Corporate sustainability

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

Embracing sustainability: Information technology and the strategic leveraging of operations in third‐party logistics

Abstract: Purpose – Resource‐based view proposes that possessing valuable, rare information technology (IT) resources that competitors cannot easily reproduce or replicate provides a competitive advantage, but mere ownership of such resources is no guarantee of competitiveness. There is a need also for a strategy paradigm that embraces the wider concerns of social and environmental sustainability as pressing issues of the twenty‐first century. “Operations‐as‐marketing” is a proven value‐chain based paradigm that calls for transforming operations from merely focusing on internal efficiency into a potent strategic marketing weapon, precisely targeted toward fulfilling customers' needs. Many leading companies have discovered latent economic benefits from adopting the tenets of corporate sustainability. By first establishing that corporate sustainability translates commercially into customer‐centric, lean productivity, the paper examines the potential mediating role of an “operations‐as‐marketing” strategy in framing IT investment decisions. Design/methodology/approach – The research uses path analysis, involving a sample of third‐party logistics (3PL) firms. Findings – Evidence supports the leading contention, thus outlining a customer‐centrism approach to enhancing the financial performance of 3PL firms. Research limitations/implications – The research demonstrates a proven decision‐making framework for guiding IT investments that can allow proactive nurturing of a competitive advantage. The main drawback is sample size, although established guidelines suggest adequacy and several diagnostics provided reassurance against any major statistical drawbacks. Practical implications – In the face of globalization and other social and environmental issues, the model suggests three key areas of focus for IT investments in proactively enhancing firm performance. It should prove a useful extension to existing strategy literature in the face of an impending paradigm shift. Originality/value – The paper makes two important contributions: it represents one of the first empirical studies to apply the “operations‐as‐marketing” paradigm to the strategic objectives of IT investment decisions, and it addresses a notable void in extant research by exploring a possible strategic link between IT and market orientation.

A Value Based Approach to Organization Types: Towards a coherent set of stakeholder-oriented management tools

Abstract: This paper describes a set of ideal type organizations in a developmental sequence. As these descriptions are based on Spiral Dynamics (or Emerging Cyclical Levels of Existence Theory – ECLET), the types are labeled as Order, Success, Community and Synergy. Per type the author elaborated on the underlying value system and relating institutional structures, such as leadership role, governance and measurement format. As a summary, a Transition Matrix is presented which indicate the paradigm shifts per discipline/department, as manifested in the subsequent ideal type organizations. As Order and Success generally describe the majority of corporations in Western Economies, the latter two types introduce new approaches to more innovative – and more sustainable/responsible – ways to doing business. Based on Community Values, the author introduces a new measurement format which is the foundation for a systemic and coherent set of management tools to be used in a stakeholder approach. These tools relate to the strategic, tactical and operational tasks of management and have been developed by researchers of the European Corporate Sustainability Framework (ECSF) consortium. The set includes two tools which are generic: the Strategic Sustainability Scan (Strategy) and the Sustainability Matrix, which is a self-assessment tool (tactics). Three operational tools are context and industry specific: These are the Community related Responsive Business Scorecard (RBS) and Benchmark Format for measuring and monitoring sustainability performance and a methodology – a Management Information System – to generate information on people, planet and profit in order to provide data for the set of key performance indicators.

Managing the Tensions at the Intersection of the Triple Bottom Line: A Paradox Theory Approach to Sustainability Management

Abstract: Corporate sustainability management encompasses multiple dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. Companies are increasingly evaluated within the public sphere, and within their own organizations, according to the degree to which they are perceived to simultaneously promote this nexus of virtues. This article seeks to explore the tensions frequently faced by organizations that strive to manage these dimensions and the role of public policy in that pursuit. A multiple–case study approach is utilized in which the authors selected case organizations according to whether they were attempting to manage the three dimensions of sustainability. The authors utilize paradox theory and a typology provided by previous research to understand the nature of the tensions that emerge in the selected case study organizations. They extend this previous work by examining the role of public policy in providing the situational conditions to make these paradoxical tensions salient, and they examine organizationa...

Conceptualizing the Behavioral Barriers to CSR and CS in Organizations: A Typology of HRD Interventions

Abstract: A considerable body of research exists on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability (CS). However, there is significantly less on the influence of employees on the adoption of CSR and CS initiatives. Given the centrality of employees as stakeholders in CSR/CS adoption, it is important to understand how barriers at individual, organizational, and institutional levels of analysis influence the adoption of CSR/CS initiatives. An understanding of these barriers will illuminate the potential contribution of human resource development (HRD) to their removal. HRD has a major role to play in changing employee behavior and organizational values and there are significant affinities between HRD and CSR/CS concerning behavior and change. This article discusses a typology of HRD interventions that may be used to address barriers to the implementation of CSR/CS initiatives.