Corporate sustainability

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

Exploring Organizational Sustainability: Themes, Functional Areas, and Best Practices

Abstract: Most of the sustainability management models proposed in the literature are based on conceptual designs, which limits their potential to be applied in practice. In order to develop a holistic tool for organizational sustainability management, it is imperative to account for, and integrate, the sustainability best practices in the conceptual models. The primary objective of this work is to explore the organizational sustainability themes, functional areas, and the corresponding best practices of the most sustainable organizations. Based on the results, we aim to propose a framework which can support the theoretical models. The starting set of 100 most sustainable organizations is obtained through a well-defined sustainability ranking, Global 100. A systematic method is developed and applied to screen the organizational reports between 2012 and 2016. As a result, 61 reports of 20 organizations are selected for review. We used grounded mechanism to conduct the review. The results of the review indicate that the most sustainable organizations rely on the following nine themes to advance their sustainability performance: (i) resource optimization and minimization of waste and emissions; (ii) business and operational excellence; (iii) corporate citizenship and social development; (iv) research and innovation; (v) procurement, supply chain, and logistics; (vi) governance; (vii) sustainability management tools; (viii) employee relations; and (ix) health, wellness, safety, and security. In addition, there are around 38 functional areas which are of great significance to sustainability managers from an applied perspective and to researchers for constructing sustainability management models.

Stakeholders’ interest in sustainability assurance process: An examination of assurance statements reported by Australian companies

Abstract: Purpose This paper aims to critically analyse the content of the assurance statements of corporate sustainability reports to examine the degree to which assurance statements enhance and uphold organisational transparency and accountability to stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach This framework of content analysis draws on a research instrument developed by O’Dwyer and Owen (2005), as well as the most recent assurance guidelines (Global Reporting Initiative) and standards AA1000AS, 2008 and ISAE 3000. Findings Due to the lack of stakeholders’ engagement in the assurance process, due to the scope limitation placed on the assurance engagement and due to the reluctance of the assuror to address the assurance statements to the stakeholders groups, sustainability assurance practice cannot be considered as the accountability enabler. With persistent focus on internal systems, process, data generation and data capture, assurance practice is serving more as an internal control tool than as a social accounting/auditing instrument. Research limitations/implications A single country context is studied. However, to the extent that assurances are conducted using common sets of assurance standards and guidelines, there is external validity of the findings. Practical implications Despite the institutional initiatives by the global and local institutions regarding social and environmental sustainability reporting and assurance, the assurance practice has not yet emerged as a tool of social accountability. Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive and up-to-date empirical assessment of the degree to which the sustainability assurance practice encompasses the issue of stakeholders’ interests and forms the potential basis for policy implications to the assurance practice and to the assurance standard setting process.

Responsible Leadership Systems : An Empirical Analysis of Integrating Corporate Responsibility into Leadership Systems

Abstract: Based on literature in corporate responsibility and formal leadership systems Erik G. Hansen develops a conceptual "Responsible Leadership Systems Framework" structuring leadership instruments and tools into seven interconnected key areas. The framework is applied in qualitative multi-case studies in seven of the largest German stock corporations.Several global crises such as climate change, the global financial breakdown and corporate corruption scandals have diminished the legitimacy of business. One possible answer to this situation is the concept of corporate responsibility (CR), a voluntary approach aiming at the integration of economic with social, ethical and environmental goals. Erik G. Hansen addresses this gap. Rooted in literature on CR and formal leadership systems he develops a conceptual "Responsible Leadership Systems" framework structuring leadership instruments and tools into seven interconnected key areas. The framework is applied in qualitative multi-case studies in seven of the largest German stock corporations. The results show that leading companies increasingly make CR part of their strategies, structures, management instruments and tools.

Analyzing companies' interactions with the Sustainable Development Goals through network analysis: Four corporate sustainability imperatives

Abstract: The alignment between corporate strategies and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be an indicator of long‐term sustainability success. But which types of companies are most, and which are least, aligned with the SDGs? This paper scores how 67 economic activities—as a proxy for companies' operations and the goods or services they deliver—interact with 59 SDG targets. It then uses network analysis to define which activities are most and least aligned with the SDG Agenda. The results reveal four types of corporate activities, each having a strategic sustainability imperative: (i) “core activities” predominantly generate positive, while having few negative, impacts on the SDGs, challenging companies to scale their contributions to further align with the SDG Agenda; (ii) “mixed activities” have moderate/high degrees of both negative/positive impacts, posing a decoupling imperative; (iii) “opposed activities” provide few benefits yet cause significant adverse impacts, implying that companies must transform in order to better align with the SDGs; and (iv) “peripheral activities” have immaterial positive and negative impacts, creating an imperative to explore innovative avenues for creating SDG contributions. Detailed network graphs are presented that map companies' interactions with the SDGs and guide the creation of corporate sustainability strategies. Policy implications include the potential for using companies' activities as a lever for adopting a “nexus approach” to the SDGs.

Critical analysis of information about integrated management systems and environmental policy on the Portuguese firms' website, towards sustainable development

Abstract: The aim of this work was to determine the nature of the content that is often disseminated and the profile of a typical Portuguese firm which disseminates information on integrated management systems (IMS), environmental policy, corporate sustainability (CS), and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on its corporate website, towards sustainable development. The investigation consists of an exploratory analysis of 523 firms' websites that were certified by 2011, under the quality (ISO 9001), environment (ISO 14001), and occupational health and safety (OHSAS 18001) management systems. Four hundred twenty‐two firms from the overall population constitute a sample (n). The research method was based on the technique of content analysis, which allowed quantifying the contents of the information disclosed on the firm's website by category and subcategories of analysis. A holistic view on the size of the content available on the firm's website was determined using the index of information disclosure (IIDIMS/CS/CSR). As main findings, we can highlight management systems having been reported by 388 (91.9%) firms; quality management system, having been reported by 360 (85.3%) firms; environmental management system that contains environmental policy having been reported by 337 (79.9%) firms; and occupational health and safety management systems, which were disclosed by 332 (78.7%) firms. Another important finding is that disclosure of information on IMS/CS/CSR, on certified firms' website QEOHS, is more prominent when the dimension (size) of the firm is greater and when the legal form (structure) of the firm is a corporation. In terms of theoretical assumptions to the contribution to the knowledge, it can be highlighted the mathematical foundation of the IID for IMS that was developed.