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This study aims to understand how organizations are approaching workforce diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as well as the challenges and opportunities they encounter as they carry out DEI work.

The study involved survey research with 312 valid respondents representing organizations from a wide range of industries, regions, workforce sizes and revenues. APQC identified 56 “best-in-class” DEI performers from among these organizations based on their responses to questions about the effectiveness of their DEI programs. In addition to survey research, APQC carried out case study research on organizations that are leading the way when it comes to DEI.

Best-in-class organizations provide more resources and leadership support for their DEI programs, do more to drive awareness about DEI, shape policies that are consistent with a commitment to DEI and use measures to hold leadership accountable to stated DEI commitments.

The survey findings and case study examples provide insight into how best-in-class organizations build a strong foundation for DEI through distinctive structures, training, policies and measures that drive accountability. Organizations that adopt the practices and approaches of best-in-class organizations can drive improvements that create more impactful approaches to DEI.

This research aims to provide a new perspective on the evolving linkages between LAs and FSAs in the context of the technology-based manufacturing industry. Firm-level competitive strengths in an international context build upon the combination of (largely) exogenous location advantages (LAs) and endogenous firm-specific advantages (FSAs). The authors focus especially on the decay of LAs over time, which has been observed in many highly developed countries during the past decades. The authors show how the strengthening of FSAs can substitute for decaying LAs, thereby safeguarding against the demise of entire industrial regions.

The authors examine the technology-based manufacturing industry in Belgium, building upon an analysis of survey responses by 66 firms including a subgroup of 26 multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiaries. The professional association representing this industry in Belgium (Agoria) viewed the firms included in the survey as representative for Belgian technology-based manufacturing in terms of the LAs they presently build upon (or location disadvantages they face) and the internal strengths they command relative to (foreign) rivals. The investigation uncovered the decay of critical LAs in Belgium and in parallel, the rise of ‘compensating’ FSAs of Belgian operations relative to foreign firms, including, especially, MNE sister subsidiaries in other countries. The authors also conducted 23 in-depth interviews with senior level managers (CEOs and senior vice presidents) of technology-based firms, including 10 subsidiaries of foreign-owned MNEs, which validated our analysis of the interplay between LAs and FSAs.

The findings reveal that since inception, Belgian manufacturing operations experienced an overall decay in their critical LAs by 23% on average. Despite this, several Belgian subsidiaries of foreign MNEs consider themselves as commanding a resource-base superior to that of the next-best-in-class subsidiaries. Furthermore, when assessing the dynamic interplay between LAs and FSAs, there is some evidence that the decay of LAs fueled the quest for – and firm-level journey toward – stronger FSAs.

The originality of this study is the alternative perspective to the conventionally assumed “positive-positive” relationship between LAs and FSAs. Prior management research has not examined the impact of decaying LAs on new FSA-creation in the realm of technology-based manufacturing.

The authors empirically examine purchasing strategy typologies based on strategic intent (i.e. competitive priorities) and practices used to achieve these priorities. The authors further investigate the implementation conditions of such strategies based on perceived uncertainty and strategic purchasing.

The authors utilize case study data from 11 international service and manufacturing firms with global supply chains. Each company was profiled based on the level of perceived environmental uncertainty, the characteristics of strategic purchasing, the use of relevant purchasing practices and its ability to create value through purchasing.

The study findings show that four purchasing strategy types exist: Purchasing Rationalization, Supply Base Optimization, Purchasing as a Service and World-Class Supply Base Management. Lower levels of perceived environmental uncertainty favor the adoption of rationalization strategies (i.e. Purchasing Rationalization and Supply Base Optimization), while increased uncertainty leads companies to switch to relationship-focused strategies (i.e. Purchasing as a Service and World-Class Supply Base Management). Further, that specific components of strategic purchasing (i.e. strategic planning, maturity, status and report level) enable the successful implementation of different strategy types.

This research contributes to the existing literature by outlining the different types of purchasing strategies and the external and internal factors that need to be considered to achieve strategic alignment and value creation in purchasing, and by classifying purchasing strategy types at the functional level based on empirical evidence.

This study aims to develop a benchmarking model with productivity, management, and sustainability indicators (PMS), measure the performance of furniture firms in Vietnam, explore the causes of performance gaps, and identify the barriers and factors of benchmarking practice.

The article uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. Literature review, exploratory interviews and a grounded-theory process are employed to develop a benchmarking framework and identify performance gaps, barriers and factors of benchmarking practice. The PMS benchmarking model and quantitative analysis are utilized to assess performance indicators.

The study proposes the PMS benchmarking model and measures performance indicators of furniture firms. The sources of performance gaps are explored as design, material supply, the economy of scale, market, management systems and openness. Benchmarking practice encounters barriers of difficult indicators, unsuitable firms, insufficient benchmarking knowledge, reluctance to share data, unavailable and unreliable data, and weak engagement. Benchmarking practice is determined by core factors: leader; internal factors: systems, engagement, strategy, scope, culture; external factors: customers, suppliers, associations, support, competition.

Firms could learn benchmarking indicators and the causes of these gaps to improve their performance. When implementing a benchmarking study, scholars and practitioners need to pay attention to barriers and factors of the benchmarking practice to ensure effective results.

This study develops the PMS benchmarking model and estimates performance indicators in an emerging country with the performance gap justification. It provides readers with benchmarking barriers with solutions and success factors of benchmarking practice.

This study aims to provide a precise understanding of how corporate sustainability information is used in socially responsible investing (SRI). The study is motivated by the lack of a recognised body of knowledge on this issue. This study, therefore, collates and reviews relevant studies (67 studies) to provide guidance to investors interested in SRI and identify a research agenda for academics desiring to contribute to this area.

This study conducts a systemic literature review employing recognised key words and searching the Web of Science. HistCite is utilised to ensure important cited studies are not missed from the collection. The review was conducted from two perspectives: (1) sources of sustainability information and (2) how the information is used in SRI.

The review identifies five major sources of sustainability information, including corporate reports, ESG ratings, industry affiliation, news and private communication with firms. These sources of information play different roles in the cross section of SRI strategies (i.e. negative and positive screening, active ownership and integration). This study provides guidance on how to use this information in SRI and provides recommendations for future research on how analysts interact with the information, how different informational characteristics impact implementation, ways to improve data quality, improvements to analysis methods and where data use needs to be extended into new strategies.

This review contributes to the SRI literature by inventorying studies of an important, yet omitted aspect, namely, sustainability information. This work also enriches the literature on corporate sustainability information by investigating how this information can be used for a specific purpose, namely, SRI. Given the increasing interest in SRI, this review will provide much-needed guidance for a range of practitioners, including investors and regulators.

A growing number of multinational enterprises (MNEs) are engaging with the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) and trying to link the SDGs to their foreign direct investments (FDI). They are searching for ways in which they can contribute to the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of the sustainable development of host countries while pursuing their commercial and competitive objectives, that is, creating shared value (CSV). One type of foreign direct investor that has long-standing experience with balancing profit and impact is development finance institutions (DFIs), that is, public, or semi-public institutions investing in private commercial projects in developing countries with the aim of creating impact. Through the conceptual lens of organizational theory of hybrid organizations, this chapter analyzes how the large Danish DFI Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU) has balanced its SDG mission with financial profitability. This balance is achieved by focusing on the SDGs as the value driver at the organizational level; by applying a portfolio perspective on the balance between SDGs and profitability; and by applying rigorous impact measurement methodologies along with financial accounting at the project level. The chapter suggests that this kind of experience from DFIs may have important implications for other foreign direct investors, such as MNEs, seeking to engage with the SDGs. It also contributes to the literature by bringing an understudied foreign direct investor, that is, DFIs, into the international business (IB) literature on SDGs and by providing a conceptual framework for analyzing how MNEs can create shared value in their FDI.

The paper aims to provide companies with a better understanding of the needs of institutional investors to improve the disclosure of sustainability information by companies. The study investigates the changed information needs of institutional investors resulting from the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).

This study uses an internet-based survey instrument amongst institutional investors to gain insights into their needs regarding sustainability information. The authors received 155 responses in total and use descriptive statistics and t-tests to analyse the survey data.

The results demonstrate that the implementation of the SFDR challenges institutional investors, as it affects their decision process. Additionally, the findings still indicate a lack of available corporate sustainability information, making it even more challenging for institutional investors to make appropriate investment decisions. Respondents suggest that information on climate-related risks is more important than the European Union (EU) Taxonomy metrics for meeting the SFDR requirements.

The findings are mainly restricted to the opinion of European investors. However, the evidence contributes to the existing literature by investigating institutional investors' information needs in the new regulatory landscape.

As the study provides insights into institutional investors' needs, reporting companies recognise the relevance of transparently providing sustainability information to be further considered in the investment process of institutional investors despite the regulation. The findings can help regulators develop uniform and global sustainability reporting standards.

This paper is the first to provide evidence on sustainability information requested on the institutional investors' side. The survey gathers primary data from professional investment members unavailable in databases or reports.

As the comparability concept has recently garnered increased attention of policymakers and standard setters in the sustainability reporting (SR) arena, this paper aims to provide a reflexive viewpoint of this concept in this context.

To inform the authors’ viewpoint and disentangle the concept of comparability into different facets, the authors review policymakers’ and standard setters’ (including the Global reporting initiative) comparability principles, as well as relevant studies in the field. To provide insights into the different ways in which the comparability facets can be approached, the authors use multi-perspective reflexive practices and focus on the multiple purposes that reporting can serve. To empirically animate the authors’ reflection on the facets, the authors analyse the sustainability disclosures of two Italian banks over three years.

This study reveals that three facets form valuable starting points for extending the understanding of the meanings the comparability concept can carry in the SR arena. These facets are materiality and comparability, benchmarking/monitoring and comparability and operationalisation and comparability.

This study is intended to elicit policymakers’ and standard setters’ thoughts on the role of comparability and its complexities in SR.

By taking a critical and reflexive approach, the authors encourage policymakers and standard setters to reconsider the comparability principle, so it effectively embeds the accountability purpose of SR.

In this paper, the authors propose three facets for disentangling the concept of comparability.

This paper explores quality science and quality management as a potential pathway to resolve the challenges of corporate sustainability reporting (CSR) by establishing the need for a common understanding of sustainability and sustainable development.

Secondary research on key documents released by regulatory institutions working at the intersection of sustainability, corporate reporting, measurement and academic papers on quality science and management.

Existing measurement frameworks of CSR are limited. They are neither aligned nor appropriate for accurately measuring a company's ecological footprint for mitigating climate change. Quality for sustainability (Q4S) could be a conceptual framework to bring about an appropriate level of measurability to better align sustainability reporting to stakeholder needs.

There is a lack of primary data. The research is based on secondary literature review. The implications of Q4S as a framework could inform research studies connected to sustainable tourism, energy transition and sustainable buildings.

The paper connects to CSR stakeholders, sustainability managers, company leaderships and boards.

The implications of sustainability on people, purpose and prosperity are a part of World Economic Forum's stakeholder capitalism.

This paper fills a research gap on diagnosing and understanding the key reporting challenges emerging from the lack sustainability definitions.

There is an increasing awareness of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the private equity (PE) environment. While many studies deal with the implementation of ESG in the field of PE, only little is known about how the subcategory venture capital. Therefore, this study aims to answer the questions: What are the motivations for venture capitalists to consider ESG in their investment decisions? How do they implement it and what are the barriers that hinder them?

An inductive study based on semi-structured interviews with 11 investors of venture capital firms (VCs) was conducted to explore the drivers, the barriers and the strategies to implement ESG in the investment decision-making.

All investors perceive that ESG will play a major role in investment decisions in the long term. VCs have seen benefits primarily in terms of performance and commercialization of startups that incorporate the ESG aspect. Limited partners are a driving force for change in this process. No standardized framework and lack of resources for implementation are mainly assumed as barriers.

Politics and industry might support particularly smaller VCs in their implementation by providing standardized frameworks. Owing to increasing awareness and interest of ESG criteria among VCs, startups should also address these criteria.

This paper contributes to the literature by examining how ESG is currently considered in VCs’ decisions and what challenges they face. Therefore, this research contributes to the understanding of the decision-making process among venture capitalists.