Search results

Companies and their business networks impact on Earth's life and ecosystems must be seriously addressed and minimized. The purpose of this paper therefore proposes and describes a generic model as well as a network model of business sustainability.

“Business sustainability” is defined as a company's or an organization's efforts to manage its impact on Earth's life‐ and eco‐systems and its whole business network. The work concentrates on one research question, namely: how can business sustainability and E‐footprints be conceptualised?

The model introduced emphasises not only the importance of business networks adopting an E‐footprint and an Earth‐to‐Earth (EE) cradle‐to‐cradle approach, but also a transformative Earth (E) footprint‐model derived and inspired from a causal framework in complexity sciences.

Research is rare that simultaneously focuses on EE‐approaches, E‐footprint stakeholders and zero‐sum cycles. The authors have striven to address this gap by introducing a business sustainability model in an EE‐approach and with an interconnecting transformative E‐footprint‐model.

It is crucial to embed appropriate routines and processes within the company in the first instance with the aim of business sustainability. This may cause a ripple effect in the company's business network as raw material producers, value‐adding suppliers and customers become drawn into make appropriate strategic, tactical and operative adaptations in their own business dealings. This stresses the importance of E‐footprint stakeholders fostering networks of both interdependent and collaborative corporate efforts aimed at business sustainability.

The main contribution should be a business sustainability model of life and ecosystems from an EE‐approach with a transformative E‐footprint.model. Each company within a business network must endeavour to minimise its E‐footprint through its zero‐sum cycles. These should be seen as interdependent and interconnected thereby contributing to the total E‐footprint of the business network.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the concept of “transformative business sustainability”. “Business sustainability” refers the total effort of a company – including its demand and supply chain network – to reduce the impact on the Earth's life‐ and eco‐systems –, i.e. the total e‐footprint. “Transformative” highlights the need for an open minded, dynamic and flexible approach to “business sustainability” not governed by blinkers.

This paper discusses a conceptual development of transformative business sustainability, derived from a frame of reference. The essence is the introduction of a multi‐layer model of units (i.e. different businesses or other stakeholders), a network of e‐footprint sources and a “recovery pool and redistribution buffer” at the interface.

Transformative business sustainability is both a theoretical and managerial concept. It could also be seen as a roadmap to plan, implement and evaluate business sustainability.

Transformative business sustainability provides opportunities for development. Suggestions for further research are presented.

E‐footprint sources in business, applying an Earth‐to‐Earth approach, are described. The concept of transformative business sustainability contributes by achieving genuine and continuous business sustainability and awareness at strategic, tactical and operative levels of business, avoiding use of buzzwords and window dressing.

Well‐being of the planet Earth has to be at the core of business sustainability. The authors contend that the “recovery pool and redistribution buffer” is crucial in the planning, implementation and evaluation of transformative business sustainability.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a transformative business sustainability (TBS) model of stakeholders and sources in sustainable business practices with an interface and exchange node of resource residuals.

The research is based upon a grounded methodology drawn from four in-depth case studies, spanning over six years in different countries and industries. Data were gathered from multiple sources, and interview transcriptions were returned to interviewees for clarification, accuracy, final proofreading and approval.

The TBS model complements existing research by emphasising the importance of commitment to an overarching vision through corporate leadership assigning areas of strategic priority that respond to current and future environmental regulation and social needs.

Efforts aimed towards business sustainability and application of sustainable business practices in business networks include interfaces and interactions between involved stakeholders and sources. We argue that stakeholders and sources should be recognised as intertwined, where resources used in activities in a business network causing resource residuals may be recovered and reused by other actors in the business network.

The TBS model can be used by managers to plan, implement and assess practices to provide a holistic view of sustainable business activities that supports the development of a company and its network. It may also be used to map and navigate interactions between elements within and external to the company.

The principal contribution of the current research is twofold, a TBS model and a tool to map and navigate corporate sustainability efforts.

Current research examines and reports how four companies – each committed to economic, social and environmental efforts of business sustainability – implement and manage their “sustainable business models” and application of sustainable business practices in the marketplace and society. “Business sustainability” is defined as a company’s economic, social and environmental efforts to implement and manage both its own and its business network’s impact on Earth’s life and ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to describe constituents of business sustainability efforts within the economic, social and environmental categories.

The current research is based upon a grounded methodology drawn from four in-depth case studies, spanning over five years in different countries and industries. Data were gathered from multiple sources, including secondary data, company records, internet information, face-to-face interviews and on-site observation. Transcriptions were thereafter returned to interviewees for clarification and accuracy, and for final proofreading and approval.

The research identifies a set of business sustainability constituents within the economic, social and environmental categories of the triple bottom line (TBL) approach. It appears to be the first study over time and across contexts of the content of the TBL consisting of economic, social and environmental categories based upon empirical findings and propositions on how they can be assessed and related to each other.

The research provides a foundation of measurement and structural properties of business sustainability efforts. A cause-and-effect relationship between the TBL categories is a new and complementary approach to assess business sustainability that so far appears not to have been revealed in previous research and theory.

The research furthers the understanding of implementing and managing economic, social and environmental efforts of business sustainability in a comprehensive, balanced and connected manner. The economic, social and environmental constituents of business sustainability need to be addressed in conjunction with one another, as they ultimately restrain the degrees of freedom in the context of the meta-constituent that frames them (i.e. the Planet Earth).

The principal contribution is to demonstrate the breakdown of constituents into common denominators of economic, social and environmental categories, based upon empirical observations. The case studies reported generate a model that combines a conceptual and managerial framework aimed at implementing and managing sustainable business practices; they offer a contribution by shedding light on constituents that may be relevant and essential in framing economic, social and environmental efforts of business sustainability in the marketplace and society.

The purpose of this paper is to describe: corporate reasons for, and organizational challenges of sustainable business models; and the evolution of economic effects, social boundaries and environmental actions in sustainable business practices.

This study is based on insights gained from eight Norwegian companies in different industries. Purposeful sampling was employed to ensure that the companies had sustainable business models beyond the level of mere compliance, of sustainable business practices in the marketplace and society. A deductive approach to data collection ensured that the companies had sufficient understanding to relate their sustainable business practices to interviewers. The interviews were subsequently transcribed and analyzed systematically by the research team.

The empirical findings indicate evolutionary changes as companies move on a continuum from superficial to embedded sustainable business models and the application of sustainable business practices. The planning, implementation and evaluation of sustainable business models evolves over time within companies and their supply chains, as well as in the marketplace and society.

A limitation of this study is that it is exclusively undertaken in Norwegian companies, although the companies are from different industries with different characteristics. Future research is clearly necessary and will be conducted in other countries in similar industries, so as to explore the empirical findings from this study in other contexts. In addition, the interfaces between environmental actions, economic effects and social boundaries need to be investigated further.

The study contributes to a growing body of knowledge on corporate reasons for and organizational challenges of sustainable business models, as well as environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable business practices.

The purpose of this paper is to describe how a corporation with sustainability as its mission implements sustainability strategy and programmes to promote social responsible management. Special attention is paid to how internal and external value systems interact and influence the conception and implementation of sustainability.

As an educational charity and social enterprise, the Eden Project is examined, using a qualitative case study approach. Extant literature complements the discussion of how internal and external driving forces interact and influence sustainable management and practice. Method triangulation is adopted to increase the internal validity, comprising in‐depth interviews with key management informants, one major supplier, representatives of the staff, observation on site and a member check for the correctness of descriptions and the systematisation of the data.

The sustainability strategy of the Eden Project is divided in three interconnected strategies; operational practice, educational programmes and outreach initiatives that target young people, disengaged and unemployed people, and deprived communities around the world. The study points to possible interrelationships between different internal and external value systems, and how internal and external driving forces may influence the way corporations conceive and implement sustainability.

The business sustainability model at the Eden Project provides opportunities for the development of sustainability management, and suggestions for future research are presented.

The study illustrates how the carbon footprint on Earth can be reduced, and how social responsibility can be advanced.

This study is the first to examine a corporation that deploys resources to increase financial performance in order to support the main objectives concerning promoting sustainability management. Thus, the examination may provide new ideas to practitioners and researchers related to the advancement of social responsibility.

The objective of this paper is to describe a corporate implementation and application of a “sustainable business cycle”.

The study is based on a single case study of a regional producer of dairy products in Sweden. The data were collected from non‐structured interviews with managers and available corporate documentation.

The company's “sustainable business cycle” may be divided into nine stages beginning with the arable land through to the dairy and transportation of products to market, where the final two stages involve external retailers and consumers, all of which is important to fulfilment of the earlier seven internal stages.

The findings stress the importance of connecting and reconnecting not just to immediate environmental concerns of business, but also to planet Earth, which is under non‐sustainable pressure and evidently faces an unpleasant destiny.

The case highlights advantages and challenges facing a small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) tasked with implementing a sustainable business cycle for a commodity product in a highly competitive market, dominated by powerful retailers.

Changing consumer behaviours and purchasing patterns, as well as state interventions imposed at top political levels worldwide, will gradually increase the necessity to create sustainable business cycles.

The main contribution of this article is to present a rare detailed case study of a sustainable, organic milk supply chain. It highlights the areas where sustainability is effective. It also illustrates the challenge for an SME trying to extend the reach and to create awareness of added value to the consumer. Hopefully some lessons will be learned and emphasized in this case study.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

To a large extent, corporations have recognized the importance of adapting to environmental issues; not only considering external driving forces as constraints and costs, but increasingly implementing strategies to achieve competitive advantage. Even in small firms, being environmental may increase financial performance. Mysen's observations of The Eden Project illustrate how sustainable practices may extend previous conceptions of how to advance social conditions in the communities in which corporations operate, and beyond.

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

THE purpose of this article is to present a mathematical treatment which has been found extremely useful in the design of spiral springs since it enables us to determine the physical dimensions of a spiral spring, and also its behaviour when subject to a straining action; i.e. the change of the radius of curvature at any point, change in the number of coils or in the spacing of coils. The following method concerns itself only with the spiral springs whose coils throughout the whole range of deflexion are free, i.e. do not touch one another, and also the springs which become completely solid at the maximum deflexion.