The Effect of Founder Identity Work on the Perception and Management of Sustainability

Integrating insights from the strategic goal literature and the knowledge‐based view of the firm, this article proposes that the pursuit of social and economic strategic goals by commercial firms affects their innovation performance through different knowledge sourcing activities. The strategic goals, knowledge sourcing practices, and innovation performance of 1257 Belgian firms are investigated. Results show that both social and economic strategic goals are associated with the use of external information sources, but only the pursuit of social goals inspires firms to engage in external collaboration. No evidence is found of an inherent conflict between social and economic strategic goals. Instead, the two types of goals are independent of each other, that is, an emphasis on social goals does not preclude an emphasis on economic goals and vice versa. Moreover, firms’ external knowledge sourcing and innovation performance benefit most when strongly held social goals align with strongly held economic goals. These findings offer new insight into the nature and the effects of goal multiplicity among commercial firms. They open up a new perspective on the potential positive effects of the joint pursuit of social and economic strategic goals instead of seeing them as inherently conflicting, as past research has typically done. We illustrate how social strategic goals can deliver unique benefits to a firm, independently of and in addition to economic strategic goals. Our findings also contribute to the open innovation literature by revealing strategic goals as a driver of firms’ knowledge sourcing practices. Our findings suggest that solely emphasizing economic goals may be one reason why firms struggle to implement open innovation practices and do not reap their full benefits. The practical implications of our research are discussed.

Sustainable production of fish and seafood products contributes to achieving the economic, social, and environmental goals in fisheries. Different sustainability strategies are applied to achieve these three goals. This paper presents a meta-analysis of the status and implementation of various sustainable fishery management strategies in the Philippines over the past 20 years. We identified various management themes and the extent these themes are related to economic, social and environmental sustainability goals using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) and text mining. Six sustainability management themes were identified. The analysis shows that overall, the sustainability management themes appear to be socio-economic in nature based on the relative occurrences of indicators belonging to the three sustainability goals. When comparing the strength of the three sustainability goals in each management theme, the social goal appears to be most prominent in four management themes, the economic goal in one theme, and a balance of the three sustainability goals in another theme. Furthermore, this study shows which fishery management themes are most (dis-)similar based on clustering. Policy makers and other fishery management bodies can use these insights to optimize the sustainability goals in fisheries by not only relying on a single management theme in each fishery, by improving focus on large scale fishers, by incorporating underexplored sustainability indicators, and by adapting current trends and proven-to-be effective management themes.

Transitioning from CSR to CSV in a foreign subsidiary in China through temporal decoupling

ABSTRACTFisheries are a complex mixture of social, political, economic, and biological aspects, and often biological or economic end goals are given priority in fisheries governance. However, there is a growing trend around the world to include non-economic social objectives in fisheries management schemes, e.g., supporting rural communities, increasing opportunities for newcomers or part-time fishermen, or providing equitable access for culturally and historically important fisheries. In Iceland, fisheries management has given biological and economic goals' precedence over social goals, and there is no formal inclusion of a social science advisory body or formalized direct input from all relevant stakeholders in the fisheries governance process. Non-economic social sciences such as geography, anthropology, sociology, and political science can add important information and considerations that in turn make fisheries more sustainable in the long run. In this paper, we explain the role of social science in fisheries governance, explore how social aspects are addressed in other fisheries governance schemes, and review highlights from fisheries social science research in Iceland. We hope to generate a meaningful conversation regarding the possibilities of a modern, pioneering fisheries' governance process in Iceland where social, economic, and biological goals and research are all given equal attention.

New ventures often pursue both economic and social goals, known as goal hybridity. Yet, we know less about how organizational goal hybridity influences the performance and governance of new ventures. Goal hybridity is common among academic spin‐offs (ASOs) seeking to commercialize scientific research from universities. We hypothesize that ASOs’ goal hybridity influences their subsequent performance and their governance structure. We also hypothesize that ASOs who enrol multiple stakeholders with investment goals aligned with their hybrid goals outperform the ASOs who do not. By combining several data sources, we follow Norwegian ASOs longitudinally and find that goal hybridity explains their subsequent performance differences, such that ASOs relying on both economic and social aspects of their business when formulating their goals outperform those who rely purely on economic or social goals. We also find that ASOs with hybrid goals outperform when they enrol multiple stakeholders who are aligned with their hybrid goals. Our findings have implications for theorizing in hybridity, stakeholder enrolment, and the organizational goals literatures. We also provide a fuller understanding on performance heterogeneity of ASOs, and we offer a set of practice and policy implications to academic entrepreneurship and public‐private partnership literatures.

Corporate sustainability is rife with tensions as firms seek to balance often divergent economic, social, and environmental goals. To assess how tensions have been addressed in past research and to identify promising areas for pushing the literature forward, we conduct a comprehensive review of research in corporate sustainability from the past 11 years. We note four general approaches to how tensions are examined: through a win-win, trade-off, integrative, or paradox lens. The win-win approach looks for opportunities to reconcile social and/or environmental goals with economic goals, thus bypassing tensions, whereas a trade-off approach views such goals as being in conflict and requires that a choice be made between them. We find that scholars have also used an integrative approach to bring balance to the three elements of sustainability. More recently, a paradox approach, which seeks to understand the nature of tensions along with how actors work through them, provides an opportunity to evaluate complex sustainability issues and generate creative approaches to them. We call on scholars to build on paradox research, which explicitly addresses tensions in sustainability, and to extend conceptual work through empirical studies.

Leveraging digital solutions for enhanced sustainability management in production systems: a case study in Baden-Württemberg

At the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development implementation, over half of the targets remain unmet due to insufficient government funding and tradeoffs among the sustainable development goals (SDGs) globally. The shortage of government funding and tradeoff between goals is a major bottleneck affecting SDGs realization. Underdeveloped mountain areas face multiple challenges such as weak infrastructure, shortage of human capital, and slow economic development, which may hinder achieving the goal of “No one left behind.” In underdeveloped mountain regions with limited financial input for sustainable development, prioritizing the SDGs through research can optimize government funding efficiency, promoting synergies between goals and reducing tradeoffs, and accelerate progress toward local SDGs. Lincang city is a typical underdeveloped mountainous region; thus, the cost‐benefit maximization criterion, correlation analysis, cluster analysis, and progress evaluation are adopted to propose priorities for advancing the SDGs in three stages: 2010–2015, 2016–2020, and 2010–2020. The findings reveal that the environmental and social dimension goals in underdeveloped regions have made positive progress, while the economic dimension goals are relatively lagging behind. Economic goals take precedence over environmental and social goals in underdeveloped regions. The specific order of priority is as follows: SDGs 9, 7, 11, 15, 4, 17, 12, 13, 16, 1, 6, 3, 8, 2, 10, and 5. Through developing green economies such as organic agriculture, clean energy, and eco‐tourism, the ecological environment advantage is transformed into an economic development driving force, and enhancing institutional support and implementation is crucial for promoting sustainable development in underdeveloped mountainous areas.

Independent regulatory authorities hold comprehensive policy mandates that cover both economic and social goals. They take on various roles in market regulation, competition policy, consumer protection, and labor inspection. This article questions whether policymakers are driven by different rationales when delegating the realization of social, as opposed to economic goals, and analyzes how regulators accommodate their various roles in practice. The conceptual framework links the literature on delegation and organizational models. Comparative analysis of postal policy in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom covers a serious area of potential conflict between social and economic regulation. Variation in delegation points to the relevance of instrumental considerations, but also to the politics of institutional arrangements. Variation in regulatory practice shows that organizational models make a difference in accommodating conflict. The article makes a strong case that social and economic regulation need to be addressed as two distinct, yet interacting spheres. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

The article is devoted to theoretical and practical aspects of integrating management accounting into organisational and economic mechanisms that ensure sustainable development of enterprises. It is substantiated that successful sustainable development requires the transformation of corporate accounting and analytical systems, in particular, the implementation of management accounting principles focused not only on financial indicators, but also on environmental and social aspects of activities. Recent studies highlighting the role of management accounting in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and indicating the need to adapt accounting systems to new requirements (IFRS S1, S2, ESRS) are analysed, It is determined that the integration of management accounting tools (budgeting, KPI system, cost accounting with consideration of environmental factors) into the strategic and operational management of the enterprise facilitates informed decision-making to balance economic, environmental and social goals. Examples from the practice of Ukrainian and international companies that demonstrate the positive effect of such integration are provided. Based on the results of the study, recommendations are formulated for further development of organisational and economic mechanism for enterprises' sustainable development by expanding the informational and analytical function of management accounting. Going beyond a simple statement of the problem and methodology, the article details a comprehensive integration algorithm encompassing regulatory, organisational-economic and information-analytical components. Management accounting is a central element of this mechanism: it ensures that environmental, social and economic goals are embedded in planning, budgeting, KPI development, cost calculation and reporting. The proposed algorithm includes: (1) definition of sustainable development goals and indicators; (2) integration of budgeting, KPI and cost accounting tools with consideration of environmental and social criteria; (3) measurement and monitoring of performance across all sustainability dimensions; and (4) use of the results to adjust strategy and motivation systems, ensuring continuous improvement. Practical examples illustrate the application of this algorithm: Bacardi uses flexible budgeting to track resource efficiency as its product portfolio changes; DSM's compensation strategy assumes that 25% of long-term rewards depend on absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the scope of 1-3; Unilever and Danone link sustainability indices to executive remuneration; Microsoft links executive bonuses to climate targets; and Interface's Mission Zero programme has reduced greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 96% and water consumption by 89%. In addition, Ukrainian industrial enterprises demonstrate similar dynamics: Metinvest has reduced direct CO2 emissions to 2.30 t per ton of steel and recycles 91% of water used, while DTEK plans to invest more than €2 billion in renewable energy projects and build 200 MW batteries. These examples prove practical feasibility of integrating management accounting into sustainable development systems and show that such integration enhances transparency, resource efficiency and stakeholder trust, helping enterprises to more effectively overcome uncertainty.

Difficulty in striking a balance between social and economic goals is a policy dilemma common to developing nations. The conflict has been particularly acute among socialist nations such as the People's Republic of China (PRC) that must balance the need for economic development against an inherent political agenda of reducing class inequities. Since the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, the Chinese government has sought to construct an education policy agenda that promotes economic prosperity while remaining consistent with the socialist ideal of establishing an equitable society. The experience of China illustrates the difficulty of reconciling leftist social goals and economically pragmatic policies. Economic scarcity has dictated that policies designed to promote rapid economic development compete directly for resources with policies designed to expand social opportunities to traditionally disadvantaged groups. Changing fortunes of leftist and more moderate players in the political arena have brought repeated shifts in the relative importance assigned to economic and social goals. The philosophical underpinnings of educational policies have reflected these shifts, alternating between a socialist egalitarian model of education and a liberal competitive model.' Education policies of the early years reflected attempts from radical left-wing and more moderate camps to combine the goals of socialism with the need for economic development. The Cultural Revolution (1966-76) signaled the unchecked ascendancy of leftist ideological goals in educational policy-making; policies in the ensuing years reflected a focus on economic issues.2

Due to the important role that the application of mathematical programming models have in determining optimal cropping patterns, this research presents a sustainable cropping pattern that considers selected economic, environmental, and social goals together. Using a random sampling method, a sample size of 168 farmers was selected in the Sari County, Iran. Our results showed that economic, self-sufficiency, environmental, and social goals have a distinctly different impact on cropping pattern performance. Compared to the current cropping pattern, the gross margins for economic and social goals increased by nearly 11 and 2 %, respectively, and the gross margins for self-sufficiency and environmental goals decreased by nearly 2 and 36 %. Interestingly, it has been found that the performance of the current cropping pattern has an average positive impact of 6 % if economic, self-sufficiency, environmental, and social (employment) goals are realized simultaneously.

From conventional drainage to sustainable stormwater management: Beyond the technical challenges

This study supports the proposition that sustainability’s integration into Quality Management Systems (QMS) could be a viable pathway to the development of the Emergency paradigm, in which leadership plays a crucial role. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was performed in order to deepen leadership’s relationship with Quality Management (QM) from an evolutionary perspective. An exploratory survey was then conducted to assess quality managers’ perceptions of sustainability’s integration into QMS and their leadership styles, using the 5X Short Leader Form MLQ instrument. The results indicate that leadership is a critical element of QMS performance, enhancing transformational leadership, which appears to be the dominant self-perceived style of the quality managers who participated. Nevertheless, these practitioners recognise the difficulties in committing all employees to the sustainability journey. The theoretical and managerial implications give rise to this work. The SLR results could be a useful database to support future QM and Leadership research. The organisations could follow the suggested pathway to evolve their QMS to support solutions to some of the current challenges. At the same time, quality managers could reflect on their future professional challenges. This work has taken a step forward, indicating sustainable quality management systems as a viable pathway to explore QM knowledge regarding the Emergency paradigm, and thus enhancing leadership’s role.

Forests play a critical role in combating climate change and promoting sustainable development. They are often referred to as the "lungs of the Earth" because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, making them vital for regulating the planet's climate and supporting life. Forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Trees, through the process of photosynthesis, convert carbon dioxide into organic matter, which is stored in their biomass and in the soil. This process helps reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases, mitigating climate change. Forests are home to a vast array of plant and animal species. Biodiversity is essential for the stability and resilience of ecosystems. Maintaining healthy and diverse forests helps ensure that ecosystems can adapt to changing environmental conditions and continue to provide ecosystem services that support sustainable development. Forests contribute to climate regulation by influencing temperature, precipitation, and weather patterns. They release water vapor into the atmosphere through a process known as transpiration, which can lead to increased cloud cover and precipitation, thus affecting local and regional climates. Forests play a crucial role in protecting watersheds and maintaining the quality and availability of freshwater resources. Tree roots stabilize soil, reducing erosion and maintaining water quality. Forested areas often act as natural filters, removing pollutants and sediments from runoff. Forests provide livelihoods for millions of people worldwide, especially in rural areas. Sustainable forest management practices can ensure a steady supply of timber, non-timber forest products, and ecosystem services, contributing to the economic well-being of local communities. Forests offer various ecosystem services, including regulating services (climate regulation, water purification, erosion control), provisioning services (timber, fuelwood, non-timber forest products), cultural services (recreation, spiritual value), and supporting services (nutrient cycling, pollination). Adopting sustainable forest management practices is crucial to maintaining the benefits provided by forests. Sustainable logging, afforestation, and reforestation efforts can help maintain and even enhance the carbon sequestration capacity of forests. Recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples in forest management is essential. Indigenous communities often have valuable traditional knowledge of sustainable forest practices and can play a key role in conservation and sustainable development efforts. Efforts to restore degraded forests and establish new forested areas (reforestation and afforestation) can contribute to climate change mitigation and the protection of biodiversity. Global agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) acknowledge the importance of forests in climate action and sustainable development, providing a framework for global cooperation. In conclusion, forests are integral to addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development. Efforts to conserve and sustainably manage forests are essential to achieving environmental, social, and economic goals at both local and global levels. Recognizing the multifaceted benefits of forests and integrating them into climate and development strategies is crucial for a more sustainable and resilient future.