Relative importance and priority of TBL elements on the corporate performance

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine to what extent that a selection of economic, social and environmental factors is taken into corporate consideration (importance and priority) the longitudinal aspects of sustainable business practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on an inductive approach taking into account the longitudinal aspects and an in-depth case study of a Scandinavian manufacturer recognized for its initiatives and achievements of sustainable business practices.

Findings

The key informants indicated that economic factors are always important when it comes to sustainable business practices, social factors are to some extent important, and the environmental factors are generally important.

Research limitations/implications

The planning, implementation and follow-up of sustainable business practices and related efforts require a consideration of economic, social and environmental factors.

Practical implications

The framework of a triple bottom line (TBL) dominant logic for business sustainability applied may guide the corporate assessment to plan, implement and follow-up the importance and priority of the longitudinal aspects of sustainable business practices.

Originality/value

A TBL dominant logic for sustainable business practices adequately frames corporate efforts regarding importance and priority making a relevant contribution addressing the longitudinal aspects to complement existing theory and previous studies.

Citation

Høgevold, N.M., Svensson, G., Rodriguez, R. and Eriksson, D. (2019), "Relative importance and priority of TBL elements on the corporate performance", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 609-623. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-04-2018-0069