Corporate sustainability

About: Corporate sustainability is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3517 publications have been published within this topic receiving 94075 citations.

Cultivating ecological knowledge for corporate sustainability: Barilla's innovative approach to sustainable farming

Abstract: In this paper, we link three theoretical perspectives – organizational knowledge, ecological knowledge and social–ecological systems – to derive new conceptions of multi-disciplinary, multi-tier, sustainability-oriented knowledge. Our study examines how collaboration between pasta-producer Barilla, the farmers/smallholders supplying the firm and scientists generated sustainability practices in the agri-food industry by creating transformative ecological, technical and scientific knowledge. In 2010, Barilla initiated a sustainable farming project to significantly reduce the environmental impact of cultivating durum wheat, its most important raw material. Core components included replacing monoculture with crop rotation, collectively creating innovative approaches that support farmers’ decision making and generating widely accessible guidelines for sustainability-oriented cropping knowledge and practices. These collaborative efforts initiated profound transformations within and beyond the organization's boundaries via increased production yields, reduced environmental impacts and improved sustainability of farming practices, which generated economic, social and ecological benefits for farmers, surrounding communities and the firm. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Sustainability-Oriented Business Model Assessment—A Conceptual Foundation

Abstract: Whether and how “sustainable business models” effectively support sustainable development is not just a matter of design but also of the measurability and manageability of business model effects. While the interrelations between organisations’ sustainability performance and their business models is discussed in an increasing number of academic and practice publications, appropriate management approaches for the deliberate assessment and management of business models and their expected contributions to a sustainable development of the natural environment and human society are currently not available. Therefore, this chapter discusses this research gap and proposes a conceptual framework for sustainability oriented business model assessments.

Implementing sustainability on a corporate and a functional level: Key contingencies that influence the required coordination

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify contingencies that are inherently linked to sustainability and that influence its implementation in companies. Further, to identify which coordination mechanisms (organic or mechanistic) are most effective for the implementation on the corporate and on the functional level. Design/methodology/approach – Inductive case-study based upon a cross-industry sample of five cases that applies a contingency approach. The case companies differ with respect to the degree of sustainability implementation, the underlying internal coordination and structural factors like ownership, size, and industry. Findings – The data revealed six contingency factors inherent to the implementation of sustainability that influence the effectiveness of organic or mechanistic coordination mechanisms according to the specific implementation context. Further, the implementation of corporate sustainability requires more internal coordination than implementing sustainability on the functio...