Business Commons^™

Meeting The Sustainability Challenges: An Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Education, Anna Zherdeva, Intesar Madi, Abrar Alzankawi, Lucia Morales Dr, L. Pop, A. Soler-Dominguez, J.C. Saez

Conference papers

The importance of sustainability and entrepreneurship education is highlighted in this study. The world economies are facing significant challenges as they try to enable the transition towards more sustainable economic and business models. Therefore, at the centre of the transition process, it is critical to consider the role that business education can play and, more specifically, the role of business schools in integrating and supporting the development of skills and competencies that align with our contemporary society's needs. In this paper, we initially assess the need to connect entrepreneurial and sustainability education by exploring the educational offerings at Technological University …

Leadership And Environmental Sustainability: An Integrative Conceptual Model Of Multilevel Antecedents And Consequences Of Leader Green Behavior, Hannes Zacher, Clara Kühner, Ian M. Katz, Cort W. Rudolph

Psychology Faculty Publications

Environmental sustainability is a strategic and ethical imperative for organizations, and numerous studies have investigated associations between leadership and employee pro-environmental or “green” behavior. However, these studies have typically focused on leadership styles that conflate leader behavior with its assumed antecedents or consequences. Moreover, the literature on relations between leadership and environmental sustainability constructs is fragmented and in need of systematic integration to effectively guide future research and practice. Accordingly, we pursue three goals in this conceptual paper. First, after a brief review of key insights from extant theoretical and empirical research, we define leadership in the context of environmental …

Organisational Drivers And Sustainability Implementation In The Mining Industry: A Holistic Theoretical Framework, Prince Amoah, Gabriel Eweje

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While few studies have examined the role of institutional pressures on sustainable business practices, there is a dearth of empirical research regarding the influence of internal organisational characteristics on sustainability implementation in developing countries. This paper examines internal organisational features and how they influence multinational companies (MNCs) operating in a resource-rich developing country to embrace and embed sustainability into corporate policies and practices. The findings show that the history of past sustainable practices, the level of internationalisation and managerial cognition internally drive MNCs to implement sustainability in their host countries. We discuss that managerial cognition drives MNCs to embrace sustainability …

Dealing With “Humanewashing” Claims: Vital Farms’ Crucial Next Step, Bryce Janke, Cole Johnson, Kieran Mcwilliams, Justin Morrow, Isabelle Schmidt

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

Vital Farms prides itself in their ethical and environmentally-friendly production of pasture-raised eggs, butter, and ghee. A popular tagline for the company is “keeping it bullsh*t-free.” This is core to their company mission and values. However, they are currently facing a PETA class action lawsuit for potential humanewashing and greenwashing, essentially false advertising. So, what happens when the Certified B-Corporation is under attack for the very thing that sets it apart from its competition? Is it possible to rebuild trust with the public and regain ethical standing after bad PR? What are humanewashing and greenwashing, and is Vital Farms guilty?

Patagonia’S Identity: Balancing Mission And Growth, Grace Clausen, Michael Kelly, Brysen Reeser, Liam Seper, Andy Zhang

B-Corp Case Studies by UNL Raikes Seniors

This case study examines the challenges Patagonia has faced in attempting to balance its mission of sustainability and company growth. Since its inception, Patagonia has been dedicated to environmentalism and sustainability. They demonstrate this dedication through numerous ways including donating to environmental groups, using recycled materials to make their products, and implementing renewable energy in their production practices. However, as the company has scaled, it has made decisions to meet the needs of its growing customer base and increasing demand, which has led to conflicts with its mission. Additionally, Patagonia’s hard stance on sustainability puts every action they take under …

Women In Sustainable Leadership: A Case Study On The Perspectives, Opportunities, And Challenges Of Biologist And Conservationist Estrela Matilde, Ella Lyons

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite the relatively small population of 8,000 occupants and the minimal international recognition of the Island of Príncipe, located off of the Gulf of Guinea on the Western Coast of Central Africa, the region has increasingly become a leading example of sustainable practices to be taken on a global scale in the near future to combat our current climate crisis. This case study explores the sustainable practices that Príncipe has learned to embrace under the leadership of Portuguese conservation biologist and project manager for the NGO Fundação Príncipe, Estrela Matilde. Estrela integrates social, cultural, and environmental conservation to align with …

An Integrative Review Of Project Portfolio Management Literature: Thematic Findings On Sustainability Mindset, Assessment, And Integration, Masoud Aghajani, Gesa Ruge, Kam Jugdev

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sustainability integration in project portfolio management helps shape strategic, organizational, and project-based contexts. The authors conducted a structured literature review from 2000 to 2021 and developed a novel integrative framework presenting a holistic view highlighting three substantive research themes: sustainability mindset, sustainability assessment, and sustainability integration in project portfolio processes. Noteworthy progress has been made at the strategic and portfolio levels toward framing a sustainability mindset (definition, values, and principles) and developing frameworks/tools for sustainability assessment and project portfolio selection. However, areas for more research include integrating sustainability into project portfolio processes, reporting, and organizational learning for portfolio improvement.

The Landscape Of Public Procurement Research: A Bibliometric Analysis And Topic Modelling Based On Scopus, Abderahman Rejeb, Karim Rejeb, Andrea Appolloni, Yasanur Kayikci, Mohammad Iranmanesh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the structure and dynamics of academic articles relating to public procurement (PP) in the period 1984–2022 (up to May). The researchers also intend to analyse how this knowledge domain has grown since 1984. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis was carried out to examine the existing state of PP research. Based on 640 journal articles indexed in the Scopus database and written by 1,247 authors over nearly four decades, a bibliometric analysis was conducted to reveal the intellectual structure of academic works pertaining to PP. Findings: Findings reveal that PP research from Scopus …

Sustainability Leadership: An Integrative Review And Conceptual Synthesis, Aymen Sajjad, Gabriel Eweje, Muhammad M. Raziq

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Over the past few decades, scholars have extensively investigated the topic of leadership, contributing to the development of diverse leadership theories and contemporary managerial practice. However, the emergence and renewed focus on societal grand challenges warrant an alternative approach to leadership such as sustainability leadership. Despite the critical importance of sustainability leadership in addressing these global concerns, scholarly research in this field of inquiry, by and large, remained scant and fragmented, lacking conceptual coherence and theoretical integration. While the existing literature provides insights into sustainability leadership characteristics, competencies, behaviors, and actions, it failed to integrate a holistic understanding of how …

Barriers For Small Businesses To Adopt Sustainable Practices In The Sioux Falls Area, Meredith King

Honors Thesis

Sustainability is a broad concept that encompasses environmental, social, and economic factors to meet current and future needs. Many individuals and large businesses are becoming conscious of the effects they have on the planet and the people around them. However, despite the financial benefits and positive publicity of environmentalism, many businesses are not adopting sustainable practices. This study interviewed local business owners to answer the question “What are the main reasons that small businesses in the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota do or do not adopt sustainable practices that benefit the environment and the community?” Five business owners were …

Competitive Sustainability: The Intersection Of Sustainability And Business Success, Clyde Eiríkur Hull

Articles

Sustainability that beats the competition is different from sustainability that does not. Some who care very much about sustainability may not care at all about business success. However, they should. If businesses were to see that competitive sustainability leads to financial success, they would take it up and abandon nonsustainable practices

What Has Changed For Top Mba Schools Within A Decade In Terms Of Mindfulness?, Dr. Damla Aktan, Asst. Prof. Nilgün Gürkaynak

International Journal for Business Education

The concepts of “mindful consumption” and “sustainability” became indispensable parts of both academia and business life. Based upon an initial research conducted in 2012, this research aims to understand and compare the change within a decade in MBA curricula in terms of mindfulness content inclusion as well as sustainability and ecological orientation. The results compare the evolution of the integration of concepts to curricula since 2012 through the official websites of the top 100 MBA schools of the Financial Times Global Ranking in both 2012 and 2022. The study aims to summarize how the concepts of sustainability, mindful consumption and …

Florensis: More Catholic Than The Pope?, Gerard Van Der Star, Arjen Van Klink, Florensis

Case Studies

The beauty of a family business is that it always keeps an eye on the continuity of the business. For a family business nothing is more important than long-term continuity and harmony. A good balance between family and business interests is essential24. In any case, the focus is on the long term25. How can Florensis ensure that the fifth and sixth generations and the numerous employees can still enjoy the benefits of this beautiful company. The Calvinist and Christian roots of Florensis ensured from the outset that the human factor was central and key. Without this people orientation quality production …

Making Sustainability A Core Competency: Consumer Response To Sustainable Innovative Products, Clyde Eiríkur Hull, Jennifer D. Russell, Monika Kukar-Kinney

Articles

Research suggests that sustainability may not be sufficient to yield a competitive advantage. Building on the resource-based view, this research evaluates three questions: (1) Can using sustainability as a differentiator lead to consumers choosing sustainable products? (2) Does product sustainability appeal more to environmentally concerned consumers? (3) Does product sustainability appeal more when paired with innovation? To test the hypotheses, an online survey of 344 US respondents was conducted. Consumers were given a hypothetical budget for an office chair and asked to choose between two products at a time. Hypotheses were tested with frequency and Chisquare tests and logistic regression. …

Regenerative Tourism Model: Challenges Of Adapting Concepts From Natural Science To Tourism Industry, Asif Hussain, Marie Haley

Journal of Sustainability and Resilience

The study proposes a regenerative tourism model. The application of the natural science ideas of regeneration needs to be clarified before the tourism industry can adopt a regenerative tourism model. Without such clarification, there is a high risk of ‘green washing’ and inappropriate adaption of a regenerative model. The borrowing of natural science to industry and its application in social sciences confuse the essence of the true concept of regeneration. In a regenerative agriculture context restoring a holistic system that mimics nature and includes social and economic spheres contributes to improving the whole system. When a social system aims to …

The Linkages Between Commitment To Sustainability, Organizational Culture, Quality Management, And Organizational Performance, Lillian Y. Fok, Yun-Chen Morgan, Susan Zee

International Journal of Applied Management and Technology

The growing economic pressures, rising awareness of the importance of environmental protection, and stringent global regulations are leading to more integration of sustainability initiatives into corporate strategies across multiple industries. These sustainability initiatives can alter organization cultures and affect employee perceptions and organizational outcomes. In this study, 331 respondents from a wide variety of industries in the South were surveyed. Results showed that companies’ overall green/sustainability orientation is related to organizational culture, quality management maturity, and companies’ performance. The findings implied that it is imperative to develop an organizational culture that is supportive of quality and sustainability to ensure the …

Dynamic Interplay Of Environmental Sustainability And Corporate Reputation: A Combined Parametric And Nonparametric Approach, He-Boong Kwon, Jooh Lee, Laee Choi

Rohrer College of Business Faculty Scholarship

For decades, research on the relationship between environmental sustainability and firm performance focused on determining whether the effect of the former on the latter was positive or negative. That potentially controversial approach had driven mainstream research to ask two focal questions: Does it pay to be green? and Does it cost to be green? Recent papers have explored a curvilinear effect (i.e., U-shaped and inverted U-shaped) by tackling another question: When does it pay to be green? These efforts, however, have either oversimplified the complex linkage between these two things into a linear relationship or confined the complexity within a …

Managing Reputation, Sustainability, And Self Interest: The Case Of Ceo Remuneration In The United States And The Importance Of Being Earnest, Ernest H. Hall, Jooh Lee

Rohrer College of Business Faculty Scholarship

Executive compensation has long been a lightning rod of interest in the popular press and frequently makes the headlines . It seems that everyone has an opinion on the subject, with most demanding an end to inflated compensation packages . Depending on whether you are a member of the C suite or not will likely skew your opinion on the matter. Given that the CEO is the most visible manifestation of the company to the outside world it is common to fixate on the way in which they are being compensated. However, after all of the research that has been …

Organizing And Sustainable Development Between The Local And Global: The Case Of A Tibetan Enterprise, Haitao Yu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In this dissertation, I investigate how place and space guide organizations towards sustainable development. The current paradigm for business organizing seeks economic efficiency, whereas a sustainable development paradigm requires businesses to accommodate the ecological, social, and economic principles between the local and global. Yet, as organizations are increasingly globalizing and virtualizing, they are becoming increasingly placeless. The loss of local connection to place is one of the primary reasons sustainable development is so elusive.

I am motivated to understand better organizations' role between the local and global on sustainable development. To answer the question, I collected qualitative data through conducting …

How Covid-19 Has Accelerated The Shift Towards A More Sustainable Fashion Industry, Samantha Frances Casey

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sustainability in fast fashion is a pertinent issue as the fashion industry is one of the most environmentally damaging industries. Fashion retailers have started to integrate sustainability initiatives, but consumer preference is vital to making firms change their practices. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020, worldwide lockdowns exposed the fragility of the consumer-driven fast-fashion business model. This thesis will examine how COVID-19 has and will continue to impact sustainability in the fashion industry. More specifically, this thesis will examine the implications of consumer sustainability preferences brought about by the pandemic. These implications accelerate the preexisting sustainability trends …

The 2020 Impact: Rethinking Brand Approach To Sustainability Through A Postcolonial And Environmental Justice Framework, Simone Hassan-Bey

Business/Business Administration

Social unrest as a result of a pandemic and the movement for Black lives created a greater demand for big brands to increase their involvement in social responsibility. In this work, I examine the relationship between big brands to their colonial and environmental legacies to analyze how they have historically responded to social justice issues and how it has helped or hindered their journey towards sustainability. My research suggests that these brands may be failing to live up to their social responsibility claims because they struggle to see how the two actors are interconnected, as a result, I offer a …

Small Business And Sustainability: How The Back Bone Of America And The Buzz Word Of The 2010s And 2020s Can Be A Powerhouse For Change, Raleigh Woods

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the years phrases like “going green” or “reduce, reuse, recycle” have been the war cries of environmentalist conservationists. Now, a new word has begun to heavily circulate among the environments communities and beyond: sustainability. However, the concept of sustainability has been around for centuries. According to the World Energy Foundation sustainability was “coined in German, the original term was Nachhaltigkeit, meaning ‘sustained yield.’ It first appeared in a handbook of forestry published in 1713, and was used to mean never harvesting more than the forest can regenerate.” (The World Energy Foundation, 2014). Since then, the word and concept has …

Global Recognition Of Sustainable Companies And The Search For Meaningful Returns, Jenny Gyurova Hite

Doctoral Dissertations (DBA)

Can an investor realize meaningful returns by choosing sustainability? Global Knights publishes an annual 100 Global Most Sustainable companies list which has been announced each January in Davos, Switzerland since 2005. This paper examines the global recognition of the US sustainable companies which make that list and the presence of cumulative abnormal returns of their portfolio. Event study methodology is used to assess short and long term cumulative abnormal returns of a dynamic portfolio updated annually over 16 years to include those names. Standard Deviations and Sortino Ratios are evaluated to determine the comparative level of risk a potential investor …

The Global Goals: Bringing Education For Sustainable Development Into U.S. Business Schools, Nancy E. Landrum

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Purpose – This paper aims to learn how sustainability and the circular economy were being integrated into the curriculum of a Dutch university and to transfer that knowledge back to a US university business school curriculum. Given the resistance toward integrating sustainability into the US business school curriculum, the Dutch university served as a role model for education for sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach – This case study used ethnographic methods of participant observation over a four-month residency at the Dutch university.

Findings – Themes observed are as follows: success in the current context relied upon sustainability being integrated into the culture …

Goodyear: Pivot, Expand, Or Downsize, Anastasia Vonortas, Arianna Francisco, Alicen Fimple, Jasem Jwayyed

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In light of everything going on in the world today, Goodyear has started to question the next steps of their company. One of their biggest concerns is that since people are not driving as much, they will not be putting as much wear on their tires, meaning the tires they currently have on their vehicles will last longer and will not have the need to purchase new tires as frequently. Goodyear has asked us to look into what their company should do with all of the factors affecting their company. Should they pivot their focus to a different industry to …

Supply Chain Management For Circular Economy: Conceptual Framework And Research Agenda, Daniel Pellathy

Peer Reviewed Articles

Purpose – Circular economy (CE) initiatives are taking hold across both developed and developing nations. Central to these initiatives is the reconfiguration of core supply chain management (SCM) processes that underlie current production and consumption patterns. This conceptual article provides a detailed discussion of how supply chain processes can support the successful implementation of CE. The article highlights areas of convergence in hopes of sparking collaboration among scholars and practitioners in SCM, CE, and related fields.

Design/methodology/approach – This article adopts a theory extension approach to conceptual development that uses CE as a “method” for exploring core processes within the …

A Comprehensive And Absolute Corporate Sustainability Assessment And Enhanced Input Output Life Cycle Assessment, Joseph M. Wright

Dissertations

Stresses due to economic activity are threatening to exceed environmental and societal limits with the potential to jeopardize local communities and create global crises. This research proposes new methodologies and analytic techniques to comprehensively assess corporate sustainability and enhance the efficiency of estimating environmental and social impacts with Input Output Life Cycle Assessment (IOLCA).

Sustainability assessments and management require consideration of both social and environmental impacts as outflows of economic activity. There are a number of assessment tools available to gain insight into environmental and social impacts; but in most cases, these approaches lack essential components for a comprehensive and …

Strategic Organizational Sustainability Climate: Scale Development And Validation, Petra Brnova

Theses and Dissertations

The Strategic Organizational Sustainability (SOS) Climate encompasses the employee perceptions of the policies, practices, and procedures that promote long term organizational success in the era of pressing economic, social, and environmental challenges. In order to promote such workplace climate, organizations must be able to measure it. To this end, the SOS Climate scale was developed and validated using first a phenomenological approach in interviews with sustainability professionals working in organizations across economic sectors. After this, scale items were generated and judged, followed by a pilot study. Principal component analysis was conducted for preliminary dimensionality and item reduction. Lastly, confirmatory factor …

#Thirsty4change: Bubble Tea, Coding And Data Visualisation, Singapore Management University

Social Space

In our introductory article to #Thirsty4Change, we met Ishan and Elyza, undergrads of Singapore Management University who have teamed up with LASALLE College of the Arts students to explore design interventions to bring about a more sustainable-looking future for bubble tea packaging and consumption. Throughout six weeks of workshops, the students embarked on data collection, and learned more about coding and data visualisation.

Social Responsibility: Preparing Students For The Real World, Alicen Flosi, Jeff Dyson, Gisele Moss

Southwestern Business Administration Journal

Ethics and corporate social responsibility are widely discussed in business and in the classroom. In fact, many mission statements for Colleges of Business include ethics as a major component. As corporations become increasingly aware of their impact on the environment, sustainability and social responsibility have become significant issues for many executives.

How to “teach” ethics and social responsibility is a dilemma that has been addressed with no definitive solution. Research shows that the traditional model of teaching and/or learning is outdated. In many disciplines, instructor/lecture and student note-taking are outdated methods of teaching. To increase student engagement and to reach …