EXECUTIVE PRACTICES FOR CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY: A BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to define executives' practices specifically targeted at corporate sustainability. The business ecosystem perspective may serve as a practical foundation to formulate executive practices underpinning corporate sustainability. We conducted in-depth interviews with 13 corporate executives regarding their opinions on corporate sustainability with the business ecosystem perspective. As a result of analyzing the interview data, we learned that the following roles of corporate executives were important in an era when corporate sustainability is of great importance. In the business ecosystem lens, an executive refers to a person who breaks trade-off, solves conflicts (including the concept of mitigating and adjusting excessive conflicts beyond removing conflicts) and maintains the balance among business ecosystem actors. Furthermore, an executive refers to a person who is responsible for maintaining and evolving the virtuous cycle of changing society in favor of his or her own business ecosystem by balancing and harmonizing for sustainable management and business ecosystem. Keywords Corporate Sustainability, Business Ecosystem, Executive Practices, Qualitative Research, Grounded Theory