Corporate Sustainability and the Individual: Understanding What Drives Sustainability Professionals as Change Agents

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Visser ◽  
Andrew Crane
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
The Individual

scholarly journals Why “Less is More” in Non-Financial Reporting Initiatives: Concrete Steps Towards Supporting Sustainability

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina Tsagas ◽  
Charlotte Villiers
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Csr Reporting ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Key Aspects

AbstractCalls are repeatedly made on corporations to respond to the challenges facing the planet from a sustainable development perspective and governments take solace in the idea that corporations' transparency on their corporate activity in relation to sustainability through voluntary reporting is adequately addressing the problem. In practice, however, reporting is failing to deliver truly sustainable results. The article considers the following questions: how does the varied reporting landscape in the field of non-financial reporting impede the objectives of fostering corporations' sustainable practices and which initiative, among the options available, may best meet the sustainability objectives after a decluttering of the landscape takes place?The article argues that the varied corporate reporting landscape constitutes a key obstacle to fostering sustainable corporate behaviour, insofar as the flexible and please all approach followed in the context of corporate sustainability reporting offers little to no real incentive to companies to behave more sustainably and ultimately pleases none in the long run. The case made is that “less is more” in non-financial reporting initiatives and hence the article calls for a revision of key aspects of the European Non-Financial Reporting Directive, which, as is argued, is more likely to achieve the furtherance of sustainable corporate behaviour. Although the different reporting requirements offer the benefits of focussing on different corporate goals and activities, targeting different audiences and allowing for a level of flexibility that respects the individual risks to sustainability associated with each industry, the end result is a landscape that lacks overall consistency and comparability of measurements and accountabilities, making accountability more, rather than less, difficult to achieve.The article acknowledges the existence of several variances relating to the notion of sustainability per se, which continues to remain a contested concept and variances between companies and industries in relation to how each is operating sustainably or unsustainably respectively. Such variances have so far inhibited the legislator from easily outlining through tailored legislation the individual risks to global sustainability in an all-encompassing manner. The end product is a chaotic system of financial reporting, CSR reporting, non-financial reporting and integrated reporting and little progress to increase comparability and credibility in order for companies to be held accountable and to behave in ways that do not harm the planet. A “clean up” of the varied initiatives in the terrain of non-financial reporting is recommended.

scholarly journals Socially Responsible HR in Action: Learning from Corporations Listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World 2018/2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3237
Author(s):  
Pyounggu Baek ◽  
Taesung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Action Learning ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Sustainability Index ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Dow Jones Sustainability Index ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Corporate Social

As ethical management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and corporate sustainability (CS) are increasingly permeating business discourse, contemplating the role of human resources (HR) in helping organizations with socially responsible management is a proactive acceptance of stakeholders’ expectations while reinforcing the field’s identity and contribution. In response, the we examined the HR policies and practices of 46 multinational enterprises (MNEs) listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World 2018/2019 to add new insights to the literature and inform the HR field on how to move forward with socially responsible HR. Content analysis and inductive conceptualization of the MNEs’ HR activities produced a triangular pyramid for socially responsible HR, constructed with eight major themes at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels. Building on the findings, we suggest implications for practice and research, and conclude with urging the HR community to demonstrate leadership in setting the agendas and facilitating change toward socially responsible management.

scholarly journals Tensions in the Sustainability of Higher Education—The Case of Finnish Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1941 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annina Lattu ◽  
Yuzhuo Cai
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
University System ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
The University

Universities are increasingly engaged in marketization and are also expected to transform into more sustainable institutions and be change-agents pushing forward the movement of sustainable development. This article introduces an analytical framework originated by Hahn et al. (2015) for understanding tensions concerning corporate sustainability to the context of the Finnish university system in order to answer the following questions: What are the tensions relating to Finnish universities’ social and economic sustainability, and what strategies might universities use to cope with these tensions? Through analyzing interviews with university managers and officials from the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland, we find that Hahn et al.’s framework is generally applicable in analyzing tensions of sustainability in universities, and we identify six tensions relating to the sustainability of Finnish universities. The tensions are related to (1) academic leadership and management legitimacy, (2) regional political tensions and university profiling, (3) political power over the university system, (4) changing academic work and profession, (5) academic autonomy and the role of the state, and (6) the future role of the university institution. Moreover, the article discusses issues regarding how to adapt the framework of corporate sustainability to the context of higher education.

scholarly journals The Green Revolution: Social Change through Social Media

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-152
Author(s):  
Veena Tripathi ◽  
Dhriti Bhattacharjee
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Green Revolution ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Parent Organization ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Way

The advent of the internet changed the way we communicate forever. It became such a potent force that it was recommended as a nominee for Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year.” The world became euphoric about how this technology was changing the way we think. The changes were being brought about by people and that they were the change agents. It is required to understand the key concepts behind the emergence of social change through social media and their support in creating sustainability. This paper will report a study of five Indian social campaigns, right from their birth to the phase where they were no longer within the control of their parent organization but became a movement in their own rights. It is an exploratory study aimed at understanding the way social media works and how private organizations can also bring about a public change. The study will cover social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and organizational blogs. The variables will be drawn from the corporate sustainability reports, social media venues, working papers and other research studies. These factors and variables can be correlated to sustainability through which the objective to analyse the impact of social change through social media can be achieved. With sustainability becoming a mandate for big companies in India, this study will help in understanding how social media can play a decisive role in their sustainability policies. Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 3, Issue-3: 146-152

scholarly journals Corporate Sustainability: Study of "New Normal" Factors that Affect Corporate Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 04 (07) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumas Wongsnuopparat ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Government Policy ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Technological Transformation ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Normal Life ◽  
The World ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

When we look back on the history of the world, the term “New Normal” has been employed concerning World War I, the global financial crisis of 2007 -2008, the September 11 attacks in the United States, and the global recession of 2008 -2012. Still, this term has never powerfully shocked our hearts. The COVID-19 pandemic has been changing human life since 2020. People gradually move away from everyday life and progressively walk into the “New Normal” life. However, the life of “New Normal” is full of uncertainty. The uncertainty may come from the different variants of the COVID-19 virus, and it may come from the resetting of the global economy. In the “New Normal” life, more and more companies go bankrupt and are about to face bankruptcy. Even though some companies do not want to default, but it has been hard to survive nowadays. Until now, it is hard to know if the “New Normal” life is a brief time in this long history of the world or the “New Normal” life will be a permanent state. Anyway, the “New Normal” factors of “New Normal” life have provided opportunities to force the world to eliminate outdated technologies, eliminate the backward enterprises, reorganize the business framework of companies, optimize the industrial structure, strengthen human resources, re-set the world economy, reorganize the business relationship of the world. History always moves forward according to its natural developmental trend, and no force can resist the law of the development of things. Still, also no power can resist people to pursue a better life. Individuals, groups, regions, and countries are connected based on the relationship between the individual and country is the relationship between the individual and the larger society. In addition, the relationship between the individual and the world is the relationship between the individual and the human organization. Therefore, individuals, groups, regions, and countries must look forward and keep a positive mindset to adopting the “New Normal” factorsin the “New Normal” life. As we can see, many companies are adopting “New Normal” factors, and some are expanding their business network and further towards corporate sustainability despite this COVID-19 pandemic making the challenging situation in this business world. The main research question of this study is “What are the “New Normal” factors that have a significant effect on corporate sustainability?” In this study, eight independent variables including Working from home (W.H), Workforce transformation (R.W), Digital transformation (D.T), Technological transformation (T.N), Psychological effect (P.C), Uncertainty (U.C), Consumer behavioral change (C.N), Government policy (G.V), and one dependent variable Corporate adjustment (C.S) is the studied. This study aims to understand the structural relationship among these potential variables that could influence corporate sustainability in the “New Normal” life. The dataset utilized to test the hypothesis postulated in this study is the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results from this study suggests that Technological transformation, Uncertainty, Consumer behavioral change, Digital transformation, and Government policy significantly affect corporate sustainability in the “New Normal” life. Considering different politics, economy, and cultural backgrounds in countries and industries, we also found that some irreconcilable factors affect technological transformation, uncertainty, consumer behavioral change, digital transformation, and government policy. Finally, this study identified technological transformation, uncertainty, consumer behavioral change, digital transformation, and government policy as significant factors that affect corporate sustainability. Therefore, this study provides some valuable suggestions for all companies to better adapt to the business market in the “New Normal” time. In addition, this study also provides some evidence and ideas for researchers to explore corporate sustainability in the “New Normal” time and post-COVID-19.

Micro-Foundations of Corporate Sustainability

2021 ◽  
pp. 288-314
Author(s):  
Remy Balarezo ◽  
Paul Corcuera
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Strategic Management ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Sustainability Research ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
Research Stream ◽  
The Individual ◽  
New Research ◽  
Micro Foundations

This chapter introduces readers to the micro-foundation framework in corporate sustainability. Traditionally, strategic management and corporate sustainability research have explained why firms become more sustainable from a macro-level perspective. In recent years, new research has focused on the micro-level mechanism at the individual or group level. This research stream is known as the micro-foundations movement and tries to highlight individual characteristics, knowledge, background, etc. when firms decide to become more sustainable. Through the literature review, the authors tried to identify the studies published in top journals about the micro-foundation framework. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to give a primary introduction and an overview of the micro-foundations framework in corporate sustainability and identify what mechanisms have been found at the micro-level that explain why firms become more sustainable.

scholarly journals Corporate Sustainability and Stock Value in Asian–Pacific Emerging Markets: Synergies or Tradeoffs among ESG Factors?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6458
Author(s):  
Pornanong Budsaratragoon ◽  
Boonlert Jitmaneeroj
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Stock Value ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Asian Pacific ◽  
The Individual

We use structural equation modelling to examine whether multi-dimensional corporate sustainability (CS)—measured by environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors—affects stock value. We find that investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings that the highly rated ESG company generates. Moreover, the positive synergistic effect among the ESG factors implies that companies that focus on any single dimension or the equally weighted aggregation of ESG factors understate the value relevance of CS. In other words, successful sustainability practices should comprise all of the dimensions of CS in order to gain benefit from their synergistic effect with stock value. However, the synergistic effect among ESG factors does not imply that the individual components of CS should be weighted equally in sustainability practices. Our findings show that social engagement emerges as the main driver of CS and should be weighted more heavily than the other factors in sustainability practices. Interestingly, when we account for corporate economic performance, we find that investors put more (less) value on CS when corporate economic performance is weak (strong). This implies that economic performance and ESG performance contain similar information, and that their effects on stock value subsume each other.

Wanted: Heroic leaders to drive the transition to “business beyond usual”

2020 ◽  
pp. 147612702097337
Author(s):  
Judith L Walls ◽  
Ashley Salaiz ◽  
Shih-Chi (Sana) Chiu
Keyword(s):  
Boards Of Directors ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Positive Deviance ◽  
Business Transformation ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Organizational Scholarship ◽  
Business As Usual

Business-as-usual is likely to drive us to an unsustainable world. To solve the problems human industrial activity has created, such as climate change, species extinction, and biodiversity loss, business leaders (CEOs, top managers, and boards of directors) must be central to the solution for corporate sustainability. In particular, “heroic” leaders are needed to transform their companies into business beyond usual. In this essay, we briefly outline what researchers already know about microfoundational or socio-cognitive and motivational underpinnings of leaders that affect corporate sustainability. However, gaps remain in our understanding of affective drivers and values of leaders. We question whether microfoundations research has the potential to understand true business transformation for positive deviance and suggest that positive organizational scholarship and research on sustainability change agents can provide insights. We next highlight how empirical and research design shortcomings might be addressed. Finally, we discuss how to identify, develop, and empower leaders with transformational potential so that we can proactively create heroic leaders rather than wait for them to magically appear.

scholarly journals A incidência da inovação em responsabilidade social corporativa nas empresas do setor elétrico

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-447
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo de Oliveira ◽  
Tarcísio Luiz Cândido ◽  
Bruno Araújo Lima
Keyword(s):  
Professional Training ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
Electricity Sector ◽  
Electric Sector ◽  
Volunteer Programs ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Implementation Of Innovations ◽  
The Relationship

In a scenario of economic crisis it is common for companies to reduce the volume of social activities and innovation. Companies in the electricity sector are the basis for a country’s industries, making this sector one of the most important. Therefore, it is relevant to investigate whether companies in the electricity sector perform innovation, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, and CSR actions that can be considered as innovation. The objective of this study was to describe the CSR actions and innovations that matter most to the electric sector companies present in the BMF Bovespa Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE). A documentary survey was carried out, consisting of the management and sustainability reports, from the years 2013 to 2015, of the 10 companies listed in the ISE in the year 2015. Regarding CSR activities, it can be inferred that promoting art, culture, citizenship, quality of life and generation of income for young people and adults, have programs of inclusive professional training and volunteer programs, matter to the companies surveyed. Regarding the relationship between innovation and CSR, it can be inferred that the implementation of innovations that led to the improvement of social actions, and the elaboration of innovation projects matter to companies, to the detriment of the other researched items. It is suggested that the actions of innovation and CSR are focused primarily on the development of the individual and the interaction with the society in which it is inserted, and this can provide a favorable image of the company for society.

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