Abstract
The scope of sustainable development is undoubtedly growing, and becoming increasingly more important due to the process of globalization, amounting in complex environmental, societal and economic issues. Although the subject of business sustainability has been gaining traction and resulted in increased knowledge in the field, the business sustainability discourse is still at a young stage, where the different streams of approaches, definitions, systems and measures are fragmented and challenged. Today’s global challenges are so large and complex that they require a new kind of problem-solving and way of doing business. Identifying solutions requires a diversity of perspectives, approaches and capabilities, and the business sector plays a critical role. The integrated approach has been examined to some extent, proposing a holistic manner of moving on to true business sustainability, and a sustainable development on a global scale. This article presents the concept of Inter Business and the Inter Business Index, a tool for measurement and comparability of holistic sustainability in businesses. The Inter Business framework consists of four key-components that describe the skills needed for future-preparedness. In our research, we have analysed the 50 biggest corporations in Sweden and identified purpose, empathy, system approach and transformation as components that respond to the hypothesis that interconnection and integration are key for companies to survive and thrive, whilst contributing to society at large.
Highlights
1.1 The Concept of SustainabilityThe scope of sustainable development is undoubtedly growing, and becoming increasingly more important due to the process of globalization, amounting in complex environmental, societal and economic issues
The integrated approach has been examined to some extent, proposing a holistic manner of moving on to true business sustainability, and a sustainable development on a global scale
This article presents the concept of Inter Business and the Inter Business Index, a tool for measurement and comparability of holistic sustainability in businesses
Summary
1.1 The Concept of SustainabilityThe scope of sustainable development is undoubtedly growing, and becoming increasingly more important due to the process of globalization, amounting in complex environmental, societal and economic issues. Sustainable development was defined as a “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.When referring to sustainability in practice and business sustainability, a concept often encountered is “the triple bottom line”. Different elements of sustainability do not act as isolated dimensions, making this approach insufficient to achieve a truly sustainable business and sustainable development on a global scale (Symons & Lamberton, 2014). This calls for new approaches, to the concept of sustainability, and to ways and methods to measure the full scope of sustainability in businesses
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
