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A triple bottom line decision framework for sustainable business location in the retail sector: a developing country perspective

Disraeli Asante-Darko (Ashesi Business School, Ashesi University, Berekuso, Ghana and Business School, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Accra, Ghana)
Vivian Osei (Business School, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Accra, Ghana and School of Management and Economics and Centre for West African Studies, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China)
Sena Agbodjah (Business Administration Department, Academic City University College, Accra, Ghana)

Journal of Global Responsibility

ISSN: 2041-2568

Article publication date: 1 October 2024

63

Abstract

Purpose

Retail location decision-making is considered a critical issue with substantial implications for operational success. Nevertheless, choosing an ideal location is a complex problem involving the consideration of several qualitative-quantitative factors, often in conflict. Currently, there is a paucity of decision frameworks that identify the critical triple bottom line (TBL) criteria to support sustainable retail location choices in developing nations. This study, therefore, aims to offer a TBL framework that establishes the critical set of social, economic and environmental factors and analyses their cause-and-effect relationships for achieving sustainability outcomes in retail location decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach was used to evaluate the TBL sustainability framework comprising 25 sub-factors based on data collected from decision-makers actively involved in retail location decisions in Ghana.

Findings

The research results show that all the TBL pillars are prominent and overlap to realise sustainability requirements in retail location decisions. Specifically, the findings reveal that economic criteria are the most prominent component in the TBL framework that drives the social and environmental dimensions toward sustainable retail location decisions. The causal relationships are also highlighted to offer insights into the relevance of the decision criteria and establish a strategic path for achieving sustainability in the location decisions of retail firms.

Originality/value

The research provides information on the prominent criteria and complex interplay among the TBL parameters to enable decision-makers to make informed location choices that will ultimately increase the sustainability of retail firms operating in developing nations toward improved competitive advantage.

Keywords

Citation

Asante-Darko, D., Osei, V. and Agbodjah, S. (2024), "A triple bottom line decision framework for sustainable business location in the retail sector: a developing country perspective", Journal of Global Responsibility, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGR-08-2023-0128

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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