Business Case For Sustainability Research Articles

Employee participation and engagement in working for the environment

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of specific human resource management (HRM) practices in the implementation of environmental initiatives in terms of their impact on employee attitudes to the organization and to its environmental programme.Design/methodology/approach– The study used a mixed method approach comprising a survey of 675 employees and 16 semi-structured interviews undertaken across two organizations.Findings– Survey data, analysed using path analysis, showed that participation in environmental initiatives is directly associated with higher levels of employee engagement with the organization, higher rating of their organization’s environmental performance, and lower intention to quit. The qualitative study supports the quantitative data, also highlighting other aspects of environmental initiatives that may affect employee attitudes.Research limitations/implications– Future study should either collect longitudinal data or rely on data collected from two waves of data collection. Objective performance data should also be collected in order to better understand the causal effect of HRM on environmental performance.Practical implications– Our findings have implications for the business case for sustainability, providing some evidence that implementing environmental initiatives with HRM support may not only motivate staff around environmental programmes but may provide wider benefits for organizations in terms of overall job satisfaction and employee retention.Social implications– Successful implementation of environmental management initiatives have both organizational and employee level outcomes. Employees who were more aligned with their organizational environmental objectives were found to be more engaged and less likely to quit.Originality/value– This study provided both quantitative and qualitative empirical evidence to support the importance of integrating the HRM function into the implementation of environmental initiatives.

Editorial: Energy storage

Finding ways to implement the cost-effective storage of electrical energy has been an objective of power system planners and operators since the beginning of public electricity supply more than 100 years ago. Indeed, some of the very early direct current municipal supply systems used large flooded batteries to feed lighting systems through the night. More recently, a small number of large pumped hydro schemes have provided specialist services such as frequency response. There have also been demonstration projects of other storage technologies such as compressed air energy storage and flywheels, but these have not led to widespread deployment. The low-carbon power systems now being developed in response to climate change offer greatly increased opportunities for electrical energy storage systems to assist in balancing supply and demand as well as supplying a whole range of ancillary services. However, the commercial case for energy storage in large power systems has yet to be demonstrated clearly and its use is presently restricted to niche markets. The convenience and low price of fossil fuel, which is really energy stored in chemical form, have been too great to allow energy storage systems to be developed and used widely. This is now changing and the number and type of energy storage systems is rising rapidly. The increasing importance of energy storage and how it can be implemented led to this themed issue and it was encouraging to receive such a strong set of papers. Our briefing note is by Price (2015), addressing the allimportant regulatory issues. Without regulation that rewards its value to the power system fairly, a sustainable business case for energy storage cannot be made. The briefing addresses the particular issues for energy storage within the UK and makes comparison with other countries. The present regulatory structure in the UK does not allow easy access to all the various multiple revenue streams that are likely to be required for a commercial case to be constructed for energy storage and so stimulate its use.

Framing sustainability performance of supply chains with multidimensional indicators

Purpose– This paper aims to provide a framework which can assist focal companies in the development of sustainable supply chains. Sustainable development from an industrial perspective has extended beyond organisational boundaries to incorporate a supply chain approach.Design/methodology/approach– The literature related to sustainable supply chain management is reviewed by incorporating concepts from four organisational theories, including the resource-based, institutional, stakeholder and social network perspectives, to illustrate key drivers and enablers of sustainability initiatives in the supply chain. A conceptual multidimensional framework is then developed that can be used for the initial assessment of supply chain sustainability.Findings– Development and assessment of sustainability in supply chains are being increasingly incorporated as part of supply chain management today. This paper presents a multidimensional framework which can serve as a tool for research scholars and supply chain practitioners in identifying and assessing various economic, environmental and social performance indicators.Research limitations/implications– The framework and approach presented are conceptual, and require additional and broader validation. Additional theories, at differing levels, such as individual behaviour theory, should be utilised to further enhance and evaluate the framework. Developing and integrating analytical models for prescriptive and practical supply chain solutions can enhance the applicability of the framework.Practical implications– The framework adopts a multidimensional approach to assessing and designing sustainable supply chains, as it not only incorporates economic and environmental dimensions but also provides a practical approach to quantifying and embedding the social dimension into decision-making. The framework helps industry practitioners in initial exploration of trade-offs among economic, environmental and social performance of supply chains, which, in turn, could assist them in creating a business case for sustainability.Originality/value– The paper is one of few studies that incorporates some of the key aspects of all three dimensions of sustainability in a single overarching framework for supply chains and offers significant theoretical contribution and implications for sustainable supply chain management.

Socializing the C-suite: why some big-box retailers are “greener” than others

Despite a considerable push by policy-makers to incentivize green business practices, take-up of environmental initiatives amongst North American retailers has been highly uneven. While some “big-box” retailers have launched ambitious environmental initiatives, others continue to conduct business as usual. This paper asks: why do some mega-retailers commit to ambitious environmental agendas while others in the same sector do not? And how can the answer to this question improve public policy? I investigate these questions using comparative case studies of four North American big-box retailers: Wal-Mart, Target, Costco and Kroger. My findings suggest that the socialization of senior executives through multi-stakeholder sustainability networks is the critical variable accounting for progressive environmental practices in some corporations and not others. This finding suggests that existing public policies that focus on making the business case for sustainability are based on incomplete assumptions about why companies “go green.” It further suggests that socialization theory can help explain broader instances of corporate social responsibility and proposes that scholars in this field should devote more attention to the composition of socializing groups.

The business case for sustainability in surgery

The business case for sustainability in surgery

The consensus between Italian HR and sustainability managers on HR management for sustainability-driven change – towards a ‘strong' HR management system

By sustainability-driven change, we mean the transformation of a company into an active agent of broad sustainable development. This paper focuses on two key features of this transformation: (i) the key role played by the company's human resource (HR) management system within that process; and (ii) the fact that the transformation involves a variety of agents and that, among others, HR and sustainability managers are pivotal to the success of the process. Gaining consensus between them on those aspects of the HR system that support sustainability-driven change is a key success factor, as it results in a ‘strong' HR management system that sends coherent messages to the organization. In addition, consensus between the two managers can be critical in preparing a compelling business case for sustainability for the senior management of the organization. This paper explores the level of consensus between the HR and sustainability managers using a survey of 89 managers in Italian companies committed to sustainability. The results of our research indicate which elements of an HR management system are seen as important for sustainability-driven change by both the HR and the sustainability managers and what differences in perception exist between them. Based upon our findings, implications for HR practice and research are then advanced and discussed.

Corporate Sustainability Effectiveness: Social and Environmental Reports Grade of Disclosure and Economic Performance

Nowadays, sustainable development is widely considered as the leading paradigm for future growth. Over the last years, research has provided a business case for sustainability, showing it pays in terms of superior financial, operative and competitive performance. Nevertheless, at business level, sustainability is often equated to eco-efficiency. The key to corporate sustainability goes beyond the efficiency point of view, regarding the effectiveness of firms’ sustainable strategies and policies: the question is not anymore whether being “green” or not, but how being “green”. Measuring sustainability effectiveness and its effects on firms’ performance is currently one of the major issues in the corporate sustainability theory building. This paper aims to contribute to this process in two ways: providing an innovative measure of corporate sustainability effectiveness, that is the level of disclosure of sustainable information in GRI non-financial reports, and analyzing the outcomes of effective sustainable strategies and policies on companies’ market value. I propose a longitudinal study of the Fortune Global 500 companies in order to show that higher level of disclosure determines higher market value. Results show that the issuance of a GRI referenced report determines a positive effect on market capitalization, even if a full disclosure stance (A and A GRI Application Levels) has a negative effect on market value in the period of analysis.

THE DAVID LAWRENCE CONVENTION CENTER: HOW GREEN BUILDING DESIGN AND OPERATIONS CAN SAVE MONEY, DRIVE LOCAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND TRANSFORM AN INDUSTRY

INTRODUCTION When the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh was completed in 2003, it was one of largest green buildings in the country. Its success proved that sustainability principles could be integrated into a breathtaking and high-performing design. Using almost a decade of performance data, this study, led by evolveEA, was commissioned to understand the level of building performance and the return on the initial investment in sustainability. With input from Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics, CJL Engineering, and Civil and Environmental Consultants, the Buildings-in-Operation (BiO) study demonstrates that: investment in high performance systems can yield direct savings and improved sustainability operations and maintenance practices; green building projects can accelerate broader organizational sustainability efforts; green buildings can create major benefits for a region, including additional commerce and an increased uptake of green building de...

Finding the God Particle of the Sustainability Business Case: Greener Pastures for Shareholder Value

The start of the 2000s saw a flurry of international publications on “the business case” for sustainability, seeking to map out the returns on investment and to differentiate recommended actions from cases of corporate philanthropy. Reports by business organisations and others identified different categories of justifications, incentives, benefits and levels of making the business case. 1) Research over the last decade has pointed to a complex relation between sustainability and financial performance. 2) Results have been influenced by different input and output variables applied, by what is defined as: “sustainability” or “socially responsible” actions, the scope of the agenda covered and the definition of what is the ultimate goal (e.g. increased profit, shareholder value or longer term success and value of the business).

Key CSR dimensions for the food chain

PurposeThis paper aims to identify and define the content of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the food chain.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach was applied in the study, based on participatory and case study research methodologies. The study drew on three different case food products and their supply chains: rye bread, broiler chicken products and margarine. The content of CSR was built through participatory workshops, the aim of which was to elicit the ideas of different stakeholder groups.FindingsThe study identified seven key dimensions of food chain CSR: environment, product safety, corporate nutritional responsibility, occupational welfare, animal health and welfare, local market presence and economic responsibility.Originality/valueThe results provide food and agribusiness companies with a better understanding of core CSR issues and their relevance in complex chains and networks. This may encourage the companies to promote their activities in a more responsible and sustainable direction and offer elements to build sustainable business cases. In addition, the results may indicate a change towards broader understanding of what is meant by corporate social responsibility.

Beyond eco‐efficiency: understanding CS through the IC practice lens

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to draw a conceptual bridge between the intellectual capital (IC) and corporate sustainability (CS) literature to investigate how firms mobilise their IC in order to implement sustainable development into their business practices.Design/methodology/approachA case study of the Australian property and construction sector was undertaken and the results are discussed.FindingsThe finding offered in this paper is that in order to progress beyond the efficiency phase of CS, firms need to shift from justifying the business case for sustainability, to understanding how to mobilise their IC to progress towards a more ecological sustainable and socially equitable enterprise. Ongoing evolution, with regard to the approach adopted for the management of IC, is also helping to drive organisational change towards more sustainable business models. Each category of IC plays a role with regard to operationalising CS into practice and supporting organisational change. The identified roles include motivating, supporting, implementing and performance.Research limitations/implicationsIn relation to the interview data collected it is generally limited to the views of the senior management and as such may not reflect the views of the employees of the organisation.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the conversation of the third stage of IC research, based on the proposition that the performative approach to IC can help move business beyond the eco‐efficiency stage of corporate sustainability and in doing so improves the relevance and usefulness of the IC concept for business organisations.

The New Economics of the Business Case for Sustainability

This paper joins the debate on business’ role in the implementation of sustainable development and argues that firms are beginning to run more sustainable practices as these are becoming increasingly profitable. It is also argued that such evolution of the economics of social environmental performance is the result of a three stage dynamics which involves consumer awareness, industrial policies, new cost structures and stakeholders’ pressure. Moreover, it is also considered that such a phenomenon implies that corporations can be of huge help to regulations in the implementation of sustainability. Finally, by running analyses of the relevant literature on the business case for sustainability, this paper reconciles the mixed and inconclusive results which the academic research on the economic rationale of sustainability has always produced.

Sustainable buildings and infrastructure: paths to the future

1. Drivers of Sustainability in the Built Environment 2. History of Sustainability in the Built Environment 3. Sustainability Policies and Programs 4. Green Rating Systems 5. Project Delivery and Pre-design Sustainability Opportunities 6. Sustainable Design Opportunities and Best Practices 7. Sustainable Construction Opportunities and Best Practices 8. Post-occupance Sustainability Opportunities and Best Practices 9. The Business Case for Sustainability 10. Trends for theFutire of Sustainable Design and Construction Case Studies Air Force Weather Agency, Nebraska. Air Reserve Base Fire Station, Homestead (FL). Center One Building, Seoul. Freedom Park, Naples (FL). Gran Torre Costanera, Santiago. Hotel Intercontinental, Santiago. Olympic Venue, London. Masdar, UAE. One Island East, Hong Kong. The People's Place Library, Antigonish. Songdo IBD, Incheon. Sydney Water Headquarters. Torre Titanium La Portada, Santiago. United Nations Offices, Nairobi. Visionaire Hotel, New York

Corporate sustainability management: evidence from Germany

PurposeSustainability has become a hot topic in business administration theory. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on how companies can manage sustainability properly. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is two fold. First, it provides an updated discussion on the potential business case for sustainability. Second, it analyses the current state of the implementation of sustainability management in Germany.Design/methodology/approachBased on literature review, the paper aims to answer two research questions: are there indications for a business case for sustainability, and what is the current state of implementation of sustainability management in Germany?FindingsA business case for sustainability seems, in principle, plausible, especially with regard to an individual company basis. The discussion of recent empirical studies in Germany may lead to the conclusion that sustainability management is not yet implemented comprehensively. Remarkably, the management control and finance departments are almost completely uninvolved in the implementation of sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsEmpirical research is not provided. The paper proposes to conduct qualitative empirical studies for further research to address the research problem.Originality/valueThe paper integrates German and international literature and therefore represents a comprehensive base for further research. It also brings a number of empirical studies about the implementation of sustainability management, conducted in the German language, into the international discussion.

The 'Business Case for Sustainability' Concept: A Short Introduction

This paper provides a theoretical introduction to the 'Business Case for Sustainability' concept, its drivers, key challenges and future issues. A business case for sustainability intends and realizes economic success through (and not just with) an intelligent design of voluntary environmental and social management. It can be characterized by three requirements which have to be met. Firstly, the company has to realize a voluntary or mainly voluntary activity with the intention to contribute to the solution of societal or environmental problems. Secondly, the activity must create a positive business effect or a positive contribution to the economic success of the company which can be measured or argued for in a convincing way. Thirdly, a clear and convincing argumentation must exist that a certain management or entrepreneurial activity has led or will lead to both the intended societal or environmental effect and the economic effect. In summary: A business case for sustainability results from the intelligent design of voluntary or mainly voluntary social and environmental management and creates a positive business effect based on a distinct management or entrepreneurial activity. The concept of the business case for sustainability guides researchers and practitioners alike to find answers to the crucial question: How can the competitiveness and business success of a company be improved with voluntarily created outstanding environmental and social performance?

Business Cases for Sustainability and the Role of Business Model Innovation: Developing a Conceptual Framework

A considerable body of literature deals with the creation of economic value while increasing corporate environmental and social performance. Some publications even focus on the business case for sustainability which is targeted towards increasing corporate economic value through environmental or social measures. The existence of a business case for sustainability is, however, mostly considered to be an ad hoc measure, an add-on to core business, or simply a coincidence. As a contrast to these views this paper argues that to support a systematic, ongoing creation of business cases for sustainability may require business model innovation. A framework for business model innovation is proposed as a means to strategically create business cases on a regular basis as an inherent, deeply integrated element of business activities

Higher education's sustainability imperative: how to practically respond?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe four phases for how universities have addressed a sustainability agenda and offer specific lessons for how and where experiences on one campus, the University of Colorado Boulder, have been met with success and other challenges. The authors offer general reflections for executing university‐wide sustainability initiatives with a central intent of illuminating central barriers against, and incentives for, a coordinated and integrated approach to campus sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThe approach for arriving at four phases and a description of the University of Colorado Boulder is based on experiences from learning, teaching, and administering within universities–collectively for almost a century among the authors–and lessons from “war room” discussions.FindingsSustainability initiatives on campus may evolve through a series of phases labeled: grassroots; executive acceptance of the business case for sustainability; the visionary campus leader; and fully self‐actualized and integrated campus community. The University of Colorado Boulder, while a leader in many respects of sustainability (research, student activities, facilities management) has experienced serious challenges for coordination.Originality/valueThe four phases are a relatively novel contribution for the specific literature on sustainability education. Second, the tangible examples from University of Colorado Boulder demonstrate how coordination is difficult in these situations; these examples allow readers to better relate to and understand such challenges. Finally, the authors reflect on central issues according to three categories: self‐reflection, recommendations, and advantages.

Business cases for sustainability: the role of business model innovation for corporate sustainability

A considerable body of literature deals with the creation of economic value while increasing corporate environmental and social performance. Some publications even focus on the business case for sustainability which aims at increasing corporate economic value through environmental or social measures. The existence of a business case for sustainability is, however, mostly seen as an ad hoc measure, a supplement to the core business, or simply a coincidence. As a contrast, this paper argues that business model innovations may be required to support a systematic, ongoing creation of business cases for sustainability. A framework for business model innovation is proposed as a means to strategically create business cases on a regular basis as an inherent, deeply integrated element of business activities.

A quest for corporate sustainability in forest-based industry: a resource-based perspective

Growing interest in corporate sustainability has translated into growing concerns about how corporate responsibility management can be more effectively integrated with economic business goals, challenging organizations to shift their priorities toward more holistic strategies and performance assessment models which encompass measures related to both multiple stakeholders and responsibilities. Although interactions between corporate (social) strategy, sustainability performance, and business competitiveness have received considerable attention in both theory and practice over the past three decades, the phenomenon is under-investigated in forest-based industry, which is undergoing broad structural changes and global shifts in market demand and supply. This dissertation aims to fill this gap by approaching it from the resource-based view of the firm and empirically investigating a variety of aspects in an attempt to provide an overview of state-of-the-art corporate sustainability in global forest-based industry and to capture a structured view of the relationships between sustainability performance, competitiveness and economic performance among forest-based companies. The results indicate that both larger and small forest-based companies seem to have clear stakeholder orientations. Driven by legal requirements aspects, small companies tend to adopt informal corporate responsibility strategies and tools to meet their stakeholder expectations. A majority of large forest industry companies appear to have implemented corporate responsibility mainly with a profit-maximizing assumption and a relatively defensive approach parallel to and beyond their core business. To these large companies, environmental and economic issues are dominant in disclosure and profitability, while regional differences are not decisive in formulating strategies for sustainability reporting. Furthermore, the results bolster previous findings that have reported a positive return on corporate responsibility initiatives in terms of profitability, suggesting that corporate responsibility can enhance value creation for forest-based companies. To that end, a differentiated business-oriented approach is necessary in managing the business case for sustainability.

Quality Improvement Implementation and Disparities

The Health Disparities Collaboratives (HDCs), a quality improvement (QI) collaborative incorporating rapid QI, a chronic care model, and learning sessions, have been implemented in over 900 community health centers across the country. To determine the HDC's effect on clinical processes and outcomes, their financial impact, and factors important for successful implementation. Systematic review of the literature. The HDCs improve clinical processes of care over short-term period of 1 to 2 years, and clinical processes and outcomes over longer period of 2 to 4 years. Most participants perceive that the HDCs are successful and worth the effort. Analysis of the Diabetes Collaborative reveals that it is societally cost-effective, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $33,386 per quality-adjusted life year, but that consistent revenue streams for the initiative do not exist. Common barriers to improvement include lack of resources, time, and staff burnout. Highest ranked priorities for more funding are money for direct patient services, data entry, and staff time for QI. Other common requests for more assistance are help with patient self-management, information systems, and getting providers to follow guidelines. Relatively low-cost ways to increase staff morale and prevent burnout include personal recognition, skills development opportunities, and fair distribution of work. The HDCs have successfully improved quality of care, and the Diabetes Collaborative is societally cost-effective, but policy reforms are necessary to create a sustainable business case for these health centers that serve many uninsured and underinsured populations.