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Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 March 2023) | Viewed by 41847

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Josep Maria Raya

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Guest Editor

Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: economic sustainability, economic impact, housing policy, sustainable tourism, social impact

Dr. Marian Buil

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Guest Editor

Escola de Ciències Socials i de l’Empresa Tecnocampus - Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: Sustainable business models Sustainability commitment, Sustainability competences, Sustainable development, Sustainable development goals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current global economy has shown that increasing volatility and growing challenges, such as climate change, inequalities, and pandemics, require the transformation of managerial models from a financial perspective to a sustainable management according to sustainable environmental and social criteria. In changing environments, companies must be capable of adaptation to enable long-term sustainability. To that end, internal and external changes are needed in the business of keeping the relevant stakeholders: employees, customers, and suppliers involved. To address this situation, capabilities must be developed that enable the creation, retention, and sustainability of new values required in situations of change, as they create a disruption in the market and thus directly affect the results of the company, its commitment to stakeholders, and their/its impact on the economy. This Special Issue presents different approaches of corporate sustainability to address changes in markets and economies.

This Special Issue is focused on but not limited to the following topics:

Corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility practices
Sustainability commitment of business stakeholders
Sustainable management in companies
Sustainable business models
Capabilities to foster sustainable management
Sustainable value creation

Dr. Josep Maria Raya
Dr. Marian Buil
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Corporate sustainability
Corporate social responsibility
Economic sustainability
Sustainability training
Sustainability perception
Sustainable management
Sustainability capabilities

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 655 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Key Corporate Sustainability Assessment Methods for Coal Companies

by Ekaterina Blinova, Tatyana Ponomarenko and Sofiya Tesovskaya

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 5763; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15075763 - 26 Mar 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2557

Abstract

Many businesses view sustainability issues as important and design corporate sustainability strategies. However, creating such a strategy does not mean the company will progress in sustainable development because the factors influencing businesses remain largely unexplored. Based on a review of studies on corporate sustainability, we identified the major factors affecting any company’s sustainability. They include government regulation, imperfect management, interaction with stakeholders, corporate self-regulation and self-reflection, and the regulatory framework, and can be consolidated into two groups. We also analyzed the groups of methods that can be used to assess a company’s sustainability: traditional corporate sustainability assessment methods, circular economy assessment methods, ESG assessment methods, and non-financial performance indicators. For each group of methods, limitations were identified, and it was concluded that corporate sustainability assessments should factor in the environment in which the company operates. As part of this study, a lack of methods for assessing the corporate sustainability of coal companies was revealed, along with insufficient consideration of industrial factors in the prior literature. These factors are responsible for incorrect corporate sustainability assessments in the coal industry. Taking into account the division of Russian coal companies into three types (energy companies, metal manufacturers, and coal producers) and the aspects of their functioning against the backdrop of economic restrictions (including sanctions and embargoes), the authors prove that each group of companies requires an individual corporate sustainability assessment methodology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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18 pages, 2370 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Declaration of the Sustainable Development Goals of Mining Companies and the Effect of Their Activities in Selected Areas

by Justyna Woźniak, Katarzyna Pactwa, Mateusz Szczęśniewicz and Dominika Ciapka

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16422; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142416422 - 08 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1993

Abstract

The article addresses the issues of sustainable development in relation to a selected group of mining companies. The main objective of the article was to verify the companies’ declarations on the convergence of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the assessment of their actual actions. In order to achieve this objective, the authors hypothesized and adopted, among others, a multi-stage logical thinking-based methodology. In addition, several research methods were used, i.e., a review of regulations and scientific articles, a qualitative literature review—extracting and collecting information, developing a categorization framework, and a comparative method based on a case study. The study started with extracting and collecting social and environmental information disclosed by Polish mining companies at the level of declaring SDGs targets (KGHM, LW Bogdanka, and JSW). Sourced from reports and company statements. In the next step, a leader (KGHM) was selected, and a comparison was made with a global enterprise (Barrick Gold), according to the adopted categorization framework for social initiatives. Common areas of both SDGs declarations and actions for these entities were identified, and measures of their implementation were suggested. Two main metrics were proposed for the social area, i.e., health and safety in relation to the financial performance of the companies and diversity in management and supervisory bodies. The role and importance of the prioritization of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) disclosures by the industry players are indicated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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16 pages, 1233 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Management, Cooperatives and Sustainability: A New Methodological Proposal for a Holistic Analysis

by Carles Manera and Eloi Serrano

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7489; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14127489 - 20 Jun 2022

Viewed by 1823

Abstract

This article examines how the advent of the new globalisation and climate change requires us to transform the scientific paradigm of economics and, therefore, poses new challenges for analysis. In particular, it suggests the need for the incorporation of holistic and qualitative tools in order to improve management and economic and business impacts beyond the monetary aspect. Cooperatives are a good starting point because the social economy incorporates these features in its foundations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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17 pages, 334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Sustainability Reporting in Reducing Information Asymmetry: The Case of Family- and Non-Family-Controlled Firms

by Abdul Rahman Al Natour, Rasmi Meqbel, Salah Kayed and Hala Zaidan

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6644; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14116644 - 28 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2780

Abstract

This study aims to examine the link between sustainability reporting and information asymmetry in family- and non-family-controlled firms for a sample of 641 UK firms listed in the FTSE all-share index during the period 2010–2017. The findings show a negative and significant relationship between sustainability reporting and IA. The results also show that the sustainability reporting–information asymmetry nexus is weaker in family-controlled firms. The findings of this study should improve our understanding of sustainability reporting motivations, particularly in companies that are controlled by families. Moreover, an explanation of the role of family-controlled firms in mitigating or exacerbating this relationship will surely help the British regulators improve corporate governance rules related to various ownership structures. For policy makers, it is important to confirm that sustainability reporting is representative of actual corporate activities and is not only used to mislead stakeholders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

16 pages, 619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Mechanism of Digital Environment Influencing Organizational Performance: An Empirical Analysis Based on Construction Data

by Zhifeng Shen, Xingnan Liang, Jinze Lv, Chunlu Liu and Junjie Li

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3330; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14063330 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2447

Abstract

The new system formed by digital technology and digital system is different from the traditional environment, and this environment has a sharp impact, either by transformation or replacement, of the traditional environment. However, at present, organizational strategy formulation, structural design, resource allocation, and culture formation are based on the traditional environment, which leads to a declining trend in organizational performance. Therefore, to identify and adapt to the characteristics of the digital environment, the improvement and design of organizational characteristics that highly fit with this environment has become an urgent task for all kinds of enterprises to maintain and improve organizational performance. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of digital environment, organizational change, digital organizational culture, organizational performance, and the data of the construction industry, this study constructs a mediating effect structure model to explain the path and mechanism of organizational performance improvement, and puts forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions according to the empirical results. The research puts forward the analysis model of “Digital Environment-Organizational Behavior-Organizational Performance”. The results reveal how to improve organizational performance in the digital environment and enrich the research of organizational performance and the practice of organizational performance improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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20 pages, 1893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Construction of Biophysical Indicators for the Catalan Economy: Building a New Conceptual Framework

by Carles Manera, Eloi Serrano, José Pérez-Montiel and Màrian Buil-Fabregà

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7462; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13137462 - 04 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2176

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to create an environmental vision of the Catalan economy based on various indicators. To do this, we started from the fundamental idea of obtaining new metrics to measure impacts on the economy. The methodology used is focused on the systematization of descriptive statistics and econometric review. In this sense, GDP and GDP per capita are valued as chrematistic units, and biophysical variables are incorporated. For the period 2000–2016, the figures for energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, energy intensity of the economy and water consumption were collected. In addition, demographic evolution and the Gini index were also ordered as factors that contribute to explaining not only population trajectory but also some of the social factors. Greater technological efficiency in regard to environmental aspects is intuited as sensitive to the economic cycle. The study is novel in the panorama of the regional economy of Spain, by incorporating biophysical variables to the applied economic analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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15 pages, 304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economic and Social Yield of Investing in a Sporting Event: Sustainable Value Creation in a Territory

by Patrícia Crespo Sogas, Ivette Fuentes Molina, Àlex Araujo Batlle and Josep Maria Raya Vílchez

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7033; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13137033 - 23 Jun 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2307

Abstract

Sporting events are a stimulant for the economy and for improving social benefits. This paper aims to estimate a sporting event’s economic and social impact through input–output tables and cost-benefit analysis methodologies. Tangible and non-tangible impacts, such as health benefits and the value of the host city’s tourism image are investigated. Using data collected from the MedSailing event in 2019, the results show a positive return from every euro invested in the sporting event both economically and socially. Additionally, the results related to the media impact of the sporting event are shown. A single figure of net returns to society enables policymakers to assess the social value of the investment itself and make decisions that improve the economic development of the territory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

20 pages, 263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Home Bias and Corporate Environmental Social Responsibility

by Xing Rong, Bingjie Song, Tingting Zhang and Kai Liu

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5860; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13115860 - 23 May 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2079

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of executives’ hometown identification on corporate environmental social responsibility (CESR) using a sample of Chinese A-share-listed companies from 2007 to 2018. It finds that: the CESR scores of companies are higher when executives work in their hometowns, indicating that executives’ hometown identification significantly improves the fulfillment of CESR; mechanism tests show that the above relationship is more significant in regions with superior environmental quality, indicating that executives take CESR more seriously in their hometowns more due to social pressure; further tests found that executive characteristics, such as executive type and age, have a regulating effect on this relationship. In addition, the nature of property rights of listed companies also affects executives’ hometown identification. Executives of state-owned enterprises have a stronger hometown identification, which enhances the fulfillment of CESR to a higher extent. In the context of the micro level of the enterprise, this paper provides positive evidence that an informal system, named as “hometown identity”, can enhance the performance of CESR and the pressure effect implicitly behind the social network, which enriches and expands the research related to CESR fulfillment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

24 pages, 658 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Excellence in Sustainable Management in a Changing Environment

by Alba Manresa and Dalilis Escobar Rivera

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2296; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13042296 - 20 Feb 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3057

Abstract

In the current changing environment, organizations need to evolve from a profitable perspective to a more sustainable focus. To deal with this change, the implementation of specific quality models and principles might help. Thus, the present article aims to study whether sustainable management can be achieved in specific organizations (enterprises, associations, and government institutions) by identifying the EFQM principles. Moreover, it analyses which of these quality principles positively and directly impacts the performances studied (environmental, social, and economic). To achieve these objectives, Ordinal Logistic Regression (ORL) was performed using data corresponding to the sample compiled by the Càtedra Universitària de Responsabilitat Social (RSU) from University of Girona. The research results indicate that implementing specific quality principles all the dimensions improved; thus, the organization becomes more sustainable. The value of this research lies in its contribution to the sustainable management literature; adds knowledge to the ongoing debate about the possible influence of TQM principles on the specific dimensions of sustainable management and highlight the importance of having a clear strategy to obtain the highest sustainable performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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19 pages, 590 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Corporate Sustainability: It’s Mine! Effect of Green Product Psychological Ownership on the Environmental Behavior and Performance of Employees

by Tai-Wei Chang, Kuo-Hsuan Wang and Yi-Hsiung Lin

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10514; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su122410514 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2292

Abstract

Green shared vision (GSV) has provided a research prototype for past green management research topics; however, few studies have examined the confusion related to environmental issues among employees. Therefore, to fill the aforementioned research gap, this study used psychological ownership theory and expectancy–valence theory to establish a research framework for GSV. This study explored the relationships of GSV with employee green confusion (EGC) and employee environmental performance (EEP) as well as the mediating effect of green product psychological ownership (GPPO) on these relationships. The research results indicate that GSV positively affects GPPO, EGC, and EEP. Moreover, GSV also influences behavior and performance through personal psychological processes. Thus, if an enterprise wishes to establish GSV, it must adopt a series of supporting measures, including improving members’ GPPO, to effectively reduce EGC and improve EEP to realize the goal of sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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16 pages, 1848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Sustainability of the Enterprise Business Ecosystem from the Perspective of Boundary: The China Case

by Li He, Yang Cheng and Xuejie Su

Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6435; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12166435 - 10 Aug 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2994

Abstract

In the context of the Internet, the business environment shows great uncertainty. This kind of uncertainty has not only changed the original competitive boundary of enterprise completely, but also the competition rules of enterprise. The cooperation of enterprises with suppliers, producers, sellers, customers, other organizations and stakeholders is getting closer and closer. The competition among enterprises is no longer the competition between individual enterprises, but based on the co-evolution under the business ecosystem. Therefore, how to create a good business ecosystem and sustainable development is the main problem faced by enterprises. This paper conducts an exploratory case study on the sustainability of the business ecosystem of enterprises from the perspective of boundary, to provide a new theoretical basis for the sustainable development of enterprises. This study investigates the specific impact of various system elements on the sustainable development of enterprises, summarizes the theoretical model, and finally provides feasible suggestions on promoting the sustainable development of the business ecosystem from the perspective of boundary. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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21 pages, 454 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relation between Environmental Management Systems and Environmental and Financial Performance in Emerging Economies

by Cosmina L. Voinea, Bas-Jan Hoogenberg, Cosmin Fratostiteanu and Hammad Bin Azam Hashmi

Sustainability 2020, 12(13), 5309; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12135309 - 01 Jul 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5060

Abstract

This study pursues to clarify the effect of environmental management systems (EMS) comprehensiveness on environmental performance and financial performance using an extensive quantitative dataset obtained in Brazil over an eight-year period. It is recognized that the implementation of environmental management differs per company varying in how many environmental practices are adopted and hence how comprehensive the EMS is. The relationship between EMS comprehensiveness, environmental performance, and financial performance proves to be complex. First of all, the overall negative effect of environmental performance on financial performance may indicate that the resources needed to realize an improved environmental performance do not outweigh the cost reductions resulting from eco-efficiency or improved reputation. The effect of EMS comprehensiveness on financial performance is in line with that, indicating that an above average EMS comprehensiveness results in lower financial performance, which may correspond to high environmental management- and overhead costs. Across sectors, the companies operating in sector industries have high quality EMS comprehensiveness, while the companies in agriculture, commerce, and services exhibit a lower EMS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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16 pages, 295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Learning from the Anthropocene: Adaptive Epistemology and Complexity in Strategic Managerial Thinking

by Andrew S. Mitchell, Mark Lemon and Wim Lambrechts

Sustainability 2020, 12(11), 4427; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12114427 - 29 May 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2559

Abstract

Turbulence experienced in the business and social realms resonates with turbulence unfolding throughout the biosphere, as a process of accelerating change at the stratigraphic scale termed the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene is understood as a multi-dimensional limit point, one dimension of which concerns the limits to the lineal epistemology prevalent since the Age of the Enlightenment. This paper argues that future conditions necessitate the updating of a lineal epistemology through a transition towards resilience thinking that is both adaptive and ecosystemic. A management paradigm informed by the recognition of multiple equilibria states distinguished by thresholds, and incorporating adaptive and resilience thinking is considered. This paradigm is thought to enhance flexibility and the capacity to absorb influences without crossing thresholds into alternate stable, but less desirable, states. One consequence is that evaluations of success may change, and these changes are considered and explored as likely on-going challenges businesses must grapple with into the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

Review

Jump to: Research

30 pages, 2413 KiB

Open AccessReview

Analyzing the Concept of Corporate Sustainability in the Context of Sustainable Business Development in the Mining Sector with Elements of Circular Economy

by Ekaterina Blinova, Tatyana Ponomarenko and Valentin Knysh

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8163; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14138163 - 04 Jul 2022

Cited by 37 | Viewed by 5260

Abstract

Promoting the concept and principles of sustainable development at the micro level requires that industrial companies understand and improve approaches to managing corporate sustainability. Currently, economics does not provide a universal definition of what corporate sustainability is. With regard to the mining sector, corporate sustainability issues reflecting the viability, value, and sustainable development potential of companies have not yet been studied extensively. The article discusses the conceptual foundations of corporate sustainability; the characteristics and a classification of approaches to defining corporate sustainability; and the relationship between corporate sustainability, sustainable development at the micro level, and circular economy. By analyzing the example of Russia, the influence of the mining industry on the environmental, economic, and social development of both a country with a resource-based economy and individual mining regions is shown from the viewpoint of sustainability. The distinguishing features of mining companies, which include natural capital and mineral assets, are studied in the context of promoting corporate sustainability. It is proven that the effective corporate management of ESG factors results in environmental and social influence that goes in line with sustainable development requirements and serves as a foundation for corporate sustainability. A refined definition of corporate sustainability has been formulated, the specific features of corporate sustainability management in mining companies have been determined, and the specific features of corporate social responsibility have been studied. The issue of integrating circular economy elements into the corporate sustainability concept is discussed, and it is claimed that the inclusion of circular business models in the corporate strategies of mining companies will contribute to their corporate sustainable development and boost their contribution to the achievement of sustainable development goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Management in Changing Environments)

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