Strategic Sustainable Development Research Articles

Human Capital at the Regional Level: Population Forecast Insights into Latvia from a Long-Term Perspective

To remain prosperous and competitive, modern regions must meet the challenge of becoming smart and sustainable, and human capital has a key role in this context. Depopulation increases risks of human capital availability and emigration is a primary reason. Regions that are experiencing a decreased population must develop strategic sustainable regional development policies that consider scientifically based population forecasts. The youth population characterises regional potential for long-term human capital availability. First, children represent a region’s future employees and entrepreneurs. Second, children require availability of educational services at regional level, which promotes regional vitality. Third, the youth population indirectly demonstrates a region’s socio-economic attractiveness for living and working. This study employs the system dynamic method to forecast different population change scenarios at the regional level in Latvia. The results reveal a declining, long-term population tendency for working age and youth populations in Latvian regions. Overall, Latvian regions will remain extremely homogeneous in the long term, with minor differences in the short term. In conclusion, despite regional disparities in terms of quality of life with some leading examples, all regions will experience high emigration loss. Regional social, economic and environmental characteristics demonstrate a need to assess population change trends in a complex manner. This study provides data for understanding short- and long-term perspectives that must be addressed through sustainable regional development policies. Received: 27 October 2023 / Accepted: 24 March 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

Development of a strategy deployment framework combining corporate sustainability and operational excellence

AbstractOperations management requires models, methods and tools that integrate both sustainability and operational excellence to support organizations in implementing long‐term sustainability. The purpose of this research is to provide a strategy deployment framework integrating both corporate sustainability and operational excellence. The research approach includes an explorative literature review, providing a background on operational excellence, sustainability, and hoshin kanri, a special form of strategy deployment. Comprehensive frameworks for both strategy deployment (hoshin kanri) and sustainability (Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development) were used as a foundation and adapted towards a strategy deployment framework linking sustainability with operational excellence. This was done by integrating both frameworks and by including operational excellence enablers. The resulting framework illustrates how strategic sustainability goals can be aligned and deployed within businesses. This research contributes towards supporting corporations in their efforts in becoming sustainable businesses and serves as a theoretical base for future research.

Place and role of science-intensive business segments in vertically integrated oil and gas companies

Oil and gas industry development is influenced by global trends, which are mostly negative and restrictive in nature. Improvement and applied use of scientific resources are some of the key factors that allow us to respond to the challenges. The relevance of knowledge-intensive business segment development is noted by the industry expert community. The current versions of the Energy Strategy and the Strategy for Scientific and Technical Development of Fuel and Energy Sector Industries include tasks of developing import-substituting technologies and equipment, conducting R&D for this purpose, and improving scientific competencies. These tasks are translated into the strategies of individual vertically integrated oil and gas companies, and, therefore, there is a need to analyze the place and role of knowledge-intensive business segment of such companies in order to assess its ability to ensure their strategic sustainable development. According to the analysis results, importance of knowledge-intensive business segment for strategic sustainable development of oil and gas companies has been confirmed. The need to actualize the tools and methods of strategic planning for knowledge-intensive segments development in order to align activity to create scientific results with formalized goals and challenges of company development has been identified.

A Gamified Approach to Engage Sustainable User Behavior in Product Service System Solutions

Product service system solutions encourage to share products, reducing manufacturing processes and increasing the product life. Therefore, this might contribute to offer more sustainable solutions to users, by considering the complete socio-ecological system, the context, the stakeholder relationship, among other aspects. Where the sustainability behavior of consumers and the data provided for new information and technology (ICT) devices are key factors in the development of solutions with a higher sustainability performance. Moreover, game elements and ICT have been used in different fields to engage users. The aim of this research is to investigate if a gamified approach motivates a substantiable behavior change in users of product service system solutions. Based on a literature review, a model is proposed and applied to a product service system case of a shared laundry facility in Sweden. The model was evaluated with experts semi-structured interviews and a survey with users of the shared laundry facility. Concluding that a gamified approach has a potential to motivate behavior change towards sustainability in product service system. In future research, the proposed model will be adapted to be tested in other product service system cases, with the purpose to improve it for its application in industry and education. 
 Keywords: strategic sustainable development, game elements, product development, smart PSS, behavior change.
 

Strategic Sustainable Development With Innovation And Business Model Canvas In SMEs

Koperasi Magar Jaya in the Kanigoro District of Blitar Regency has thirteen SMEs members. The members have equal rights and obligations, including access to capital loans, procurement of raw materials, training opportunities, and the chance to market their combined products in specific events. While all members can manage their own businesses, there is also an opportunity to sell products together in culinary centers, souvenir centers, and for special occasions. To sustain and develop the business, sustainable strategies are necessary. The research objective is to design sustainable strategies using the business model canvas and formulate solutions for the SMEs. The research methodology is qualitative descriptive, utilizing primary and secondary data sources. The analysis involves designing the business canvas as a tool for developing the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD). The research findings indicate key activities such as procurement of raw materials, production, packaging, and marketing. The value proposition includes standard pricing, standardized products, and attractive packaging. Key resources include raw materials, capital, equipment, machinery, and labor based on the production process. Customer relationships involve discounts on purchases, although they may not be standardized or applied equally to all customers. Consignment of products, payment terms, and free local delivery services are also provided. Channels of distribution involve direct service and can also utilize agents or souvenir centers. Customer segments include the community in need of the products, as well as agents or resellers and souvenir centers. The cost structure includes production costs and sales expenses. Revenue streams come from cash sales, sales through souvenir centers, and consignment sales

Understanding governance barriers and enablers for municipal and regional transition towards sustainability—Presenting a comprehensive diagnostic tool based on six case studies in Sweden

AbstractMunicipal and regional leaders' achievements for synchronised sustainability transitions are still not enough. Systemic, systematic and strategic cross‐sectoral collaboration and co‐creation are needed. However, sectors isolated in silos leads to suboptimal measures and strategies, and a reductionist view on what hinders and enables joint action towards full sustainability. Consequently, methodological support for addressing the coordinative challenge is often not asked for. This study investigates the observed reductionist perspective as foundation for developing enhanced methodological support for strategic sustainable development (SSD) and further aimed to gain insight into how leaders can be better supported to understand their current reality of barriers and enablers for cross‐sectoral SSD work and to prototype such support. Results from fieldwork with leaders in six municipalities and regions suggest that both frequency and depth of barriers and enablers in relation to elements for SSD are insufficient. Nine categories were identified and combined with SSD core elements into a diagnostic tool.

APPROACHES OF STRATEGIC SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIAN SPORT

Sustainability has become a pressing concern for a wide range of organizations, including sports’ world governing bodies. This paper aims to examine the meaning of sustainability in the context of international sport federations and how the national federations succeed to implement social and environmental sustainability practices. The study explores the strategic priorities for sustainable development from the perspective of Romanian Football Federation for governing national sport and how they define a framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. We used a five-dimensional analytical framework to analyze the recent changes national federations have made regarding sustainability, concentrating on the Romanian Football Federation as an example of good practices. The paper aims to emphasize that planned efforts as part of a long-term sustainable development strategy in the field of sport must be considered high priority.

A Holistic Approach to Strategic Sustainable Development of Urban Voids as Historic Urban Landscapes from the Perspective of Urban Resilience

Since complex urban systems are a combination of different spatial typologies and may have various complex characteristics (human, environmental, social, economic, political, and cultural), decision-making cannot be done without a holistic approach and complex analysis and evaluation of the possible development scenarios. This is especially true in today’s world, where spatial and urban planning must consider various objectives such as sustainable development, accessibility, landscape characteristics, and public interests on a strategic level. This results in the need to use appropriate decision support and decision-making tools in the strategic urban planning process of complex urban environments with Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL) characteristics to improve urban development and resilience. The proposed evaluation model, “Strategic Planning for Urban Resilience—SPUR model,” is based on a holistic approach to spatial planning with an emphasis on the strategic sustainable development of urban voids as HULs and was tested on the case study of the Delta area in the City of Rijeka, Croatia. The proposed holistic approach can help in scenario building, evaluation, and selection of planning alternatives, as well as decision-making processes in urban management, by enabling the evaluation and control of complex scenarios from a sustainable development perspective.

Strategic Sustainable Development in International Sport Organisations: A Delphi Study

The study aims to explore the consensus-level strategic priorities for sustainable development from the perspective of decision makers in organisations responsible for governing international sport and how they cluster within the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. We employed the three-round Delphi study with decision makers from international sport organisations. Based on the 29 semi-structured interviews in the first round, we inductively generated items for questionnaires for the subsequent two rounds. The process yielded 20 items representing strategic priorities determined by 20 experts in the last round. The highest ranked item was normative change, in which sustainability is prioritised throughout all organisational strategies and actions. Moreover, planned efforts that are part of a long-term strategy and embedding sustainability requirements at the bidding phase of sport events were considered with high priority. The 20 items clustered into four out of five levels of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, namely system, success, strategic guidelines and actions. No items could be assigned to the framework’s tool level, potentially indicating gaps of strategic consideration. The findings from the Delphi study add a forecasting element to the research and practice of strategic sustainability in the management of sport by revealing consensus-level strategic priorities for the future.

INSPIRATIONAL INTUITION AND INNOVATION IN IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The role and place of inspiring intuition and creativity in the management of IT projects and development programs of organizations are considered. A conceptual model of the interaction of inspiring intuition and creativity in the processes of IT project management is presented. The influence of inspiring intuition and creativity on the life cycle of innovative projects for the development of knowledge and management technologies is determined. With the help of intuition, IT project managers can anticipate new products, management processes, business areas and development. Such promising actions usually cannot be planned purely rationally, but require an “intuitive feeling.” Vision and imagination open up opportunities for action beyond the paths. This is “inspiring intuition”. This inspiring dimension of intuition has a long-lasting, holistic and gradual effect. The key competencies and strategic priorities of the organization for the implementation of the strategy of sustainable development are considered. In the process of research, two models of sustainable development based on the use of innovative projects and programs were selected. The first model, the Strategic Sustainable Development Framework (FSSD), defines three levels of creative competencies - linear, literal, and holistic. Within the framework of this model, the qualitative influences of individual competencies on the formation of inspiring intuition are determined by example. The second model is related to the application of the system of knowledge and competencies for the management of IT projects and P2M programs. Within this model, priority competencies have been identified that shape the inspiring intuition of project managers. Within the framework of the evaluations, a matrix of qualitative influences on inspiring competence in the processes of implementation of innovative projects and programs was built.

INSPIRATIONAL INTUITION AND CREATIVITY IN MANAGING INNOVATIVE PROJECTS

The role and place of inspiring intuition and creativity in the management of innovative projects and development programs of organizations are considered. A conceptual model of the interaction of inspiring intuition and creativity in the process of managing innovative projects is presented. The influence of inspiring intuition and creativity on the life cycle of innovative projects for the development of knowledge and management technologies is determined. The key competencies and strategic priorities of the organization for the implementation of the strategy of sustainable development are considered. In the research process, two models of sustainable development based on the use of innovative projects and programs were selected. The first model, the Strategic Sustainable Development Framework (FSSD), defines three levels of creative competences – linear, literal and holistic. Within the framework of this model, the qualitative influences of individual competencies on the formation of inspiring intuition are determined by example. The second model is related to the application of knowledge and competencies in the management of innovative P2M projects and programs. Within this model, priority competencies have been identified that shape the inspiring intuition of project managers. Within the framework of the evaluations, a matrix of qualitative influences on inspiring competence in the processes of implementation of innovative projects and programs was built.

Strategic sustainable development of Industry 4.0 through the lens of social responsibility: The role of human resource practices

AbstractResearch on sustainable development is significantly influenced by the trade‐off between the economic, social and environmental performance of businesses. Industry 4.0 development is a key business priority due to the promise of exponential increase in productivity, time efficiencies and cost reduction. However, Industry 4.0 development has been slow. Notably, human actors remain central to Industry 4.0, while the social responsibility component of sustainable development is a key prerogative for industry, championed through the UN sustainable development goals and European Commission. Therefore, we evaluate human‐related impediments for Industry 4.0 and critically explore how human resource management (HRM) can overcome these barriers using a socially responsible orientation. First, we analyse the human‐related challenges to Industry 4.0 through a thematic literature review. Thereafter, through an integrative literature review of different research streams (Industry 4.0, HRM and social responsibility), we critically argue novel perspectives on how human resource practices can enable sustainable development of Industry 4.0 in a socially responsible manner. Herein, we address a crucial literature gap. Our findings reveal numerous people‐related barriers, including change resistance, digital skills gap, employment threats widening socio‐economic inequalities, lack of industry‐wide collaboration, leadership and organisational culture challenges. We show that HRM can be a crucial enabler for sustainable Industry 4.0 development through socially responsible human resource practices. These include strategic multistakeholder collaborations, holistic talent management, change leadership, inclusive knowledge sharing, sponsoring education research and codesigning curricula, smart technology for upskilling and retention and rewarding inclusive Industry 4.0 ideas. We conclude with future research directions.

Sustainable AI: An integrated model to guide public sector decision-making

Ethics, explainability, responsibility, and accountability are important concepts for questioning the societal impacts of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI), but are insufficient to guide the public sector in regulating and implementing AI. Recent frameworks for AI governance help to operationalize these by identifying the processes and layers of governance in which they must be considered, but do not provide public sector workers with guidance on how they should be pursued or understood. This analysis explores how the concept of sustainable AI can help to fill this gap. It does so by reviewing how the concept has been used by the research community and aligning research on sustainable development with research on public sector AI. Doing so identifies the utility of boundary conditions that have been asserted for social sustainability according to the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, and which are here integrated with prominent concepts from the discourse on AI and society. This results in a conceptual model that integrates five boundary conditions to assist public sector decision-making about how to govern AI: Diversity, Capacity for learning, Capacity for self-organization Common meaning, and Trust. These are presented together with practical approaches for their presentation, and guiding questions to aid public sector workers in making the decisions that are required by other operational frameworks for ethical AI.

Approaching agricultural supply chain performance and strategic sustainable development

Approaching agricultural supply chain performance and strategic sustainable development

RESTORATION OF FORESTS IN THE TERRITORIES PASSED BY LARGE-FOREST FOREST FIRE IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE STATE ENTERPRISE «OVRUTSKE FORESTRY»

RESTORATION OF FORESTS IN THE TERRITORIES PASSED BY LARGE-FOREST FOREST FIRE IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE STATE ENTERPRISE «OVRUTSKE FORESTRY»

Data-Driven Smart Eco-Cities of the Future: An Empirically Informed Integrated Model for Strategic Sustainable Urban Development

The eco-city is seenas a major force in the overall transition toward a more sustainable urban development paradigm, acting as a set of exemplary techno-environmental solutions for social transformation. However, the scale and rate of urbanization fundamentally disrupt the challenges that eco-cities must contend with. This is coupled with the increased need to understand, plan, and manage eco-cities in new and innovative ways. On this account, transformative processes and practices within eco-cities are being highly responsive to a form of data-driven urbanism as a more effective way to address and overcome the kinds of challenges that eco-cities are designed to solve. That is, eco-cities are increasingly embracing and leveraging what smart cities have to offer in terms of data-driven technologies and applied solutions in an effort to monitor, evaluate, and improve their performance with respect to sustainability—under what has been termed “data-driven smart eco-cities.” The aim of this paper is to develop an integrated model for strategic sustainable urban development based on empirical research in the form of case studies. This model combines and integrates the leading global paradigms of urbanism—namely eco-cities, data–driven smart cities, and environmentally data-driven smart sustainable cities—in terms of their strategies and solutions. The main contribution of this study lies in providing an innovative way of building future models for sustainable urban development, as well as practical insights into developing strategic planning processes of transformative change toward sustainability based on integrated approaches. The proposed model serves to facilitate progress toward achieving the long-term goals of sustainability for those cities that are badging or regenerating themselves as eco-cities, or manifestly planning to be or become smart eco-cities in the era of big data.

Implementing Strategic Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Despite increasing business interest in sustainability in general and in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), the ability to increase suppliers’ ecological and social performance is generally insufficient for many companies. In this study, we outline an implementation process model for sustainable supply chain management. We do so by synthesizing insights from a review of the sustainable supply chain management and organizational learning literature and a case study with a company aspiring to become a global leader in sustainable lighting. By combining these insights, we find that successful implementation of sustainable supply chain management requires sustainability to be anchored in a company’s vision and integrated into all functions. We also argue that organizational learning, especially learning with external stakeholders such as suppliers, an operational definition of socioecological sustainability among stakeholders, and procedural support for the cocreation of strategic plans for change are vital for achieving a truly sustainable supply chain. This definition and cocreation allow for attention to be directed toward strategic ecological and social practices, along with the joint handling of tradeoffs and economic considerations among stakeholders. As we build a foundation for an SSCM implementation process model, we use a science-based framework for strategic sustainable development. We call for more action-based research to uncover the complex nature of sustainable supply chain management, as there are unique challenges and dynamic relationships in every supply chain.

Integrating the green economy, circular economy and bioeconomy in a strategic sustainability framework

The green economy, circular economy and bioeconomy are popular narratives in macro-level sustainability discussions in policy, scientific research and business. These three narratives offer three different recipes to address economic, social and ecological goals, thus promoting different pathways for sustainability transformations. We employ the well-known Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (The Natural Step Framework) to comparatively identify the relative and integrated contribution of the three narratives for global net sustainability. We conclude that none of the three narratives, individually, offer a comprehensive ‘package’ of solutions. However, when considered jointly as collaborative narratives, they point towards a society and economy based on renewable/reproductive and biodiversity-based/benign processes, delivering material and immaterial benefits that fulfil the economic and social requirements of all people now and in the future. While the complementary understanding of the circular economy, bioeconomy and green economy provides important guidelines for sustainability transformations post-Covid-19, there is a need for more holistic, systems-wide and integrative research work on potentially competing or supplementary sustainability narratives. This type of work of clarification and synthesis is relevant to a wide range of scholars and professionals, since the conceptual understanding of sustainability narratives informs practical implementation through strategies, actions and monitoring tools, in public and private decision-making.

MECHANISMS OF OPERATIONAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT OF PROJECTS IN SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP REPAIR

Over the past decades, the competitiveness of enterprises in the world shipbuilding and ship repair markets is being determined by the level of development of information and communication technologies, on the basis of which global value chains are being formed. The shipbuilding 4.0 methodology is being introduced in the industry, which is based on the advanced technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. The aim of the article is to study the models and mechanisms for portfolio management of shipbuilding and ship repair enterprises on the basis of modern information technology for the effective implementation of strategic goals and sustainable development. The basis of the organizational and methodological support of portfolio management of shipbuilding enterprises is a system of planning and accounting units. This is a three-level model for the shipbuilding work breakdown. The first level of work breakdown consists of shop stages (list of works performed by a certain production department). The second level of work breakdown is technological sets that are being formed in the process of production planning on the principles of structural and technological unity of work and are the basic elements in the intershop operational management. Technological operations are carried out at the third level of work breakdown (brigade sets). At the upper levels of shipbuilding work breakdown, all the key features of project management take place. Technological sets are recommended to be used as an information and analytical basis when developing the network models at the upper levels of structural work breakdown. The methodology for portfolio management of projects of a shipbuilding enterprise described in the article is aimed at aligning the goals and objectives of individual projects and the portfolio as a whole with the strategic plans of the enterprise.

Environmental and sustainability campaigns: a case study of India's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (2014–2019)

PurposeWith the increasing realization of the importance of communication for sustainable development, strategic issues such as institutional alliances, public participation and media integration have emerged as indispensable tools in any environmental campaign. This study is an inquiry into India's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (2014–2019) which is one of the major strategic sustainable development campaigns of the 21st century. The twin research questions raised are (1) What were the major action-plans and the key outreach strategies adopted in SBA? and (2) How the discourse of swachhata (cleanliness) was propagated in SBA?Design/methodology/approachWith response to research question 1, a seven-fold analysis of the strategic aspects of the SBA is undertaken utilizing Willner's (2006) strategic approach to the promotion of sustainable development campaigns. Research question 2 is addressed through a multimodal analysis of the discourse of swachhata (cleanliness) following the Grammar of Visual Design framework of Kress and van Lieuwen (2006).FindingsThe campaign employed a 360-degree promotional strategy. It involved print, electronic and social media; promoted inter- and intra-institutional alliances; roped in opinion leaders and opinion formers; and encouraged massive public participation. Strategically, SBA's discourse of cleanliness adhered to the “3R” principles of the United Nation's Sustainability Goals: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Tactically, the discourse of cleanliness was framed in the ideas of shame versus dignity and was entrenched in the ideals of commitment to nation and neighborhood, and good citizenship.Research limitations/implicationsOne major limitation of this study is the exclusion of certain intervening variables such as (1) access to the state of the art of green technology, (2) green financing, (3) green incubation, (4) sustainable PPP models for SBA and (5) for-profit approach to environmental cleanliness. Future studies can expand the scope of research by incorporating these variables in their analytical frameworks.Originality/valueThis is the first study to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the communication aspect of SBA. This case study, in particular, can be useful for the young research scholars and postgraduate students of Communication, Management and Public Policy.