Corporate sustainability

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

Business ethics and spirituality for corporate sustainability: a Buddhism perspective

Abstract: Globally, ethical concerns principally focus on the need for business ethics as well as an emphasis on spiritual leadership to enhance long-term effectiveness and corporate sustainability. This pap...

Does foreign ownership affect corporate sustainability disclosure in Pakistan? A sequential mixed methods approach

Abstract: The objective of this study is to investigate the potential impacts of foreign ownership on the corporate sustainability disclosure of leading non-financial companies in the context of an emerging economy of Pakistan. The study employed data from the year 2006 to 2018 gathered from the Pakistan stock exchange. Further, the data on foreign ownership and corporate sustainability disclosure obtained from the firm’s annual reports and the global reporting initiatives (GRI) database. This study employed a sequential mixed methods technique. The empirical results indicate that foreign ownership has a significant impact on total sustainability disclosure (TCSRI). Whereas having an individual assessment, we found that foreign ownership is positively associated with each component (economic, social, and environmental) disclosure respectively. Moreover, our findings prove that firm size and growth are positively related to foreign ownership, TCSRI, and its aspects. In contrast, the study reveals a negative relationship among financial leverage, TCSRI, and economic, social, and environmental sustainability exposure. Summing up, the study indicates that foreign ownership effectively improves sustainability governance mechanism, and at the same time, it is also found that higher financial leverage restricts the sustainability disclosure capacity of firms. Results from this study have technical, theoretical, and policy implications for regulatory institutions, corporate management, and investors in emerging economies. Hence, we put forward the policy implications that the regulatory institutions need to reconsider the policy guidelines subject to diversification of ownership and activism of foreign shareholders in both small/large size firms to enhance the sustainability disclosure practices. Also, reduce the increasing level of financial leverage, which is curbing the firm’s economic, social, and environmental reporting activities.

A Heuristic Model for Establishing Trade-Offs in Corporate Sustainability Performance Measurement Systems

Abstract: A large body of the literature on sustainability indicators, assessments and reporting is currently available. However, sustainability performance measurement systems have an insubstantial presence in the literature. Invariably, a sustainability performance measurement system presents the potential for certain trade-offs or opportunity costs for organizations. Extant sustainability platforms and standards are largely silent about how to deal with trade-offs. Utilizing evidence from the literature, as well as contingency factors, this paper seeks to present a heuristic model for establishing trade-offs in corporate sustainability performance measurement systems. Trade-offs in this area revolve around performance measurement, stakeholder management, competitive advantage, as well as the vertical and horizontal integration of the performance platform. This is particularly important for organizations seeking to establish, integrate or expand their environmental management systems into the area of sustainability. As yet, formalistic attempts to deal with trade-offs in sustainability performance measurement systems are infrequent and vague.

Does mining company-sponsored community development influence social licence to operate? Evidence from private and state-owned companies in Chile

Abstract: This research compares corporate-sponsored community development (CD) and social legitimacy at two co-located mining operations in Chile (one private and one state owned) to explore the contribution of CD to social licence to operate. The research identifies that varied approaches to corporate-sponsored CD and its outcomes have the potential to either enhance or undermine social licence to operate, but that the relationship between the mine and community, the presence of negative environmental and social impacts, and social development associated with the core activities of the mining project are more significant factors affecting legitimacy. The research used a methodology that consisted of a review of corporate sustainability reports and corporate policies, and qualitative interviews with community leaders, local government and corporate community relations professionals (n = 38). The research found that the approaches to CD undertaken by the private and the state-owned company differed. Pre-selection o...