features and dimensions of potential HR contributions to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS), as well as widespread failure to integrate HR and CSR functions. Theoretically, the absence of a framework that articulates the HR role in CSR and CS and the substantial separation between HRM and CSR/CS studies among academics act as a reinforcing mechanism. The present study contributes to the growing research on this topic, presenting a framework and a typology to classify the potential HR roles in CSR and CS and comprehensively reviewing the literature at the intersection of HR with CSR and CS. The results of the review provide a broader perspective on the role HR might play in CSR and CS as well as its impact beyond organizational boundaries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a search was performed in reports selected from the firms listed by the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI) from 2012-2016, belonging to the Brazilian stock market in services sector of the economy and employed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) methodology.
Abstract: Organizational sustainability (OS) has been guiding the decision-making process of managers in order to generate competitive advantage. This paper aims to identify the sustainable practices performed by large corporations in the implementation of OS. Reports with actions performed by large organizations and their reach in the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social dimensions—are disclosed to their main stakeholders, based on short, medium and long-term sustainable goals. These reports often reflect the progress of OS or the progress made toward them. However, few studies investigate the sustainable practices adopted by firms and their reproducibility. A search was performed in reports selected from the firms listed by the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI) from 2012–2016, belonging to the Brazilian stock market in services sector of the economy and employed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) methodology. The results showed the strategic planning involving infrastructure, environment, human resources, product innovation, organizational management and deadline setting acted as the baseline for the implementation of the practices found. The findings will guide the managers´ decisions in the development of their strategic planning, based on practical and objective results.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a theoretical discussion of boundary-spanning and interactive business model development for sustainable value creation is presented, and the theoretical discussion feeds into a comparative analysis of the six currently available practitioner tools supporting the exploration and elaboration of sustainability-oriented business models.
Abstract: A shared understanding of the basic requirements for modelling sustainability-oriented business is currently missing. This is hindering collaboration, exchange and learning about sustainability-oriented business models as well as the development of suitable and widely-accepted modelling tools. We contribute toward such a shared understanding based on a theoretical discussion of boundary-spanning and interactive business model development for sustainable value creation. The theoretical discussion feeds into a comparative analysis of the six currently available practitioner tools supporting the exploration and elaboration of sustainability-oriented business models. By synthesising findings from theory and available tools, we define four guiding principles (sustainability-orientation, extended value creation, systemic thinking and stakeholder integration) and four process-related criteria (reframing business model components, context-sensitive modelling, collaborative modelling, managing impacts and outcomes) for the development of sustainability-oriented business models.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an empirical analysis reveals that EMA application has a significantly positive impact on both corporate carbon management and disclosure quality, while for measurement tools no significant effects could be observed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper proposed a three-dimensional (economic, environmental, and social) sustainability assessment model to analyze the corporate sustainable performance based on principal component analysis, and an effective evaluation indicator system for cooperate sustainability assessment is provided after conducting reliability and validity analysis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare the front-stage sustainability discourse of a sample of large U.S. oil and gas firms to their backstage corporate political activities in the context of the passage of the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act, also known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Bill.
Abstract: While proponents of sustainability reporting believe in its potential to help corporations be accountable and transparent about their social and environmental impacts, there has been growing criticism asserting that such reporting schemes are utilized primarily as impression management tools. Drawing on Goffman’s (The presentation of self in everyday life, Doubleday, New York, 1959) self-presentation theory and its frontstage/backstage analogy, we contrast the frontstage sustainability discourse of a sample of large U.S. oil and gas firms to their backstage corporate political activities in the context of the passage of the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act, also known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Bill. The ANWR Bill was designed to allow oil exploration within the most sensitive environmental areas in the Refuge and this bill was vigorously debated in the United States Congress in 2005 and 2006. Our results suggest that the firms’ sustainability discourse on environmental stewardship and responsibility contrasts sharply with their less visible but proactive political strategies targeted to facilitate the passage of the ANWR Bill. This study thus contributes to the social and environmental accounting and accountability literature by highlighting the relevance of Goffman’s frontstage/backstage analogy in uncovering and documenting further the deceptive nature of the discourse contained in stand-alone sustainability reports. In addition, it seeks to contribute to the overall understanding of the multifaceted nature of sustainability reporting by placing it in relation to corporate political activities.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a new value co-creation approach for the first time and put forward a new framework explicitly integrating the key features of the sustainability-oriented theory of the firm into the value cocreation approach.