Creating social and environmental value through integrated thinking: International evidence

Abstract

AbstractIntegrated thinking (IT) is a managerial mindset increasingly discussed in the context of value creation. Through the lens of systems theory, this study examines how the degree to which IT is embedded in a firm's strategy and day‐to‐day business processes is associated with the firm's social and environmental value creation. Using a broad international dataset, we find strong evidence that our measure of IT is positively related to a firm's sustainability performance (SP), which we use to operationalize social and environmental value creation (or erosion). Our results also reveal that the increase in a firm's SP might come at the cost of a short‐term decrease in financial performance (FP). We find no indication, however, that IT induces a trade‐off between SP and long‐term FP. Integrated thinking appears to stipulate long‐term financial value creation instead. We further explore moderating factors within the organizational and institutional context of our sample firms and highlight implications for society, corporate practice, and policymaking.