Achieving the sustainable development goals through stakeholder value creation: Building up smart sustainable cities and communities

Abstract

Sustainable development is the process of reaching sustainability, and Stakeholder Value Creation (SVC) can foster urban sustainability. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are optimal tools for scrutinizing sustainable development processes. Although SVC and urban sustainability are clearly connected, the dyadic phenomenon of the contribution of SVC to achieving the SDGs is obscure. Thus, this study explores how SVC contributes to achieving the SDGs at the city level. We performed the Cross-Network Information Analysis protocol, which is properly designed for investigating dyadic phenomena. The main findings revealed that SVC contributes to most SDGs in cities, mainly 11, 17, 9, and 8. Consensus building, smart sustainable cities, and innovation ecosystems are central aspects of the SVC contribution to the SDGs in general. Other relevant aspects are: shared meaning, networking strategy, socio-spatial & cultural patterns, technology, circular economy, sharing economy, corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, social bricolage, knowledge sharing, open innovation, ethics, and creativity. However, there has been no empirical evidence of SVC contribution to reaching the SDGs 5, 14, and 15. Policymakers, academics, and practitioners can address the lack of applied research on these last three SDGs by including non-human stakeholders, the environment, and gender diversity in organizational processes, organizational systems, and partnerships.