Ababneh, A. M., et al. (2023).

"Driving sustainable supply chains: Blockchain-

enabled eco-efficiency for resilient customs ports." Uncertain Supply Chain
Management 11(4): 1719-1734.
This paper investigates the driving factors behind sustainable supply chains
in Jordan, focusing on the implementation of blockchain technology, customs ports
practices, and technological infrastructure. The primary data for the study was
collected through questionnaires distributed to employees working in the Jordanian
customs. A random sampling method was employed to select participants, and a total
of 184 valid questionnaires were retrieved for analysis. The collected data was
analyzed using the statistical software Smartpls PLS4. The results of quantitative
research reveal that the implementation of blockchain technology and technological
infrastructure positively affects the driving of sustainable supply chains in
Jordan, also customs ports practices also have a positive impact on driving
sustainable supply chains, emphasizing the significance of efficient and resilient
customs operations for sustainability. Additionally, compliance with environmental
regulations enhances the effectiveness of blockchain technology in achieving
sustainability objectives. Moreover, underscoring the role of robust technological
capabilities in supporting sustainable operations within customs ports. The study
contributes to the understanding of the key drivers of sustainable supply chains in
Jordan, providing valuable insights for policymakers, supply chain managers, and
other stakeholders involved in promoting sustainability within the customs ports
industry. The findings can guide decision-making and inform strategies aimed at
enhancing eco-efficiency and resilience in supply chain operations. © 2023 Growing
Science Ltd. All rights reserved and 2023 by the authors; licensee Growing Science,
Canada.

Abdallah, A. B., et al. (2024). "The Impact of Green Supply Chain Management on
Circular Economy Performance: The Mediating Roles of Green Innovations." Logistics
8(1).
Background: This study investigated the impact of green supply chain
management (GSCM) on circular economy (CE) performance. The mediating roles of
three green innovation types, namely green product innovation, green process
innovation, and green management innovation, are also examined. Methods: This
study’s population comprised all companies in the manufacturing sector in Jordan. A
simple random method was applied to gather data from 278 companies. The research
model was evaluated in terms of validity and reliability, which were found to be
satisfactory. Hayes’s PROCESS macro in IBM SPSS was applied for hypothesis testing.
Results: The findings showed that GSCM directly and positively affected CE
performance. Moreover, GSCM showed positive impacts on the three types of green
innovation. In addition, the three innovation types demonstrated positive impacts
on CE performance and proved to positively mediate the GSCM–CE performance
relationship. Conclusions: The present study is the first, to the best of our
knowledge, to examine the mediating effect of green innovations on the GSCM–CE
performance relationship. It is also among the first to examine the impact of GSCM
on three different types of green innovation that represent technological and non-
technological innovations. © 2024 by the authors.

Abdelfattah, F., et al. (2024). "The future of competitive advantage in Oman:

Integrating green product innovation, AI, and intellectual capital in business
strategies." International Journal of Innovation Studies 8(2): 154-171.
This study delves into the dynamics of green product innovation, artificial
intelligence (AI) adaption, and intellectual capital, investigating their impact on
the competitiveness of firms in Oman. It emphasizes the crucial role of government
intervention and R&D investments in this process. Based on the responses of 214 top
managers in Oman, the research employs structural equation modeling to analyze the
intricate relationships between these factors. The findings underscore a
significant positive correlation between green innovation, AI implementation, and
intellectual capital, with government involvement and R&D investments as vital
moderators. This study provides a novel perspective on the synergy of technology,
innovation, and intellectual capital in developing economies. It offers essential
insights for business leaders, policymakers, and scholars, highlighting the
necessity of integrating advanced technologies and sustainable practices in
business strategies to achieve competitive advantage. The research adds to the
existing body of knowledge on innovation and competitiveness. It offers practical
implications for enhancing firm performance in Oman and similar emerging markets. ©
2024 China Science Publishing & Media Ltd

Abdul-Hamid, A. Q., et al. (2022). "Industry 4.0 quasi-effect between circular

economy and sustainability: Palm oil industry." International Journal of Production
Economics 253.
Palm oil supply chains are complex and controversial due to claims that they
follow unsustainable practices in operation and production process, which causes
massive environmental pollution. However, this claim is not strong enough to
generalize the whole industry as unsustainable. Indeed, the palm oil industry seems
to be pursuing Industry-4.0-technologies and circular-economy-practices to improve
its unsustainable practices. This study endeavours to overcome the shortcomings in
the palm oil industry that is fragmented and unclear. This study develops a
structural literature review published in 2011–2021. This study presents a
conceptualization framework through four cluster groups (1) industry-4.0-in-a-
circular-economy application; (2) sustainability practices; (3) sustainability
performance; and (4) moderating factors. Subsequently, the present study develops
nine propositions from these concepts due to descriptive and content analyses.
Then, the study theorizes that industry-4.0-in-a-circular-economy application has a
quasi-effect on sustainability performance, and sustainability practices may act as
a mediator in this relationship and a moderating factor that may influence the
above relationship. This study contributes to both theory and practice by advancing
the current understanding of industry-4.0-in-a-circular-economy application in the
POI, especially its impact on sustainability practices and performance. © 2022
Elsevier B.V.

Abrudan, D. B., et al. (2024). "Demystifying the Effects of Organizational

Sensemaking and Green Dynamic Capabilities on Sustainability Performance."
Engineering Economics 35(3): 348-361.
The present study aims to investigate how organizational sensemaking
contributes towards sustainability performance (i.e., environmental performance and
social performance) by proposing green dynamic capabilities as underlying
mechanisms. It uses time-lagged design and the data were collected in two waves,
from 232 agribusiness organizations in Romania using an online survey. PLS-SEM was
employed in WarpPLS 8.0 software to analyze the data and test the hypothesized
relationships. Results showed that organizational sensemaking positively influences
both dimensions of sustainability performance. Moreover, the results also supported
the mediating role of green dynamic capabilities. Findings imply that organizations
that are proficient in sensing and interpreting external events, cues, and changes
can successfully strengthen internal business processes (by developing green
dynamic capabilities) to address environmental concerns, which in turn helps these
organizations to achieve enhanced sustainability performance. The novelty of this
study is the development of a dynamic-capabilities-based integrated framework for
sustainability performance. © 2024, Kauno Technologijos Universitetas. All rights
reserved.

Adjei-Bamfo, P., et al. (2023). "Public procurement for innovation through supplier
firms' sustainability lens: A systematic review and research agenda." Business
Strategy and the Environment 32(1): 387-407.
Public sector purchasing processes are gaining increasing prominence as a
demand-side innovation tool for addressing national sustainability challenges.
Accordingly, there has been growing research attention to this topic. Prior studies
suggest three key rationales that underlie the use of public sector procurement to
drive innovation: (i) the buyer–user rationale (for creating new needs); (ii) the
market/system failure rationale (for improving suppliers' capacity to innovate);
and (iii) the public services rationale (for improving public services). However,
operational activities at the upstream supply chain affecting the sustainable
innovation capacities of supplier firms appear to be under-researched in the public
procurement for innovation (PPI) scholarship, despite knowledge about innovation
capacity being critical to successfully implementing PPI. This paper adopts a
systematic literature review approach to synthesise existing fragmented literature
on sustainability-oriented PPI, focusing on supplier perspectives. Findings from a
synthesis of 41 relevant articles suggest, among others conditions, that a
procurement framework that maintains a good balance of competition and innovation,
builds buyer–supplier relationship and urges strong supply networks, maintains a
stable political commitment, offers security for niche markets with effective
innovation risk management culture would enhance suppliers' sustainability capacity
and propensity to innovate. This paper contributes to the PPI literature and the
literature on determinants of sustainable innovation systems from supplier firms'
sustainability lens. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adomako, S. and N. P. Nguyen (2020). "Human resource slack, sustainable innovation,

and environmental performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in sub-Saharan
Africa." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 29(8): 2984-2994.
Despite the burgeoning interests in the environmental strategy, there is a
limited understanding of how human resource slack drives sustainable innovation and
environmental performance. This paper contributes to filling this gap by examining
the effect of human resource slack on sustainable innovation and its impact on
environmental performance. Besides, this paper investigates the contingent effects
of intangible resource advantage on this relationship. The hypotheses are tested
using data from 301 small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana. The results
suggest that human resource slack positively relates to sustainable innovation and
this relationship is moderated by intangible resource advantage. Also, we find that
sustainable innovation mediates the relationship between human resource slack and
environmental performance. The insights from our paper provide a nuanced
understanding of the relationships among human resource lack, sustainable
innovation, and environmental performance. Implications for theory and practices
are discussed.

Adu-Yeboah, S. S., et al. (2023). "Corporate Sustainability and Service Innovation;

Moderating role of absorptive capacity." South African Journal of Business
Management 54(1).
Purpose: The study’s goal is to examine the effect of corporate
sustainability dimensions on service innovation. It further investigates the
moderating role of the absorptive capability of the firm.
Design/methodology/approach: Using purposive sampling, data are collected from
individuals in service firms across diverse industrial sectors in Ghana. A total of
628 questionnaires were dispersed to diverse service enterprises within the period
from March 2021 to June 2021. After the data collection, the response rate achieved
was 82% translating into over 500 answered questionnaires. A total of 514 answered
questionnaires are used for empirical analysis. Findings/results: The outcome of
the study indicates environmental sustainability practices, economic sustainability
practices and social sustainability practices had an impact on the service
innovation process and outcome. In addition, absorptive capabilities of service
enterprises are found to positively moderate the link amid the scopes of corporate
sustainability practices and service innovation. Practical implications: Managers
and firms need to implement their internal innovation capabilities in order to
derive significant and positive effects on corporate sustainability practices. The
integration of corporate sustainability and service innovation in small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) is imperative. Originality/value: The outcome of the research
contributes to the increasing body of literature on the liaison between corporate
sustainability and service innovation by offering insights into environmental,
social and economic sustainability practices. This shapes the sustainability
direction and procedures towards the transmittal of value-added services. © 2023.
The Authors. Licensee:

Agarwal, V., et al. (2023). "Building resilience for sustainability of MSMEs post
COVID-19 outbreak: An Indian handicraft industry outlook." SOCIO-ECONOMIC PLANNING
SCIENCES 85.
The handicraft business constitutes concept selling rather than mere product
selling, which is highly dependent on demand. Handicrafts' Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) have an expanding market in developed countries. The impact of
the pandemic on this industry is severe due to the industry's informal nature and
seasonal demand. The survival and resilience of these handicraft MSMEs face many
challenges in the postCOVID-19 outbreak. The focus of the present study is to
understand and analyze the key challenges for building resilience in handicraft
MSMEs by scrutinizing the existing literature and interactions with stakeholders.
EFA and the Grey DEMATEL approach are used to analyze the challenges for the
adoption of resilience. EFA is used to categorize the challenges into various
dimensions. The study has divided the challenges for the inclusion of resilience
into survivable, sustainable, and viable categories using EFA to plan for short-
and long-term business growth. Grey DEMATEL is being utilized for understanding
these contextual relationships for each resilience dimension. Grey systems theory
is a methodology that enables the incorporation of improbability and vagueness into
the analysis. Findings of the study revealed the influencing challenges for each of
the dimensions such as competition from machine-made products, insufficient
government support and incentives for export, and inefficient managerial concern
and response to internationalization as the prominent challenges. The results of
this study illustrate the causal relationships amongst the identified resilience
challenges to the various stakeholders. These findings offer practical insights for
the government to allocate resources and impose measures to ensure resilience, as
well as understanding the cause-effect relationship. Managerial implications and
Policy insights for building the resilience of handicraft MSMEs are discussed in
detail.

Agrawal, R., et al. (2022). "Progress and trends in integrating Industry 4.0 within
Circular Economy: A comprehensive literature review and future research
propositions." Business Strategy and the Environment 31(1): 559-579.
Society is facing many challenges, including, climate change, COVID, inequity
and human population growth. Some researchers suggest that integration of Circular
Economy (CE) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) concepts and approaches can help us to make
progress towards sustainable societies. Integrated implementation can help to
improve the design of product–service systems focused on prevention and reduction
of wastage of materials, energy, human health, and ecosystems. The CE practices
enable consumers to return products after use and to reuse the products with more
value. Will integrated adoption of CE and I4.0 practices help society to be more
sustainable? What is known about the climate change benefits of integration of I4.0
and CEs to reduce energy and resource usage? The authors sought to answer these
questions, via a systematic bibliometric literature review, and network analysis of
literature on I4.0 and CE for logistics and supply chain applications. The review
was performed by searching the SCOPUS database for literature about I4.0 and CE. A
total of 165 articles were shortlisted for in-depth review. The literature review
was complimented by bibliometric and network analyses. The review provided insights
into the present and future trends in integration of I4.0 and related Artificial
Intelligence (AI) tools in CE's. Based on the findings, a framework for integrating
I4.0 and CE, was developed to guide CE decision-making that will help researchers
and industrialists, integrate I4.0 tools within CEs to improve logistics, resource
efficiency, safety, product quality and reduce fossil-carbon footprints. © 2021 ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Agwu, U. J. and J. Bessant (2021). "Sustainable Business Models: A Systematic

Review of Approaches and Challenges in Manufacturing." Revista de Administracao
Contemporanea 25(3 Special Issue).
Objective: there is an ongoing need for businesses to strive to maintain
ideals within environmental, economic, and social values — commonly known as the
triple bottom line. Manufacturing as a sector has advanced drastically and the
literature on sustainable business models in this sector has emerged. The purpose
of this paper is to analyze sustainable business models in manufacturing and the
approaches and challenges faced in creating and implementing them. Methods: this
paper uses a systematic approach to review the literature. We identify sustainable
business models and classify them within different industry areas while strategies
and challenges emerge from the literature. Results: the findings indicate that
there is some empirical work done in investigating the social and environmental
dimensions of sustainability in manufacturing. Overall, there is an ongoing
transition to sustainable business models in varying divisions of industry.
However, the creation and delivery of sustainable economic value is still
unexplored. Conclusions: the research provides insight to researchers and
practitioners on how organizations implement sustainability while delivering value
to their stakeholders. It also provides new avenues for conducting research in
unexplored strategies of sustainable business modeling. © 2019, ANPAD - Associacao
Nacional de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa em Administracao. All rights reserved.

Agyabeng-Mensah, Y., et al. (2024). "Stakeholder pressure and circular supply chain
practices: Moderating roles of environmental information exchange capability and
circular innovation orientation." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
This study deploys institutional theory and Resource orchestration theory
(ROT) to examine the roles supply chain stakeholder pressure, circular innovation
orientation (CIO) and environmental information exchange capability (EIEC) play in
adopting Circular supply chain (CSC) practices. This study uses a partial least
square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse survey data gathered from
290 managers of manufacturing Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. This
study finds that pressure from supply chain stakeholders substantially drives
manufacturing SMEs' CSC practices. This study confirms that EIEC negatively
moderates the relationship between supply chain stakeholder pressure and CSC
practices. Finally, this study confirms the complementarity between CIO and EIEC
through moderating effects between supply chain stakeholder pressure and CSC
practices. This study advances circular supply chain management (CSCM) literature
by testing a research framework that examines important but rarely studied roles of
CIO and EIEC in SMEs' CSC practices adoption under supply chain stakeholder
pressure through institutional and resource orchestration perspectives.

Ahmad, F., et al. (2023). "Business management perspectives on the circular

economy: Present state and future directions." Technological Forecasting and Social
Change 187.
Circular economy (CE) is an economic model designed to substitute the take-
make-dispose linear economy with a regenerative system. Business management has a
critical role in translating CE into practice. Extant management research on CE,
while expanding rapidly, remains fragmented and lacks a holistic perspective.
Through bibliographic coupling, a technique that identifies emergent research
trends rather than past traditions in literature, we analyse the current state of
CE research in business management and develop an agenda for future research. Six
streams emerge: strategy, learning and innovation, consumer behaviour and
remanufacturing, supply chains and implementation, circular business models,
industrial symbiosis, and emerging technologies. Through content analysis we
explore research trends and gaps, providing a more comprehensive overview of CE
management research than prior studies. Moreover, we identify promising paths for
future research, focused around three overarching research questions that provide a
platform to accelerate the impact of business and management research on the
adoption and proliferation of CE practices in future. © 2022 The Authors
Ahmad, W., et al. (2024). "Radical product sustainability oriented innovation (SOI)
and triple-bottom-line (3BL) performance: findings from Malaysian and Singaporean
B2B firms." INDUSTRIAL MARKETING MANAGEMENT 117: 457-466.
Despite the ongoing debate, there is an absence of research in finding the
relationship between radical product sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) and
firm's triple-bottom-line (3BL) performance. While radical product SOIs may lead to
3BL performance, they may also be fraught with commercialization risks and
uncertainty. This study aims to examine the relationship between radical product
SOI and firm's 3BL performance in a business-tobusiness (B2B) context with a
mediating variable - radical innovation uncertainty. Using a multi-informant
approach, survey data were collected from 187 Malaysian and Singaporean privately-
owned B2B firms involved in R&D and NPD activities, provided by 326 R&D and
marketing managers. The radical product SOI was found to have a significant
positive effect on radical innovation uncertainty, which is negatively related to
3BL performance dimensions i.e., environmental, social, and financial. Moreover,
this study examines the moderated-mediation effect by industry type, service vs.
manufacturing: it moderates the negative mediation effect of radical innovation
uncertainty, and this effect is weaker for service firms compared to manufacturing
firms. The findings offer clear guidelines to B2B managers for the marketing and
development of radical product SOI and facilitate firms' 3BL performance. The study
also acknowledges its limitations and suggests potential avenues for future
research.

Ahmadi, H. B., et al. (2020). "An integrated model for selecting suppliers on the
basis of sustainability innovation." Journal of Cleaner Production 277.
In today's competitive business environment, corporations attempt to achieve
sustainability through innovation. Innovation is considered by researchers and
scholars to be a key driver for achieving sustainability. One of the key parts in
any sustainable supply chains is sustainable supplier evaluation and selection.
However, few sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) studies have focused on
sustainable supplier evaluation and selection, particularly in the context of
sustainable innovation management. Thus, supplier evaluation and selection studies
that consider overall sustainability (social, environmental, and economic)
innovation criteria are nearly non-existent. To deal with this issue, this paper
proposes a decision framework to assess sustainable innovative suppliers. A
combination of best worst method (BWM) and modified Preference Ranking Organization
Method for Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) is employed as an integrated model
in the analysis. The BWM is initially applied to identify the sustainable
innovation criteria weights, and then the modified PROMETHEE is used to analyze the
suppliers’ performance. A manufacturing case example is employed to verify the
utility and applicability of the proposed methodology. This paper can assist
industrial managers, researchers, and decision-makers in understanding and focusing
on sustainable innovation, particularly when selecting suppliers, and enhancing
their supply chains’ sustainability to make progress toward sustainable
development. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Ahmadi-Gh, Z. and A. Bello-Pintado (2024). "Sustainability isomorphism in buyer–

supplier relationships: The impact of supply chain leadership." Business Strategy
and the Environment 33(4): 3635-3653.
Within the framework of institutional theory, this study explores how the
proactiveness of focal (or buying) manufacturing firms, demonstrated through the
adoption of various sustainability practices, influences the sustainability
performance of suppliers. Additionally, it examines how the leadership capability
of buying firms, particularly in terms of supply chain leadership, can play a
crucial role in this link. Through empirical analysis of a sample taken from the
fourth round of the High-Performance Management (HPM) project, our study reveals
compelling evidence indicating that buying firms, by adopting diverse
sustainability practices, such as internal initiatives, monitoring efforts and
collaborative approaches with suppliers, are able to create distinct institutional
pressures. These pressures serve as a conduit for the diffusion of a shared set of
sustainability goals, values and norms among suppliers, ultimately contributing to
the development of sustainability competences and improving their overall
sustainability performance. Furthermore, our findings suggest that when buying
firms undertake a leading position, they can effectively translate isomorphism
pressures into sustainability improvements on the supplier side. Overall, this
study sheds light on important and understudied aspects of sustainability practices
in buyer–supplier relationships and underscores the critical role that supply chain
leadership can play in promoting sustainable practices across the entire supply
chain. © 2024 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Akter, S., et al. (2024). "Unleashing the power of artificial intelligence for
climate action in industrial markets." Industrial Marketing Management 117: 92-113.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a game-changing capability in industrial
markets that can accelerate humanity's race against climate change. Positioned in a
resource-hungry and pollution-intensive industry, this study explores AI-powered
climate service innovation capabilities and their overall effects. The study
develops and validates an AI model, identifying three primary dimensions and nine
subdimensions. Based on a dataset in the fast fashion industry, the findings show
that the AI-powered climate service innovation capabilities significantly influence
both environmental and market performance, in which environmental performance acts
as a partial mediator. Specifically, the results identify the key elements of an
AI-informed framework for climate action and show how this can be used to develop a
range of mitigation, adaptation and resilience initiatives in response to climate
change. © 2023 The Authors

Al-Abbadi, L. H. and A. R. Abu Rumman (2023). "Sustainable performance based on

entrepreneurship, innovation, and green HRM in e-Business Firms." Cogent Business
and Management 10(1).
The purpose of this study is to look into how the three pillars
(Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Green Human Resource Management) effect on
sustainable performance. For data collection purposes the researcher uses a “random
sample” consisting of (350) employees and managers. The method of data collection
was by a questionnaire distributed to the sample. The total returned questionnaires
were (268) with a good response rate of approximately (77%). The findings indicated
the significant and positive effects of entrepreneurship, innovation, and green HRM
on sustainable performance. Entrepreneurship is the most influential variable in
sustainable performance followed by green HRM and then Innovation. The study
contributes to the literature by conceptualizing the three pillars
(entrepreneurship, innovation, and green HRM). Researcher advised employing
suitable measurements that are consistent with the dependent variable because of
this. Additionally, managers should concentrate on these three pillars to enhance
sustainable performance. © 2023 The Author(s). This open access article is
distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.

Alblooshi, B. G. K. M., et al. (2022). "Sustainable management of electronic waste:

Empirical evidences from a stakeholders' perspective." Business Strategy and the
Environment 31(4): 1856-1874.
With rapid advancements in technology, the evolution and demand for
electronic/electric devices have drastically increased. The exponential increase in
the use of technology to fulfill the needs of the fast-paced information era has
led to electronic and electrical devices being discarded or disposed of at a faster
rate than in the past. This phenomenon has resulted in e-waste becoming the
fastest-growing form of solid waste. E-waste is classified as hazardous waste and
can be harmful to the environment and health if not disposed of responsibly.
Therefore, alternatives, such as exporting, landfilling, and recycling (from
different economic, social, technical, and environmental criteria), are of interest
to minimize the disposal of this toxic waste form into landfill sites. The analytic
hierarchy process approach was deployed to evaluate and prioritize alternatives for
e-waste processing systems in the United Arab Emirates context. The obtained
results indicate that recycling has the highest priority among the studied
alternatives in the e-waste processing system. The low economic and environmental
awareness of stakeholders with regard to e-waste shows that e-waste management
system initiatives must be expedited to adhere to e-waste best practices
implemented nationally and internationally. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy
and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Alkhodary, D. (2023). "INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: A PATH

TOWARDS LONG-TERM BUSINESS SUCCESS." International Journal of Professional Business
Review 8(4).
Purpose: This study aims to examine the integration of sustainability into
the strategic management practices of banks in Jordan, identifying both challenges
and opportunities. Theoretical framework: The study's conceptual framework outlines
the independent variable as strategic management, including formulation,
implementation, monitoring and evaluating, and leadership, while the dependent
variable is sustainability, focusing on both social and environmental goals.
Existing models and frameworks for sustainability-oriented strategic management are
reviewed and a customized model for Jordanian banks is developed.
Design/methodology/approach: The research employs a qualitative research design,
using semi-structured interviews with senior managers from ten Jordanian banks.
Data is analyzed using content analysis and thematic analysis. Findings: The study
finds that implementing strategic management processes can have a positive impact
on sustainability, particularly with regards to environmental sustainability goals.
The study recommends that Jordanian banks prioritize sustainability in their
strategic management practices, establish sustainability targets, evaluate risks
and opportunities, and adopt sustainable practices. Research, Practical & Social
implications: The study has implications for both research and practice. It
highlights the importance of incorporating sustainability into strategic management
practices for banks in Jordan and identifies the challenges and opportunities for
doing so. The study also has social implications, as incorporating sustainability
into strategic management practices can enhance the reputation of banks, decrease
costs, and generate positive societal and environmental outcomes.
Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on sustainability-
oriented strategic management by developing a customized model for Jordanian banks.
The study also provides insights into the challenges and opportunities for banks in
Jordan in integrating sustainability into their strategic management practices. ©
2023 AOS-Estratagia and Inovacao. All Rights Reserved.

Almawishir, N. F. S. and H. Benlaria (2024). "Innovation and dimensions of

sustainable development: mediating role of ICTs." Cogent Business and Management
11(1).
This study examines the synergies between innovation, ICT, and sustainable
development in the context of Saudi Arabian organizations, through the data derived
from the responses of 407 top-level administrative employees from different
organizations within the government and the private sectors via the structural
equation modeling, PLS-SEM. Innovation is shown to have profound beneficial
consequences in the area of social sustainability, it is, however, likely to have a
negligible influence on economic and environmental aspects. ICT adoption, however,
has been rightly identified as a prime mediator in the relationship between
innovation and sustainability, whereby it positively mediates over all the
dimensions of sustainability, and the strongest mediation effect was observed on
environmental sustainability. The findings bear testimony to the fact that
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is crucial factor for achieving
sustainable development and hence prompts policymakers and organizational leaders
to invest money in technology-related advancement, devise policies that foster ICT
adoption and put them into practice to squeeze the full potential of ICT. Hence,
highlighting the sector that has promising strategic importance for ICT, the
approach is an effective one that could fuel creativity and contribute highly to
the sustainability agendas everywhere, therefore, it should be the future path for
organizations in Saudi Arabia to truly advance to the next level and effectively
play in the sustainable development field. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by
Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Al-Omoush, K. S., et al. (2022). "Networking and knowledge creation: Social capital
and collaborative innovation in responding to the COVID-19 crisis." JOURNAL OF
INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE 7(2).
This study empirically explores the role of social capital in creating
collaborative innovation and collective intelligence and maintaining organizational
sustainability in the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Data were collected from a
sample of 289 managers, directors and heads of departments of top 50 manufacturing
firms in Jordan and analyzed using Smart-PLS-SEM. The results indicate that social
capital significantly impacts collaborative innovation, collective intelligence and
organization sustainability during the COVID-19 crisis. They also reveal that
collective intelligence significantly impacts collaborative innovation and
organization sustainability. This study enriches the literature on social capital,
collaborative innovation and collective intelligence. It elucidates the role of
such dynamic capabilities in maintaining both organizational sustainability and the
chance of recovery from unprecedented crises. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by
Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. on behalf of Journal of Innovation & Knowledge.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Alonso-Almeida, M. D. M., et al. (2021). "Institutional entrepreneurship enablers

to promote circular economy in the European Union: Impacts on transition towards a
more circular economy." Journal of Cleaner Production 281.
Circular economy supposes a transformational and radical process of change
from a linear to a circular economic model, where every production phase represents
a systemic shift at all levels. Nevertheless, CE philosophy is easy to understand
but very complex to put into practice. For that reason, using institutional
entrepreneurship theory, institutional enablers to push the transition to a more CE
in the European Union will be analysed. In particular, the impacts achieved by CE
strategies are oriented to priority CE goals. Thus, this empirical study based on a
public consultation survey uses structural equation modelling to analyse links
between institutional entrepreneurship enablers and impacts on CE strategies
oriented to main CE goals. The findings support the effectiveness of acting like an
institutional entrepreneur to force transformational and radical changes, although
differences are found between enablers and the impacts of CE. The paper concludes
with some useful reflections for institutions and policymakers in order to maximise
the efforts taken to effect changes at all levels. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Alpsahin Cullen, U. (2023). "Exploring a circular business model: Insights from the
institutional theory perspective and the business model lens." International
Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 24(1): 58-69.
Circular entrepreneurship is becoming a new, promising reality, in the manner
of needed radical paradigmatic change in the era of Anthropocene. Circular
entrepreneurs intend to create social and environmental value while they build
financially viable businesses. They are embedded in multiple institutionalised
value systems that they are expected to adhere to. Those institutionalised systems
provide circular entrepreneurs with different, in many cases, contradictory norms,
values and guiding principles. Substantial amount of research has been done to date
to examine the impact of institutions on entrepreneurial endeavours. And yet,
research lacks sufficient insights into how circular entrepreneurs engage with the
institutional structures in designing business models on a financially feasible
ground while creating social and environmental value. To address this, this paper
investigates how circular entrepreneurs respond to the value systems of surrounding
institutions in business modelling and how two fundamental aspects of embeddedness,
namely resource integration and value cocreation, are achieved within a circular
business model that is coherent in itself and with the entrepreneur's ambitions.
Both the institutional context and the institutional logics surrounding
entrepreneurs are examined to comprehend the surrounding institutional systems more
in-depth and extensively. By analysing a longitudinal in-depth case study, this
article aims to develop better insights into circular business modelling and
underlying mechanisms of embeddedness. The case is a born-circular small cidermaker
in Cornwall (UK), namely Wasted Apple. The findings show that the circular
entrepreneur is surrounded by dominant normative institutions forming the
principles of business model design. circular entrepreneurs mark fidelity to the
institutional norms to obtain a range of microcompetencies and to manage integrated
hybrid tensions within the value creation system. And therefore, a circular
business model is a more holistic and inclusive structure as compared to a typical
conventional linear business model. And yet, paradoxically embeddedness facilitates
business survival but hinders strategic business planning as well as business
profitability and growth. © The Author(s) 2021.

Amir, M. T. and B. Prabawani (2023). "Sustainability-oriented innovation through

shaping the ecosystem; a case of an e-bus industry in Indonesia." Cogent Business
and Management 10(2).
Sustainability orientation is increasingly becoming a focus in companies’ top
management. In addition to social, environmental, and economic impacts, a
sustainability-based strategy can be a source of excellence for the company in the
future. Using the Network for Business Sustainability model as a lens, this study
examines how companies are involved in the challenge of forming an ecosystem that
is still not mature when developing the electric bus business. It includes how
companies change their business orientation, identify and collaborate with
stakeholders, and encourage the acceleration of regulatory existence. The company
and new business’ top management were interviewed to understand the company’s
orientation as part of a group of companies. A total of six interviews were
conducted for this purpose. The factor of reconceptualizing the business’s purpose
and influencing the ecosystem through strategy, linkages, and learning was explored
as the determining factor. Flexibility in business models, influential partners in
global supply chains, and good relations with government agencies were also crucial
factors. This study contributes to research on sustainability-oriented innovation,
and corporate entrepreneurship. This study provides a comprehensive and general
framework for sustainability-oriented innovation, highlighting the guiding
principles of any ecosystem approach to innovation management. © 2023 The
Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Andersén, J. (2022). "An Attention-Based View on Environmental Management: The

Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Environmental Sustainability Orientation,
and Competitive Intensity on Green Product Innovation in Swedish Small
Manufacturing Firms." ORGANIZATION & ENVIRONMENT 35(4): 627-652.
Green product innovation (GPI) is a cornerstone of environmental management.
Recent reviews on GPI have shown that research on GPI antecedents has mainly
focused on identifying specific factors influencing the use of GPI. However, most
studies lack a comprehensive theoretical explanation of the findings. In this
study, which is based on a sample of 303 Swedish small manufacturing firms,
antecedents to GPI are examined using the attention-based view of the firm. Two
attentional perspectives, namely, entrepreneurial orientation and environmental
sustainability orientation, were found to positively influence the use of GPI.
Moreover, situated attention, in terms of competitive intensity, strengthens the
relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and GPI. The study highlights the
usefulness of an attention-based view on GPI and environmental management in small
firms.

Anser, M. K., et al. (2021). "Financial development during COVID-19 pandemic: the
role of coronavirus testing and functional labs." Financial Innovation 7(1).
The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in early 2020, known as COVID-19, spread
to more than 200 countries and negatively affected the global economic output.
Financial activities were primarily depressed, and investors were reluctant to
start new financial investments while ongoing projects further declined due to the
global lockdown to curb the disease. This study analyzes the money supply reaction
to the COVID-19 pandemic using a cross-sectional panel of 115 countries. The study
used robust least square regression and innovation accounting techniques to get
sound parameter estimates. The results show that COVID-19 infected cases are the
main contributing factor that obstructs financial activities and decrease money
supply. In contrast, an increasing number of recovered cases and COVID-19 testing
capabilities gave investors confidence to increase stock trade across countries.
The overall forecast trend shows that COVID-19 infected cases and recovered cases
followed the U-shaped trend, while COVID-19 critical cases and reported deaths
showed a decreasing trend. Finally, the money supply and testing capacity show a
positive trend over a period. The study concludes that financial development can be
expanded by increasing the testing capacity and functional labs to identify
suspected coronavirus cases globally. © 2021, The Author(s).

Antonioli, D., et al. (2022). "Sustainable production: The economic returns of

circular economy practices." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 31(5): 2603-
2617.
Assessing the economic consequences of sustainable production choices aimed
at reducing negative environmental externalities is crucial for policy making, in
light of the increasing interest and awareness experienced in recent EU policy
packages. This assessment is one of the goals of the current work, which tries to
provide new empirical evidence on the economic returns of circular economy
practices, drawing on previous literature on the underlying determinants of greener
production choices, which are stated to differ from standard technological
innovations as they are subject to a knowledge and an environmental externality.
Using an original dataset on approximately 3000 Italian manufacturing firms, we
provide evidence on the relations among innovations related to the circular economy
concept and economic outcome in the short run. The evidence shows that in the short
run, it is difficult to obtain economic gains from circular economy related
innovations when taken in isolation, especially for Small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs), who may also experience negative returns.

Antony, J., et al. (2023). "How does performance vary between early and late
adopters of Industry 4.0? A qualitative viewpoint." International Journal of
Quality and Reliability Management 40(1): 1-24.
Purpose: Industry 4.0 is a new trend among organizations. Some organizations
have been early adopters or later adopters of Industry 4.0. The purpose of this
paper is to investigate how performance effects vary between early and late
adopters of Industry 4.0. Design/methodology/approach: This study applies a
qualitative research methodology using grounded theory. 14 senior management
professionals who have implemented Industry 4.0 participated in this study through
a theoretical and snowball sampling approach. These professionals were from
manufacturing and service sectors, from North America, Europe and Asia. The study
used semi structured open-ended interviews to capture the organizational
performance on operational, financial, environmental and social dimensions.
Findings: The findings were analyzed in terms of four broad themes which emerged
from the interviews. In operational performance the operational and implementation
cost will be higher for early adopters. The late adopters may enjoy the advantage
in terms of improved business models. In terms of financial performance, the early
adopters may see a marginal increase in profit and increased stock price compared
to late adopters. The performance on the environmental dimension will see early
adopters enjoying material efficiency, energy savings and an improved image of the
company compared to late adopters. In social performance, the early adopters will
provide a better quality of work life, safer manufacturing environment. However,
the resistance from labor unions will be higher for early adopters compared to late
adopters. Practical implications: Organizations must decide the timing of
implementation of Industry 4.0. This study will act as a guide wherein they can
decide to be an early adopter or late adopter based on knowledge of the resulting
performance consequences. Originality/value: This is the first paper that studies
the performance effects of early versus late adopters of Industry 4.0. © 2021,
Emerald Publishing Limited.

Appiah, L. O. (2023). "Stakeholder Engagement for Green Process Innovation:

Exploring the Link and Boundary Conditions." Operations and Supply Chain Management
16(2): 153-163.
Despite the growing research attention towards the role of stakeholders in
developing green innovations, there is limited understanding of the mechanism and
specific firm-level conditions under which stakeholder engagement enhances green
innovation. Drawing on the Stakeholder theory and the Natural Resource Based View,
this paper theorizes that absorptive capacity and risk-taking behaviour are
underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions respectively in the stakeholder
engagement-green process innovation relationship. The model is tested with survey
data obtained from manufacturing firms in Ghana. The results show that absorptive
capacity mediates the relationship between stakeholder engagement and green process
innovation. Also, the relationship between stakeholder engagement and green process
innovation is conditioned by risk-taking behaviour. The implication of these
findings for theory and practice is discussed in the text. © 2023 Iran University
of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.

Ardito, L. (2023). "The influence of firm digitalization on sustainable innovation

performance and the moderating role of corporate sustainability practices: An
empirical investigation." Business Strategy and the Environment 32(8): 5252-5272.
This paper seeks to shed light on the relationship between firm
digitalization and the likelihood of launching sustainable innovations (social and
environmental, social only, and environmental only), for which the extant research
has provided a paucity of evidence. In detail, the role of digitalization is
considered in terms of (i) the specific effect of a given digital technology (DT)—
among artificial intelligence, cloud computing, robotics, smart devices, big data
analytics, high speed infrastructure, and blockchain—and (ii) the effect of the
concurrent adoption of multiple DTs (degree of digitalization). Furthermore, the
paper assesses if and how the effect of the degree of digitalization is moderated
by the implementation of sustainability practices, as the two issues are often
treated independently. Research questions are proposed instead of hypotheses.
Econometric analysis to answer proposed questions is based on a sample of 14,125
firms, whose information is gathered from the survey Flash Eurobarometer 486.
Results reveal that each DT differently affects the likelihood of launching
sustainable innovations, while the degree of digitalization is always beneficial.
Moreover, it appears that firm digitalization and the adoption of sustainability
practices are not complementary. All in all, this paper helps to illuminate current
representations of the interplay between digitalization, sustainability practices,
and sustainable innovations at the firm level, with implications for research,
managerial practice, and policymaking. © 2023 The Author. Business Strategy and The
Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Arena, M., et al. (2021). "Uncovering value creation in innovation ecosystems:

paths towards shared value." European Journal of Innovation Management 25(6): 432-
451.
Purpose: Although innovation ecosystems (IEs) are generally considered
capable of creating shared value (SV), this potentiality has often been taken for
granted and not deeply analysed, yet. As a result, in the literature, there is not
a framework that defines the process of SV creation in IEs or which aspects should
be considered for understanding it. Moving from these considerations, this paper
aims to propose a conceptual model of how IEs can create SV, identifying the main
building blocks of the process and the aspects that characterize these building
blocks. Design/methodology/approach: The authors reviewed the literature on IEs and
value creation over the last 15 years, by structurally analysing 120 articles. On
the basis of such review, the authors identified main dimensions of analysis
focusing on the conceptualization of SV in IEs. Findings: First, the authors
developed a conceptual model relying on a process-based logic and framing the SV
creation in terms of inputs, here intended as four key characteristics (actors,
structure, governance and relations), internal processes (strategies and internal
mechanisms) and outputs (the value created). Second, each element of value creation
is explored, highlighting the main evidence emerging from prior studies in
connection to each block. Originality/value: This paper drives the identification
of some relevant relationships that connect the characteristics of the IEs, the
strategies and the internal mechanisms to the output of the process, i.e. the SV
created. © 2021, Marika Arena, Giovanni Azzone and Giulia Piantoni.

Arfaoui, N., et al. (2023). "Innovation Strategies and Implementation of Various

Circular Economy Practices: Findings from an Empirical Study in France." Journal of
Innovation Economics and Management 42(3): 149-183.
We go beyond the literature that argues for environmental innovation as an
essential driver of the transition to a Circular Economy (CE), examining whether
firms deploying specific innovation strategies are better placed to adopt this
transition. Distinguishing four basic Schumpeterian innovation strategies (product,
process, single, complex innovation strategy) and three others (frugal,
organizational, business model innovation), we measure the transition to the CE by
examining the adoption by firms of five categories of circular practices proposed
in the Flash Eurobarometer survey, used extensively in the literature. Estimations
of multivariate probit models show that product innovator strategy has a minor
influence on the adoption of CE practices, while a process innovation strategy has
a slightly stronger impact. Most influential strategies are complex and frugal
innovations. Business model innovation influences the implementation of only two CE
practices. Our study reveals specific innovation strategies which are more
impactful regarding the transition to the CE. © 2023 De Boeck Supérieur. All
rights reserved.

Arranz, C. F. A. (2024). "A system dynamics approach to modelling eco-innovation

drivers in companies: Understanding complex interactions using machine learning."
Business Strategy and the Environment 33(5): 4456-4479.
This paper examines the effect of drivers in the development of eco-
innovation from a system dynamics perspective. While previous literature has made
important contributions in identifying factors that influence the development of
eco-innovations, there remains limited understanding of how these drivers act and
interact in promoting its development. Therefore, there is a need to develop a
framework of relationships and drivers that encourage and support eco-innovation in
companies. This paper develops an integrated framework encompassing key internal,
market and governmental factors and their complex interactions using principles of
system dynamics and machine learning to address this gap. The research questions
how these drivers interact in a dynamic and non-linear manner to influence the
development of eco-innovation in companies and how can these interactions be
effectively modelled and understood, considering the complexities of sustainable
business practices and the limitations of traditional linear approaches. We
empirically test these questions by using the Spanish Technological Innovation
Panel database. The findings demonstrate that eco-innovation is not solely driven
by isolated factors; instead, it emerges from the complex interplay between
internal capabilities, governmental policies and market dynamics. By emphasising
the synergistic effects of these drivers, the research offers a nuanced
understanding of their systemic interactions. Furthermore, our analysis highlights
the varying efficiency levels of different drivers, underscoring the pivotal role
of environmental corporate policies and the strategic allocation of financial
resources. In contrast, cooperation, market forces and regulations exhibit lower
efficiency in driving eco-innovation processes. These insights not only advance
theoretical knowledge but also provide valuable guidance for businesses and
policymakers, offering a more holistic approach to fostering sustainable
innovation. © 2024 The Author. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Arroyabe, M. F., et al. (2024). "The integration of circular economy and digital
transformation as a catalyst for small and medium enterprise innovation." BUSINESS
STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
This study examines the integration of digital and circular economy (CE)
strategies in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their impact on innovation.
The research uses data from the Eurobarometer survey conducted by the European
Commission, which includes a sample of 16,365 SMEs. Using a combination of
regression analysis and machine learning tools, the results indicate that a high
degree of digitalisation within SMEs enhances the integration of a CE orientation.
However, it is not necessary for SMEs with advanced CE orientations to have high
levels of digitalisation. Additionally, the study finds variability in the
integration of digital and CE orientations among SMEs, identifying four distinct
groups of companies with differing levels of compatibility. Moreover, SMEs that
successfully integrate both digital and CE orientations are more likely to
innovate, whereas those with poor integration exhibit a lower probability of
innovation. These findings offer crucial insights for managers and policymakers
aiming to bolster SME innovation, digitalisation and sustainability. The research
underscores the need for a balanced integration of digital and CE orientations to
enhance innovation and environmental impact in SMEs.

Atanasov, A., et al. (2023). "Integration of Digital Technologies in Corporate

Social Responsibility (CSR) Activities: A Systematic Literature Review and
Bibliometric Analysis." Journal of Risk and Financial Management 16(8).
Modern technologies require the need to analyze the opportunities for
improving the integration of digital technologies in CSR activities in the context
of added values between business and science in perspective, including the future
digital society. The main goal of this article is to identify the current state of
research on the integration of digital technologies in CSR activities in business,
as well as to prepare recommendations for further research and practice.
Additionally, the study aims to recognize the relationship and dependencies between
CSR and digital technologies. A systematic literature review and bibliometric
analysis of 129 scientific articles published between 2014 to 2023 was performed.
The bibliometric analysis was organized in two directions: descriptive and
performance analysis, through which we can study the contribution of the analyzed
objects to the given scientific area, and science mapping, which studies the
relationships among them. The results indicate that companies more frequently use
artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things and other technologies
to increase the efficiency and impact of their CSR activities. In addition, this
research reveals the basis of bringing forward the new trends for future
publications, which shall upgrade and enrich the theory and practice. © 2023 by the
authors.

Awad, J. and R. Martín-Rojas (2024). "Enhancing social responsibility and

resilience through entrepreneurship and digital environment." CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 31(3): 1688-1704.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, organisational resilience is key, especially
for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which must face crises and overcome
the handicap of today's digital markets. We explore how corporate social
responsibility (CSR), digital technologies (DTs) and corporate entrepreneurship
synergistically enhance SMEs' organisational resilience, employing dynamic
capabilities theory to reveal mechanisms underlying CSR, DTs and organisational
resilience. We assess this synergy empirically by surveying 259 participants from
Andalusia's business landscape. Theoretical and practical implications illuminate
SMEs' strategic DT use to amplify CSR and resilience. Finally, we outline practical
guidelines for policymakers, business leaders and entrepreneurs to foster
sustainable innovative practices. Embracing CSR and entrepreneurship cultivates
resilience, enabling enterprises to thrive amidst challenges and stay competitive.
Our paper advances knowledge by combining CSR's and DTs' roles in developing
resilience in entrepreneurship. Ultimately, recognising and harnessing CSR, DTs and
entrepreneurship synergy empowers SMEs to forge resilient business environments for
lasting success.

Bag, S., et al. (2022). "Effect of eco-innovation on green supply chain management,
circular economy capability, and performance of small and medium enterprises."
Journal of Business Research 141: 60-72.
The social structures in organisations constitute essential enablers for the
betterment of small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) performance. Our paper explores
such enablers in the context of SMEs’ contribution to the Circular Economy (CE),
through the lens of institutional and dynamic capability view theories. We focus on
the relationships between institutional pressures, eco-innovation, green supply
chain management (GSCM) practices, CE capability, big data driven supply chains
(BDSC), and performance for CE supply chains. We used a survey to collect data (n =
240) from people working in SMEs in the manufacturing sector in South Africa.
Drawing from institutional theory, we find that coercive, normative, and mimetic
pressures have a positive relationship with eco-innovation. Furthermore, eco-
innovation is positively associated with GSCM, with these two concepts
significantly related to the building of CE capability. The final element in our
framework shows a positive relationship between GSCM and CE capability. Our
findings reveal some nuances in terms of the relationships between the concepts.
For example, whilst BDSCs have a moderating influence on the relationship between
CE capability and firm performance for the CE supply chain, no such influence is
evident for the relationship between GSCM practices and performance. Further work
needs to focus on explaining this and other findings and on validating our
theoretical framework. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.

Barreiro-Gen, M. and R. Lozano (2020). "How circular is the circular economy?

Analysing the implementation of circular economy in organisations." Business
Strategy and the Environment 29(8): 3484-3494.
Circular economy (CE) has become one of the most recent ways to address
environmental sustainability. CE activities focus exclusively on one of three
levels (macro level, meso level and micro level). The majority of CE research has
focused on the macro and meso levels, whereas research on the micro level has been
limited. This paper focuses on the latter by analysing how organisations have
implemented the four Rs (reduction, repairing, remanufacturing and recycling). A
survey was sent to a database of 5,299 contacts from different organisations, from
whom 256 complete responses were obtained. The results show that organisations
focus on reducing and recycling more than repairing and remanufacturing and in
particular on internal CE efforts. Some organisations that engage with the 4Rs do
not do it under the CE umbrella, whereas some that claim to apply CE have low
levels of engagement with the 4Rs. The results indicate that organisations are
using the 4Rs to contribute to CE, but not all of them are aware that they are
applying CE principles. The paper highlights that organisations need to improve
their 4Rs efforts to contribute more to CE by better linking its theory with
practice. CE also has to be implemented outside the organisations, in a more
holistic way, for example, through better collaboration with stakeholders on CE
efforts and activities. This research stresses that the gap between CE theory and
practice needs to be closed to make CE circular. © 2020 The Authors. Business
Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Barrera Verdugo, G. (2020). "Relationship between innovation and sustainability in

Latin American countries: Differences by perceptual characteristics of early-stage
entrepreneurs." Cogent Business and Management 7(1).
This research evaluates the relationship between innovation and
sustainability in Latin American early-stage entrepreneurship. Besides, the study
seeks to recognize differences in the relationship between innovation and
sustainability by the perception of opportunities, the fear of failure, and
companies’ perceived social role, in early-stage entrepreneurs. Responses obtained
in 11 Latin American countries are analyzed using correlation parameters and
multinomial regressions. The results indicate a low association between innovation
and sustainability in new businesses. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that
entrepreneurs’ perceptual conditions affect this connection. Notably, it is
evidenced that entrepreneurs who perceive good opportunities, less afraid of
failure, and identify an active social role of enterprises, tend to incorporate,
jointly, higher innovation and sustainability in their new ventures. These outcomes
extend the understanding about the effects of entrepreneurs’ psychological
characteristics on the development of innovation and sustainability in Latin
American countries. © 2020 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed
under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.

Basile, V., et al. (2024). "A three-level view of readiness models: Statistical and
managerial insights on industry 4.0." Technology in Society 77.
Over the past ten years, business intelligence (BI) and data analytics (DA)
have consistently increased their impact on information management and firms'
strategies, as evidenced in decision-making processes. Moreover, using new tools in
so-called digitalization has become a core element, and while it may help firms
sustain their competitive advantage, it could also have multiple side effects.
Therefore, this paper adopts a service ecosystem perspective and focuses on firms’
level of digitalization to observe the effects of technologies regarded as actors,
as well as deriving outlooks beyond the firm level. Additionally, a multilevel view
is aligned with the digital service ecosystem and supports the analysis of Industry
4.0 as sociotechnical factors in smart manufacturing technologies. Using principal
component analysis (PCA), an analysis of industries was conducted to identify where
the modernization of manufacturing and the contribution of digitalization show
lower levels of readiness. Furthermore, the purpose of the analysis is to alert
firms about opportunities to gain the most from digitalization or to enhance their
level of implementation of such technologies. A three-level view emerges because
novel technology implementation ranges from companies to industries to regions;
therefore, a general process of digitalization may also increase competitiveness at
a wider level. © 2024 The Authors

Bassi, F. and J. G. Dias (2020). "Sustainable development of small- and medium-

sized enterprises in the European Union: A taxonomy of circular economy practices."
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 29(6): 2528-2541.
This paper focuses on the implementation of circular economy (CE) practices
in small- and medium-sized firms in all 28 European Union (EU) countries. The
analyses take into account the hierarchical nature of the collected data as firms
are nested within EU countries, that is, the heterogeneity between different types
of firms and countries according to practices and attitudes towards CE. The
multilevel latent class model identifies groups of firms and groups of EU countries
that are homogeneous in terms of CE, that is, how the homogeneous groups of small-
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are distributed across the groups of EU
countries. These results, together with the fact that firms with similar CE
attitudes and practices have different demographic and business profiles across
groups of countries, shed further light on the topic of green behavior in the EU
with implications for businesses' environmental policies. Moreover, indications
emerge that European policies favoring the implementation of CE practices should be
targeted at least for subgroups of European countries, considering the different
composition by typology of SMEs operating in their territories and that, at the
same time, policies should be defined within each group of countries to account for
the specific features of each of the four classes of SMEs.

Batista, L., et al. (2023). "Theorising circular economy and sustainable operations
and supply chain management: a sustainability-dominant logic." INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT 43(4): 581-594.
Purpose - This paper introduces initial foundations of a sustainability-
dominant logic theory intersecting the sustainable operations and supply chain
management (SOSCM) discipline with the circular economy (CE) field of knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach - The paper applies propositional forms of theorising
to derive the formulation of propositions and interconnections that interrelate
SOSCM and CE principles, concepts and practices which provide a reinforcing
theoretical basis underlying the proposed sustainability-dominant logic
theory.Findings - Key findings are represented by elaborated theoretical
propositions fora sustainability-dominant logic linking SOSCM and CE principles,
concepts and well-established practical assumptions. The initial set of
propositions offers useful insights for a sustainability-dominant logic at three
managerial levels: product, firm and supply chain level. Originality/value - The
paper offers an original theoretical common ground based on a
sustainabilitydominant logic linking key SOSCM with CE tenets, this way developing
SOSCM theory anchored in the CE paradigm and, conversely, developing CE theory
supported by SOSCM principles and praxis. The initial set of propositions
introduced in the paper provides a new pathway for future research and debate by OM
scholars engaged with SOSCM and CE developments.

Battesini Teixeira, T. G., et al. (2023). "Redesign in the textile industry:

Proposal of a methodology for the insertion of circular thinking in product
development processes." Journal of Cleaner Production 397.
Despite the growing attention toward negative environmental impacts generated
by the textile industry, companies face challenges in achieving sustainable and
circular economy (CE) transition. The literature has so far lacked a systematic
effort to analyze how textile companies can insert CE elements in their new product
development process (NPD), especially regarding the proposition of methodologies
that can better assist the companies in this regard. This study aims to identify
good green innovation and CE practices in NPD adopted by textile companies and
propose a methodology from Design Thinking (DT) to insert circular thinking in NPD.
To that end, we conducted the research in two steps: (i) narrative bibliographic
review and (ii) field research. The bibliographic review was conducted in the “Web
of Science”, “Scopus”, and “Scielo” databases. The field research was executed with
four textile companies. Our results show that companies tend to consider socio-
environmental aspects at different stages of the development of new products.
However, there is opportunities for improvement, especially through the use of
ideas from DT. The proposed methodology is composed of two main cycles: the design
cycle (DT stages) and the consumption cycle (subsequent stages). It encompasses the
five main stages of the DT and the three macro phases of NPD of the textile
industry. The ideas coming from the DT, especially creativity, focus on the user
and stakeholder integration, assist in the development of innovative and circular
solutions. The methodology presents how companies can work on reuse, recycling, and
manufacturing issues, so that CE occurs. In the end, we evaluated, together with
experts, the applicability of the proposed use of ideas of DT in practical cases.
The research advances the discussions on NPD in the textile sector, especially on
its potential to contribute to the transition to CE. It explores how DT assists in
inserting circular thinking into the NPD and presents alternatives for companies to
develop circular products and insert green innovations in their NPD. © 2023
Elsevier Ltd

Battistella, C. and E. Pessot (2024). "Nurturing Social Innovation Capabilities in

Businesses Through Open Innovation." IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
71: 8388-8401.
Companies are increasingly committed to pursuing social goals with the
development of social innovation (SI), but they need to adopt adequate mechanisms
to effectively manage, promote, and sustain it in the long term. This article aims
to explore how businesses leverage open innovation (OI) practices to tackle social
challenges in collaboration with SI stakeholders. We performed a multiple case
study in three large manufacturing enterprises that are well-known for their
excellence in innovation in terms of both SI impacts and OI depth. Results show
that businesses develop and nurture a set of SI capabilities founded on purposeful
knowledge exchanges across organizational boundaries, enhancing innovativeness,
sustaining SI, and enlarging SI social and economic outcomes. The article provides
key insights into the interplay between OI and SI, still underinvestigated in the
literature, identifying the capabilities that should be fostered in the innovation
processes of companies tackling broad societal challenges with openness. © 1988-
2012 IEEE.

Baxter, D. and M. Chipulu (2023). "Developing a new scale for measuring

sustainability-oriented innovation." Journal of Cleaner Production 429.
Sustainability-oriented innovation is a developing area in the academic
literature, and existing measurement models are either lacking in scope or they
have not been validated. Following an extensive review of existing academic
literature, this paper addresses this gap by developing a new sustainability-
oriented innovation scale. The scale includes elements from the triple bottom line,
which incorporates social, environmental, and financial considerations.
Environmental considerations are further broken down into carbon footprint,
pollution, and materials life cycle. Notably, we also separate capability (could we
do it), evaluation (do we measure it), and performance (do we put it into practice
in our products and services, and operations). As a holistic model we also include
strategy, partnerships, and demand. The validity of the scale was tested first
through a pilot study with 23 respondents, and second through a survey study with
202 respondents. Scale evaluation tests confirm the consistency, convergent, and
discriminant validity of the new sustainability-oriented innovation scale. Both
exploratory and confirmatory analysis results confirm that the theorised scale is a
good fit for the data. The contribution of this paper is a comprehensive, validated
survey instrument to measure the capability of organisations to deliver sustainable
innovation. © 2023 The Authors

Bendig, D., et al. (2023). "Digital orientation and environmental performance in

times of technological change." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 188.
Digitalization is increasingly seen as a strategic means for firms to yield
competitive and environmental advantages. Still, current empirical research does
not yet provide ample evidence on how a firm's strategic posture towards
digitalization connects to environmental performance. This study examines the link
between digital orientation and environmental performance as well as the moderating
role of technological turbulence. The natural-resource-based view and literature on
strategic orientations provide the conceptual foundations. The hypotheses are
tested with data from 515 U.S. Standard and Poor's 500 companies with 2,800 firm
observations from 2009 to 2019. The results indicate that, first, a firm's digital
orientation has a significant and positive effect on environmental performance and,
second, this effect is even more pronounced in technologically turbulent business
environments. In sum, our findings suggest that managers can improve their firm's
environmental performance and competitive position by increasing the digital
orientation within their organizations. We thus add to the literature on the
natural-resource-based view by identifying digital orientation as a strategy
aligned with the natural environment. Finally, we derive practical implications for
managers and policymakers aiming to bring together digitalization and green
strategies. © 2022

Benito-Hernández, S., et al. (2023). "The influence of government support over

environmental protection investment on SMEs: R&D collaboration and financial
aspects." Business Ethics, the Environment and Responsibility 32(2): 836-846.
This paper aims to improve knowledge about the main factors influencing firm
environmental commitment, by examining empirically the relationship between public
support for R&D for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their investment in
environmental protection. The empirical analysis was developed using a sample of
1594 Spanish firms, and a binary logistic regression to evaluate the existence of
dependency relationships between the analyzed variables. The results show that
those companies receiving direct funding from local public entities and those
collaborating with research centers and universities, invest more in environmental
actions to protect the natural ecosystem. The paper contributes to the academic
literature by analyzing the main factors that influence the SMEs environmental
commitment. Moreover, showing practitioners and policy makers the effectiveness of
different types of financial support depending on the origin of the funds and the
form of action taken; showing managers the advantages of collaborating with public
administrations, as well as with other research organizations, to obtain better
ECSR results. © 2022 The Authors. Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility
published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bhatti, S. H., et al. (2023). "Servitized SMEs’ performance and the influences of
sustainable procurement, packaging, and distribution: The mediating role of eco-
innovation." Technovation 127.
The current paper is one of the pioneering studies to specifically analyze
the role of both inbound and outbound sustainable supply chain practices (SSCP) of
servitized SMEs in a relatively high-risk emerging economy context of Pakistan.
Building on Porter's Value Chain Model, this study analyzes the influence of
sustainable servitization on multiple performance indicators (including
environmental, economic, social, and operational) of servitized SMEs. We further
investigate the role of eco-innovation as a mediator. The study employs a time-
lagged research design, based on primary data collected from 280 managers of
servitized SMEs. We found that sustainable practices positively impact servitized
SMEs’ performance, except for sustainable procurement's influence on operational
performance. Finally, eco-innovation was found to partially mediate the analyzed
inter-relationships. © 2023 The Authors

Biancuzzi, H., et al. (2024). "Smart mobility in Venice: An ecosystem perspective."

Journal of Cleaner Production 434.
In the last twenty years, organizations have been increasingly asked to
contribute to global challenges. Some of the numerous requests are to combat
climate change, the pollution decrease, and energy issues. In this field, the
strategic challenge to be overcome is changing the business concept from a mere
creator of economic value to a producer of shared value. In this sense, the context
of Smart Mobility (SM). Through a case study with five purposive samples of Smart
Mobility start-ups, an expert in strategic innovation, sustainability management,
and business model innovation, and an innovative project evaluator, the research
analyzes the values generated at an ecosystem level, with a reflection on Venice
(Italy), the world capital of sustainability. Specifically, flexibility,
efficiency, sustainability, safety, satisfaction, and image are explored in depth.
Furthermore, the problems that operators and users have to face are discussed. The
results of our study confirm what is present in the literature: SM increases
mobility, offers flexibility, and guarantees greater capillarity and customization
of the service, broadening the field of analysis and suggesting proactive actions.
The article contributes to understanding how some obstacles/problems slow down the
development of Smart Mobility and its widespread diffusion. Finally, the paper
reflects on how Venice can be an example and cradle of innovative solutions, also
in the SM field. © 2023 The Authors

Blasi, S., et al. (2024). "A network perspective of cognitive and geographical
proximity of sustainable tourism organizations: evidence from Italy." INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT 36(2): 478-504.
PurposeThis research aims to contribute to the literature on sustainable
hospitality and tourism by applying social network analysis to identify sustainable
tourism business networks and untangle the role of cognitive and geographical
proximity in their formation. Design/methodology/approachData mining and machine
learning techniques were applied to data collected from the websites of tourism
companies located in northeastern Italy, namely, the Veneto region. Specifically,
the authors used Web scraping to extract relevant information from the internet.
FindingsThe results support the existence of geographical clusters of tourist
accommodation providers that are linked by strong cognitive proximity based on
sustainability principles that are well communicated via their websites. This does
not appear to be greenwashing because companies that have agreed on sustainability
principles have also implemented concrete actions and tend to signal these actions
through a variety of sustainability certifications. Practical implicationsThe
results may guide tourism managers and policymakers in developing tourism
initiatives directed at the creation of fruitful collaborations between similarly
oriented organizations and methods to support clusters of sustainable tourism
accommodation. Identifying sustainable tourism networks may assist in the
identification of potential actors of change, fueling a widespread transition
toward sustainability. Originality/valueIn this study, the authors adopted an
innovative methodology to detect sustainability-oriented tourism business networks.
Additionally, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first
to simultaneously explore the cognitive and geographical connections between
tourism businesses.

Block, C., et al. (2023). "Selecting technologies to engage in sustainability

transitions-A multi-stakeholder perspective." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
32(6): 3569-3595.
Given the need for systemic changes to reach a sustainability transition from
a fossil-based toward a bio-based economy, it is crucial to align different actors'
expectations along the value chain when developing and commercializing
sustainability-oriented technologies (SOTs). To analyze what different actors along
the value chain look for when selecting SOTs, this study draws upon a group concept
mapping approach based on a group discussion and a subsequent sorting and rating
process of selection criteria. Applied to the case of the bio-based economy, this
study seeks to aggregate the perceptions of four different stakeholder groups along
the value chain, that is, (1) agricultural and feedstock, (2) (bio)chemical, (3)
consumer industries, and (4) consultancies and networks. We derive 11 different
categories subsuming 59 criteria that have been perceived as relevant when
selecting SOTs. Results show that selection criteria related to the future
competitiveness, the public acceptance, and the sustainability aspects of the
technology are perceived as highly relevant for most actors when selecting SOTs.
Further, we summarize the 11 categories into four dimensions involving (1) market
environment and viability, (2) corporate strategy and technology integration, (3)
capabilities and knowledge exchange, and (4) institutional and regulatory frames
related criteria. We contribute to sustainability transition literature by
providing, first, a conceptual framework for relevant selection criteria of SOTs
from a value chain spanning perspective; and second, areas of coherence versus
noncoherence in technology evaluation across different value chain actors allowing
targeted support initiatives to facilitate the technology transfer in the context
of sustainability transitions.

Block, C., et al. (2023). "Selecting technologies to engage in sustainability

transitions—A multi-stakeholder perspective." Business Strategy and the Environment
32(6): 3569-3595.
Given the need for systemic changes to reach a sustainability transition from
a fossil-based toward a bio-based economy, it is crucial to align different actors'
expectations along the value chain when developing and commercializing
sustainability-oriented technologies (SOTs). To analyze what different actors along
the value chain look for when selecting SOTs, this study draws upon a group concept
mapping approach based on a group discussion and a subsequent sorting and rating
process of selection criteria. Applied to the case of the bio-based economy, this
study seeks to aggregate the perceptions of four different stakeholder groups along
the value chain, that is, (1) agricultural and feedstock, (2) (bio)chemical, (3)
consumer industries, and (4) consultancies and networks. We derive 11 different
categories subsuming 59 criteria that have been perceived as relevant when
selecting SOTs. Results show that selection criteria related to the future
competitiveness, the public acceptance, and the sustainability aspects of the
technology are perceived as highly relevant for most actors when selecting SOTs.
Further, we summarize the 11 categories into four dimensions involving (1) market
environment and viability, (2) corporate strategy and technology integration, (3)
capabilities and knowledge exchange, and (4) institutional and regulatory frames
related criteria. We contribute to sustainability transition literature by
providing, first, a conceptual framework for relevant selection criteria of SOTs
from a value chain spanning perspective; and second, areas of coherence versus
noncoherence in technology evaluation across different value chain actors allowing
targeted support initiatives to facilitate the technology transfer in the context
of sustainability transitions. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The
Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Block, C., et al. (2021). "Semantic bridging of patents and scientific publications
- The case of an emerging sustainability-oriented technology." TECHNOLOGICAL
FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE 167.
The detection of emerging technologies in highly dynamic environments such as
the evolving area of sustainability-oriented technologies is pivotal for firms,
academia and policy alike in order to evaluate business opportunities and to set
strategic priorities. Secondary data sources, such as patents and publications, are
valuable data to gain a comprehensive overview of emerging technologies. However,
the bridging of both data sources with respect to a particular technology cluster
is often challenging as for instance time lags between cross-citations complicate
the evaluation of connectivity. Applied to the highly dynamic case of phosphorous
recovery as an emerging sustainability-oriented technology field, this study
proposes a semantic similarity analysis approach of patent and publication
documents. Mapping the timely development of emerging sub-technologies in the
domain of phosphorous recovery and the new developed indicator, the number of
semantically similar publications per patent belonging to a specific sub-
technology, contribute to the identification and evaluation of emerging
technologies in the highly dynamic context of sustainability transitions.

Block, C., et al. (2021). "Semantic bridging of patents and scientific publications
– The case of an emerging sustainability-oriented technology." Technological
Forecasting and Social Change 167.
The detection of emerging technologies in highly dynamic environments such as
the evolving area of sustainability-oriented technologies is pivotal for firms,
academia and policy alike in order to evaluate business opportunities and to set
strategic priorities. Secondary data sources, such as patents and publications, are
valuable data to gain a comprehensive overview of emerging technologies. However,
the bridging of both data sources with respect to a particular technology cluster
is often challenging as for instance time lags between cross-citations complicate
the evaluation of connectivity. Applied to the highly dynamic case of phosphorous
recovery as an emerging sustainability-oriented technology field, this study
proposes a semantic similarity analysis approach of patent and publication
documents. Mapping the timely development of emerging sub-technologies in the
domain of phosphorous recovery and the new developed indicator, the number of
semantically similar publications per patent belonging to a specific sub-
technology, contribute to the identification and evaluation of emerging
technologies in the highly dynamic context of sustainability transitions. © 2021

Bocken, N. and J. Konietzko (2022). "Circular business model innovation in

consumer-facing corporations." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 185.
Consumer-facing corporations have started setting ambitious circular economy
goals. However, it is unclear what innovators in corporations do to help meet these
targets. The literature on circular business model innovation (CBMI) has focused on
business-to-business contexts, efficiency, and recycling, but lacks insight into
the innovation activities within consumer-facing corporations to pursue higher
strategies in the waste hierarchy such as repair and reuse. Because of the size and
potential impact of such organizations, it is important to better understand these
activities. The aim of this study is to investigate the essential activities
innovators in consumer-facing corporations carry out as part of CBMI. We use a
dynamic capabilities lens to review the literature on innovation activities
according to the CBMI stages of visioning, sensing, seizing and transforming. The
following research question is investigated: What practices and tools help
corporations build dynamic capabilities during the CBMI process? We conduct in-
depth interviews with key informants dealing with CBMI in three corporations (H&M,
IKEA, and Philips), and use thematic analysis to analyze and map the data to the
four stages. We thereby add a range of CBMI innovation activities to the current
literature and provide additional guidance for practitioners in large corporations.
© 2022 The Authors

Boffa, D., et al. (2023). "Boosting circular economy via the b-corporation roads.
The effect of the entrepreneurial culture and exogenous factors on sustainability
performance." International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 19(2): 523-561.
The study aims to analyze the role of informal institutions of Circular
Economy (CE) as exogenous factors of improving the effectiveness of Benefit
Corporation’ model. In detail, leveraging on the institution theoretical framework,
it hypothesized that the level of entrepreneurial culture linked to CE at national
level has a positive effect on the sustainability performance towards CE of Benefit
Corporations. To this end, a sample of 301 Certified Benefit Corporations collected
from the B-Lab dataset for the period 2008–2016 and located in eight European
countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United
Kingdom) has been analysed. The findings show that the informal institutions
englobed in the cultural dimensions of a country, with specific regard to the role
of the entrepreneurial culture related to the CE, seems to actively stimulates the
sustainability performance of Benefit Corporations towards CE, as measured through
the B-Impact Assessment Score of the operated by B-Lab. The study provides some
important implications for theory and practice. Indeed, it contributes to the
literature on institutional theory applied to CE, revealing the effective role of
informal institutions for the development of circularity and sustainability
performance at firm level in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Also, the full
achievement of the sustainability goals of Benefit Corporations passes also through
their strongly commitment towards the CE principles. Further, the incorporation of
a culture characterized by high entrepreneurial principles towards CE will likely
push individuals to build an entrepreneurial mindset for the effective and
sustainable development of Benefit Corporations. © 2023, The Author(s), under
exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Bonamigo, A., et al. (2024). "Lean 4.0 in the value co-creation in agro-industrial
services: An agenda for future studies for the efficient resource use." Systems
Research and Behavioral Science 41(2): 219-234.
Over the last few years, the Lean 4.0 concept has emerged and gained
prominence on the world stage for waste and efficient natural resources management,
once including the Lean thinking philosophy for management and technologies from
Industry 4.0 for supporting and sharing data and information among the actors in
the supply chain. This new management technic allows reorganizes the business
process and stimulates the circular supply chain based on intelligent services and
sharing data, information and know-how among the actors in production systems.
However, it is not clear in the current literature that the opportunities are
linked to the relationship between Lean 4.0 and the efficient use of resources in
the agro-industrial environment. Based on the exposure, this paper intends to show
an agenda for future research linked to Lean 4.0 in the value co-creation in agro-
industrial services. We identified five topics for future research that are related
to Lean 4.0 for efficient resource use. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Bonfanti, A., et al. (2023). "The contribution of manufacturing companies to the
achievement of sustainable development goals: An empirical analysis of the
operationalization of sustainable business models." Business Strategy and the
Environment 32(4): 2490-2508.
This study aims to identify the sustainable business practices
operationalized in the sustainable business models of manufacturing companies and
highlights these companies' contributions to achieving Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). The results outline that a clear sustainable value proposition is
operationalized through a large and various range of sustainable practices that,
although some of them are legally promoted, are mostly voluntarily adopted. Unlike
previous studies, this research shows a widespread commitment not only to the
economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability but also to the social one,
above all to promote workers' well-being, improve the workplaces, and engage the
employees. Furthermore, the study reveals an across-the-board dimension of
sustainability operationalized by the adoption of local embeddedness strategies,
networking development, and creation of a sustainable ecosystem and contributes to
extending—and improving all dimensions of—the triple bottom line framework.
Finally, the companies investigated contribute to the achievement of 11 of the 17
SDGs by highlighting dimensions in which companies already have a strong impact and
those in which they could enhance their practice. Based on these results, this
research advances theoretical knowledge and offers practical implications to
improve sustainable business management further. © 2022 The Authors. Business
Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons
Ltd.

Bootz, J. P., et al. (2022). "Possible changes of Industry 4.0 in 2030 in the face
of uberization: Results of a participatory and systemic foresight study."
Technological Forecasting and Social Change 184.
The transformations generated by Industry 4.0 (I4.0) are interwoven with
digitalization. I4.0 involves the digital turn of manufacturing companies, changing
the way they operate, their business models, and by extension, their interaction
with digital players. Nonetheless, the future of I4.0 regarding its interaction
with digital players and the phenomenon of uberization has scarcely been examined.
Thus, this research adopts a participatory and systemic foresight approach to
explore the trajectories of I4.0 in the face of uberization. The study was
conducted with a working group of 22 members from academia and practice. Four
scenarios and related action plans were produced. The results emphasize that
uberization is not necessarily a process to be endured by manufacturers, but it
could be chosen or even co-constructed with different actors if manufacturers
address key challenges such as rethinking their business models and adapting their
factors of production. The scenarios indicate the dynamics of uberization as
contingent on technological developments and on industrial policy choices, changes
in consumer behavior, and access to multiple funding sources. Finally, the study
provides practical implications regarding the dynamics of collaboration between
SMEs and large groups, on one hand, and between manufacturing companies and digital
players, on the other hand. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Bor, S., et al. (2024). "Scaling sustainable technologies by creating innovation

demand-pull: Strategic actions by food producers." Technological Forecasting and
Social Change 198.
This research identifies the strategic actions that food companies take to
foster sustainability transition by inviting innovations from the packaging
industry. While much research has been devoted to the role of policy in creating
the need for more sustainable products and services, little is known about the role
of incumbent companies in scaling innovations that advance sustainability
transitions. This study draws on data collected from food producers, food packaging
producers, and food packaging material producers to investigate the role of food
companies in scaling sustainable technologies by creating a demand-pull for
packaging innovation. We illustrate five actions undertaken by food industry firms
that help to scale up the technological innovations in food packaging. These are
labeled (1) Signposting, (2) Demanding, (3) Incubating, (4) Orchestrating, and (5)
Integrating. Our findings indicate that incumbent firms might not just work solely
to protect their competitive positions but can also play a central role in scaling
sustainable technologies by producing a demand-pull for innovation. The study also
provides insights into how policy pressure on one socio-technical system (food
production) creates pressure on another connected socio-technical system
(packaging) to scale sustainable technologies through the supply chain. © 2023

Borrero, J. D. and S. Yousafzai (2024). "Circular entrepreneurial ecosystems: a

Quintuple Helix Model approach." Management Decision 62(13): 188-224.
Purpose: The shift toward a circular economy (CE) represents a collaborative
endeavor necessitating the presence of efficient frameworks, conducive contexts and
a common comprehension. This research serves as a pivotal stride towards this goal,
presenting an exclusive prospect for the investigation and fusion of these
frameworks, with particular emphasis on the Quintuple Helix Model (5HM), into a
unified theoretical framework that underscores the core principles of the CE. This
study is centered on three pivotal questions aimed at decoding the CE transition in
specific regional settings. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting an abductive
approach firmly anchored in a two-stage qualitative process, this study
specifically merges the foundational principles from institutional theory,
entrepreneurship literature and CE frameworks to provide insights into the dynamics
of circular ecosystems, with a specific focus on the Huelva region in Spain.
Findings: The findings demonstrate significant potential in the CE, ranging from
the integration of product and service systems to innovations in eco-industrial
practices. Yet, a notable deficiency exists: the absence of institutional
entrepreneurs, highlighting the essential role that universities can play. As
recognized centers of innovation, universities are suggested to be key contributors
to the transformation toward a CE, aligning with their societal and economic
responsibilities. Practical implications: This study highlights the importance of
managing relationships with entities like SMEs and policymakers or academia for
effective CE adoption. Policymakers can refine strategies based on the research’s
insights, while the impact of university-driven circular ecosystems on sustainable
societies is another crucial area for research. Originality/value: The
sustainability models cited in CE literature may not be comprehensive enough to
prevent problem shifting, and it can be argued that they lack a sound theoretical
and conceptual basis. Furthermore, the connections between sustainability
objectives and the three levels of the CE operating system remain vague.
Additionally, there is insufficient information on how regions foster the
involvement of the environment in fivefold helix cooperation and how this impacts
the CE. © 2024, Juan D. Borrero and Shumaila Yousafzai.

Bouloiz, H. (2020). "Sustainable performance management using resilience

engineering." International Journal of Engineering Business Management 12.
Several efforts have focused on the continuous improvement of firm
performance, but many disturbances still occur because of various random failures.
Resilience which is the ability to withstand shock and maintain critical function,
has been recognized as an important approach to keep a firm operating in varying
conditions, even if these conditions are excepted or not. With the objective to
further enhance firm performance and be part of a sustainable development, it is
necessary to study this performance through the resilience in order to manage all
disturbances. The objective of this work is to propose a specific management model
able to define the functions and barriers that contribute to the resilience of
sustainable performance of firm. In this paper, the methodology is explained in
detail, and its application trough textile firm is discussed. © The Author(s) 2020.

Breard, G. and L. J. Llorente-González (2022). "Eco-innovation in Argentine

Industrial Firms (2014 – 2016): A Characterization from the Perspective of Circular
Economy Transition Strategies." Journal of Innovation Economics and Management
39(3): 73-104.
This study aims to characterize the eco-innovation activities implemented by
the Argentine industrial firms, considering their association with different
strategies of transition towards a circular economy. An analysis is made of the
main motivations and factors that influence the implementation of the different
types of EI, including variables such as economic sector, size, age, origin of
capitals, productive linkages and innovative profile of firms. A logit regression
model is proposed based on data from the National Survey of Employment and
Innovation (ENDEI), which collects information from more than 3900 Argentine
industrial companies for the period 2014-2016. The results reflect the
heterogeneity of both the innovative behavior of the firms and the productive
structure of the country. A majority of firms with EI strategies related to
resource efficiency and pollution mitigation coexist with a smaller group of
companies with a proactive innovative profile and genuinely circular strategies,
aimed at reusing waste and designing products with less environmental impact. ©
2022 De Boeck Supérieur. All rights reserved.

Brinkerink, J. and Y. Bammens (2024). "Greening in the spotlight: How public

inquisitiveness shapes European SMEs' actions in response to climate concerns."
BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
We examine greening activities among European small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) in the product and process domains, and argue that greater
public climate concern in an SME's home country environment primarily associates
with greening in the inherently more visible product domain. Moreover, we introduce
the concept of public inquisitiveness and propose that greater inquisitiveness
prompts SMEs to also pay attention to less visible process greening activities as a
response to public climate pressures. We test our ideas using multilevel regression
models on a large representative sample of SMEs from 18 European Union (EU)
countries. The study's main ideas are supported by the findings, which point to
possible trade-offs between product and process greening among resource-constrained
SMEs, and suggest the general public's inquisitiveness indeed plays a key role in
preventing under engagement in less outwardly visible greening strategies. We
discuss our study's implications for discourse on how and under which conditions
normative institutional forces shape firm-level sustainable behavior, as well as
for SMEs' pro-environmental stakeholders.

Broccardo, L. and A. Zicari (2020). "Sustainability as a driver for value creation:

A business model analysis of small and medium entreprises in the Italian wine
sector." Journal of Cleaner Production 259.
This research explores the role of sustainability in the business models
(BMs) of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are operating in the wine sector
in Italy, thus addressing recent calls in the literature on BMs. Consequently, this
empirical paper offers a contextualized two-step analysis of the BMs of those
firms, with a focus on their economic, environmental, and societal indicators.
First, a study of a large set of firms all over the country points out the better
profitability of some companies, in particular, family-owned companies. Second, a
questionnaire survey identifies the key elements that contribute to that higher
performance. The companies in this set are small and medium in size, as the Italian
wine sector is mostly composed of these kinds of firms. Our data cast new light on
the role of sustainability in BMs and its relationship to economic performance.
Furthermore, our results point to the difference in performance between family and
non-family firms. This latter focus leads us to propose two different BMs for SMEs
in the wine sector in Italy, based on their type of governance, i.e., family or
non-family. Our findings also suggest that sustainability can create value by
achieving innovation in BMs in the long run. However, we found that the studied
firms have not yet fully integrated sustainability into their own BMs. © 2020
Elsevier Ltd

Broccardo, L., et al. (2023). "How digitalization supports a sustainable business

model: A literature review." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 187.
New digital technologies are becoming widespread and have radically redefined
business processes and practices. Simultaneously, numerous companies are
implementing sustainable business models (SBMs), expecting to integrate
sustainability considerations and increase competitive advantage. These two
megatrends—digitalization and sustainability—are radically changing firms. However,
the relationship between digitalization and the implementation of SBMs is yet to be
investigated in detail. This is a key issue, as digital tools could assist
companies in transforming their current business models toward sustainability.
Through a literature review, we explore the link between digitalization and SBMs,
illustrating the main potential impacts of digitalization for each block of SBM and
propose a list of the potential benefits that digitalized SBMs can bring. We
identify these potential benefits and elaborate on them considering their economic,
social, and environmental impacts. Moreover, our study identifies a potential
virtuous circle generated by digitalization, while highlighting the necessary
alignment of digital tools and key business factors to attain economic, social, and
environmental value. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Budianto, R. (2024). "Controlling social problems and environmental changes through

sustainability: Evidence from Indonesian beverage companies." International Journal
of Management and Sustainability 13(2): 232-252.
The purpose of this study was to better understand how businesses anticipate
reducing societal resentment and environmental change as a result of exploitative
activities that damage the environment. The present study used a qualitative
descriptive methodology to investigate the operational sustainability practices
within beverage companies. The researchers employed Nvivo qualitative data analysis
software, specifically version R 1.6.1, to effectively organize the interview data.
This study demonstrates that CSR program execution does not solely rely on
donations, which really makes the community dependent on the assistance given. The
business has taken steps to carry out CSR in a sustainable way in order to promote
community welfare and environmental sustainability in the future. In conclusion,
this company has completed fifteen of the United Nations' (UN) sustainable
development goals (SDGs). In order for stakeholders to properly reap the rewards of
CSR, this research can offer an overview of the procurement of CSR programs for
other companies. This study can provide an overview of the procurement of CSR
programs for other companies so that the CSR received by stakeholders really feels
beneficial. This study provides additional insight for subsequent researchers in
the form of findings and information on the topic of CSR implementation, but the
object studied is different. © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved.

Bui, T. D., et al. (2020). "Challenges and Trends in Sustainable Corporate Finance:
A Bibliometric Systematic Review." Journal of Risk and Financial Management 13(11).
Sustainable corporate finance is an attractive field of study in
sustainability literature; however, the literature lacks systematic bibliometric
analysis that provides a comprehensive review to clarify state-of-the-art
sustainable corporate finance and that discusses new opportunities and potential
instructions for further studies. To address this gap, this study adopts a
literature review, bibliometric analysis, network analysis and co-wording technique
to systematically investigate the Scopus database. In total, 30 keywords listed at
least three times are used and are divided into six clusters considering six fields
of research, namely, corporate finance in corporate sustainability, sustainable
competitive advantages, sustainable stakeholder engagement, circular economy,
sustainable corporate finance innovation and risk management and sustainable supply
chain ethics. This study contributes to examining the sustainable corporate finance
bibliometric status to provide directions for future studies and practical
accomplishment. The sustainable corporate finance knowledge gaps are (1) corporate
finance in sustainability; (2) sustainable competitive advantages; (3) sustainable
stakeholder engagement; (4) circular economy; (5) sustainable corporate finance
innovation and risk management; and (6) sustainable supply chain ethics. The
knowledge gaps and future directions are also discussed. © 2020 by the authors.

Burki, U. and P. Ersoy (2022). "Top Management Pledge, An Essential Component of

Sustainable Manufacturer-Customer Relationships." Journal of Sustainable Marketing
3(2): 98-117.
This study reviews the role of top management commitment in realizing
sustainability goals in interfirm and supply chain relationships. Next, the study
employs the resource-based view of the firm to implicate top management commitment
as a moderator of influences of green innovation practices on customer cooperation.
Using survey design methodology, we collected data from different 181 ISO
14001certified Turkish manufacturing firms. We tested the proposed hypotheses by
using the hierarchical multivariate regression approach. The direct effect of top
management commitment on green process innovation is significant, while its effect
on green managerial innovation is insignificant. However, the results show that
manufacturer-customer relationships support top management commitment as a positive
moderator of the relationship between green innovation practices and customer
cooperation. Our results underscore the vital role played by top management in the
firm’s efforts to accomplish sustainability objectives and enhance interfirm
cooperation. Further, the study contributes to the literature by revising the
available literature on the different roles of top management commitment in green
supply chains and business relationships. © 2022 by the authors.

Camilleri, M. A., et al. (2023). "Creating shared value through open innovation
approaches: Opportunities and challenges for corporate sustainability." Business
Strategy and the Environment 32(7): 4485-4502.
To date, few researchers have linked open innovation approaches with triple
bottom line corporate sustainability objectives in terms of economic, social, and
environmental performance. A systematic review suggests that the businesses'
collaborative relationships with external consultants or organizations can increase
their competitive advantage, as external stakeholders could assist them in the
development of sustainable innovations, diversification into different markets, and
in the generation of new revenue streams. At the same time, they can support them
in addressing numerous deficits in society. On the other hand, this contribution
implies that an organizational culture that promotes open innovation approaches
could expose practitioners to risks and uncertainties, like revealing sensitive
information to outsiders, among others. In reality, it may prove difficult for the
businesses to trust new partners, as they are not subject to their organizations'
codes of conduct, rules, and regulations. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and
The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cancela, B. L., et al. (2023). "Greening the business: How ambidextrous companies
succeed in green innovation through to sustainable development." Business Strategy
and the Environment 32(6): 3073-3087.
This paper seeks to investigate the impact of ambidexterity (exploration and
exploitation) on green product innovation and the success of new products through
the effects of sustainability, considering the moderating role of customer
pressure. This research proposes a theoretical model that was tested using
structural equation modelling (SEM) and a multigroup analysis to understand the
moderating role of customer pressure. A 23-item questionnaire was developed to
explore the proposed relationships, applied in two different moments, answered by
two other critical respondents from each company. At the end of the second
collection moment, 336 valid questionnaires were collected from a sample of
industrial SMEs in Portugal. The results show a positive influence of ambidexterity
on sustainability and, therefore, on new product success and green product
innovation. In addition, green product innovation increases the success of new
products due to the growing demand for more sustainable products. Furthermore, the
chain of effects between ambidexterity and further product success was strengthened
when customer pressure was higher. This study stresses the need to actively manage
exploration and exploitation investments to enhance ambidexterity, especially when
sustainability and green innovation are the expected outcomes. The originality of
this research is related to the contributions of hierarchical dynamic capabilities,
combining and balancing exploration and exploitation, to produce successful
ambidextrous companies in sustainability and green strategies. © 2022 The Authors.
Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley &
Sons Ltd.

Cannavacciuolo, L., et al. (2023). "Technological innovation-enabling industry 4.0

paradigm: A systematic literature review." Technovation 124.
Technological innovation and the Industry 4.0 paradigm have gained increasing
attention from both the scientific community and practitioners, with the two themes
being considered topical research avenues of great interest. Adopting a systematic
literature review approach, this paper aimed to provide an overview of the existing
scientific literature that focuses on the interplay between these two aspects. The
analysis carried out offers an in-depth overview of the selected sources and a
bibliometric analysis that highlights various aspects of the evolution of the
scientific literature and the identification of five clusters: theories;
technologies; methodologies and countries; research areas and sectors; and current
and future impacts, from which the scientific debate has developed. On the basis of
the clusters that emerged, a content analysis was performed to highlight the focus
of the literature in the field of technological innovation under the Industry 4.0
paradigm. The paper also offers a research agenda in order to identify unexplored
and promising research paths that can be of inspiration for those who intend to
address these issues in the future and in relation to Industry 5.0. © 2023 Elsevier
Ltd

Cantu, C. L. and A. Tunisini (2023). "A circular innovation strategy in a supply

network context: evidence from the packaging industry." Journal of Business and
Industrial Marketing 38(13): 220-238.
Purpose: The research question is how can a company implement a circular
innovation in a supply network context? Leveraging the main conceptual and
interpretative models of the industrial marketing and purchasing thinking, this
study aims to investigate the interplay between the process of circular innovation
development and the changes in the structure and dynamics of the supply network in
which innovation takes place. Design/methodology/approach: This research applies a
case study design focusing on participant interaction dynamics. The case relates to
an industrial company producing an innovative coating solution for compostable
packaging. The data used to develop the case study came from multiple sources but
primarily from semistructured interviews that cover the implementation of the
circular innovation and the configuration of the circular network. Findings: The
dynamics of interconnected relationships can configure a circular network that
interconnects business and non business actors through vertical, horizontal and
heterogeneous relationships. The network configuration is supported by the new
mobilizer actor that facilitates the sharing of circular knowledge within the
circular network, together with the sharing of a market orientation and
entrepreneurial orientation within the supply network, through the educational
learning path. Originality/value: This paper aims to contribute to a new
understanding of how circular innovation can be developed, adopted and diffused. In
a network, when circular innovation takes place, the focal issue is not the new
product or technology in itself but how such innovation is developed and
implemented by and through the reconfiguration of the business and non-business
relationships into circular network. © 2023, Chiara Luisa Cantu and Annalisa
Tunisini.

Cappa, F. (2022). "Big data from customers and non-customers through crowdsourcing,
citizen science and crowdfunding." Journal of Knowledge Management 26(11): 308-323.
Purpose: The unprecedented growth in the volume, variety and velocity with
which data is generated and collected over the last decade has led to the spread of
big data phenomenon. Organizations have become increasingly involved in the
collection and analysis of big data to improve their performance. Whereas the focus
thus far has mainly been on big data collected from customers, the topic of how to
collect data also from those who are not yet customers has been overlooked. A
growing means of interacting with non-customers is through crowd-based phenomena,
which are therefore examined in this study as a way to further collect big data.
Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the importance of jointly considering
these phenomena under the proposed framework. Design/methodology/approach: This
study seeks to demonstrate that organizations can collect big data from a crowd of
customers and non-customers through crowd-based phenomena such as crowdsourcing,
citizen science and crowdfunding. The conceptual analysis conducted in this study
produced an integrated framework through which companies can improve their
performance. Findings: Grounded in the resource-based view, this paper argues that
non-customers can constitute a valuable resource insofar as they can be an
additional source of big data when participating in crowd-based phenomena.
Companies can, in this way, further improve their performance. Originality/value:
This study advances scientific knowledge of big data and crowd-based phenomena by
providing an overview of how they can be jointly applied to further benefit
organizations. Moreover, the framework posited in this study is an endeavour to
stimulate further analyses of these topics and provide initial suggestions on how
organizations can jointly leverage crowd-based phenomena and big data. © 2022,
Francesco Cappa.

Caputo, A., et al. (2022). "Sustainable business models as successful drivers in

equity crowdfunding." Business Strategy and the Environment 31(7): 3509-3522.
Equity crowdfunding is a form of capital market concerning the online
offering of private company securities to a group of people for investment. Over
the years, it has emerged as a valid financing alternative for sustainability-
oriented startups to conventional sources of funding to support their establishment
and growth. This research explores the role that the elements of sustainable
business models (SBM), which creates, delivers, and captures value for all its
stakeholders without depleting the natural, economic, and social resources it
relies on, can play as success discriminants of equity crowdfunding campaigns. A
configuration approach was selected, and Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis
(fsQCA) was used to investigate the causal configurations of 33 crowdfunding
campaigns posted on the six most popular Italian equity crowdfunding platforms from
2014 to 2020. The analysis revealed that the SBM elements, and combinations of
them, can positively affect the outcome of a campaign. Results also show that
negative outcomes may be primarily due to campaign-related features, such as high
minimum investment requirements and high funding target. © 2022 The Authors.
Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley &
Sons Ltd.

Cardoso, R. P., et al. (2022). "SUSTAINABLE QUALITY MANAGEMENT: UNFOLDINGS, TRENDS

AND PERSPECTIVES FROM THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE." Proceedings on Engineering Sciences
4(3): 359-370.
In this study, the sustainable development and quality management scenario is
studied by means of a bibliometry on the Scopus database. During the bibliometry,
the models used to practice sustainable quality were catalogued. These models had
their functions defined, and their area of action related to the Triple Bottom Line
pointed. The 30 most cited articles in the bibliometry had their research
opportunities pointed out, in case there is future research, and also their
challenges were catalogued to assist in future research in the sustainable
development and quality management scenario. © 2022 Published by Faculty of
Engineering.

Carfora, A., et al. (2022). "Do determinants of eco-innovations vary? An

investigation of innovative SMEs through a quantile regression approach." Journal
of Cleaner Production 370.
Ecological innovations (EIs) are believed to play a crucial role both for the
future competitiveness of companies and environmental protection. Thus, many
researchers have investigated the determinants stimulating the adoption of EIs, but
they usually consider determinants as a static concept. In this paper, these
determinants are hypothesized to vary with companies’ propensity to adopt them,
that is, the degree to which companies consider relevant the choice to invest in
EIs. In this view, the paper investigated a sample of 222 innovative SMEs following
a multi-step procedure. By means of a composite indicator, firstly the SMEs’
propensity to adopt EIs was calculated. Secondly, in order to identify the
determinants that stimulate SMEs to invest in eco-innovation, the procedure of
Principal Component Analysis based on the ScotLass algorithm was applied. Thirdly,
the determinants individuated as the principal components extracted were
investigated through OLS and quantile regression. The results suggest that among
the SMEs with a higher propensity to invest in EIs, the more evident determinants
are the ambition to reach better economic performance, the capacity to establish
networking, and the endogenous competencies of SMEs. Also, the variable structural
nature concerning the firm's size shows a high relevance. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Carlos, F. A. A., et al. (2022). "Institutional pressures as drivers of circular

economy in firms: A machine learning approach." Journal of Cleaner Production 355.
This paper investigates how institutional pressures affect the development of
Circular Economy (CE) in firms. Using Institutional Entrepreneurship as a
theoretical framework, this paper considers three different levels of institutional
pressures (coercive, normative, and mimetic) to examine the effect of each pressure
and their interactions on the development of CE. Seeking to clarify the debate on
the effect of institutional pressures, this paper considers that the main
limitation arises from the fact that previous research has analysed the
relationship between institutional pressures without considering the interaction
between them and the non-linearity of the processes. Deviating from previous
papers, our analysis combines regression methods with Machine learning (i.e.
Artificial Neural Networks), and employs data from the EU survey on Public
Consultation on the Circular Economy. This research finds that while coercive
pressures have a compulsory effect on the development of CE, mimetic and normative
pressures do not have an effect by themselves, but only in interaction with
coercive pressures. Moreover, this paper shows that the application of machine
learning tools has an important contribution in solving interaction problems. From
the perspective of environmental policy, this means that a comprehensive policy is
required, which implies the coexistence or interaction of the three types of
pressures. © 2022 The Authors

Carvalho, B., et al. (2022). "Can B Corp certification anchor sustainability in

SMEs?" CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 29(1): 293-304.
B Corp certification is considered a viable instrument to support small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting sustainable practices. However, there
is a lack of evidence to what extent this instrument can anchor sustainability at
the core of SMEs. This study investigates the B Corp certification process of a
SME, a craft brewery in southern Sweden, regarding the extent to which it helped
infusing sustainability into the business' mission, practices, corporate form,
certificates, and capacities. Results show that the B Impact Assessment, as part of
the certification process, positively influenced the business' mission, practices,
and capacities. Limited influence on social commitment and adoption of a
sustainable corporate form can be explained through regulatory context and time
required for deep organizational change. To enhance the effectiveness of B Corp
certification, we recommend making it even more adaptable to different geographical
and social contexts and increase focus on impact business models.

Castellani, P., et al. (2024). "Partner selection strategies of SMEs for reaching
the Sustainable Development Goals." REVIEW OF MANAGERIAL SCIENCE 18(5): 1317-1352.
The paper aims to investigate the characteristics of SMEs' partners that can
better contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. Given the explorative nature of
this research, a qualitative methodology is adopted, with a longitudinal case study
employed as the research method. The Wrad case study confirmed that SMEs can
contribute to the achievement of the SDGs by developing partnerships with multiple
stakeholders. In addition, this research revealed that the characteristics of the
SMEs' partners can be referred to the four following dimensions: economic,
environmental, social and purpose. Furthermore, it proposed that quality utility
value, technique level, profitability are the subdimensions of the economic
dimension and that resource consumption efficiency, pollution production, energy
efficiency, environment management system and environment equipment and facilities
are the subdimensions of the environmental dimension. This research expressed also
that public health, employee engagement, brand reputation and local communities'
influence are the subdimensions of the social dimension. Finally, it underlined
that sustainability-oriented awareness development, sustainable orientation,
sustainable collective culture, proactive managerial skills, organisational
learning and proactive and innovative leadership are the subdimensions of the
purpose dimension. In line with previous studies underlining the importance of
increasing the TBL dimensions, this study suggests a further extension of this
theory with the 'purpose' dimension. This study highlights the importance of
developing a vision supported by a social awareness of the problems that need to be
addressed and that transcend the fashion sector. Further researches could explore a
larger sample of SMEs operating in different businesses and the point of view of
the SME's partners.

Castellano, R., et al. (2022). "Exploring antecedents of innovations for small- and
medium-sized enterprises' environmental sustainability: An interpretative
framework." Business Strategy and the Environment 31(4): 1730-1748.
The need to pursue sustainable development has become a central topic in
Western countries due to citizens' greater sensitivity to improving environmental
and social conditions. Companies can reach this objective more easily through green
innovations, which are now considered a strategic opportunity that simultaneously
allows for adherence to sustainable development criteria and the pursuit of
competitive advantages. Scholars have identified the determinants that encourage
companies to adopt green innovations, but the outcomes of their investigations thus
far have often been ambiguous and contradictory. Our paper proposes an
interpretative framework for addressing such inconsistencies. Using the partial
least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) methodology, we validate this
framework on a sample of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and show that
SMEs' choices are influenced by cultural elements and stimulated by the prospect of
obtaining economic advantages over competitors. SMEs also pay close attention to
stakeholder solicitations, while public administration does not affect their eco-
innovating choices. The results have policy implications for executives and
insiders. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Castilla-Polo, F. and M. I. Sánchez-Hernández (2022). "International orientation:

An antecedent-consequence model in Spanish agri-food cooperatives which are aware
of the circular economy." Journal of Business Research 152: 231-241.
In recent years, it has generally been admitted that sustainability is a
condition which is supportive of success within internationalization processes. We
adopt a model based on antecedents and consequences of internationalization within
successful agri-food cooperatives involved in the circular economy in order to
offer a comprehensive view about the variables that affect this decision. The
methodological design includes two phases. Firstly, supported by a literature
review both for social capital and responsible research and innovation, indicators
are identified as specific antecedents of the international orientation of
cooperatives, and the improvement of reputation and performance, as consequences.
Secondly, the use of structural equation modelling is applied to a representative
sample of cooperatives practicing the circular economy in Spain to demonstrate the
empirical validity of the model. As management implications, cooperative managers
can opt to reinforce their social capital and foster responsible research and
innovation when a cooperative goes international, as a way to gain better
reputation and performance and enter a virtuous circle. Policymakers can also use
the set of indicators as a guide for future agri-food regulations. © 2022 The
Authors

Chakraborty, A., et al. (2024). "Empirical evidence on circular economy adoption in

Australian small and medium enterprises." Journal of Cleaner Production 467.
The study aims to understand the enablers and barriers of circular economy
(CE) adoption along with the impact of CE actions on sustainable performance in the
context of Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Based on the analysis of
primary data from 352 SMEs in Australia, the questionnaire survey-based study
revealed a lack of clearly defined business processes to be the major impediment
towards CE adoption. Analysis also showed environmental performance having a
significant positive relationship with design, process, and recovery. Surprisingly,
the research showed that the benefits associated with careful energy and resource
management does not seem to be important to Australian SMEs. This is in direct
contrast to the growing level of interest amongst Australian SMEs towards
conservation of water resources and emission reductions. The findings of this
research may drive SMEs to focus on CE adoption, as the results suggest that it is
positively related to sustainable performance. © 2024 The Authors

Chatterjee, S., et al. (2023). "Development of an integrative model for electronic

vendor relationship management for improving technological innovation, social
change and sustainability performance." Technological Forecasting and Social Change
186.
Vendor relationship management (VRM) is a software tool that helps to provide
seamless connectivity between buyer and supplier. With the rapid development of
information and communication technology (ICT) most firms have migrated to
electronic VRM (EVRM) capability. Only a few studies have examined how EVRM can
impact the dynamic B2B capability of firms that combine technological and social
innovation in support of transitions and the achievement of business goals. There
are also very few interdisciplinary studies using a range of performance matrices
to explore the relationship between firms' dynamic B2B capabilities and their
sustainability performance, mediated through their various sustainable growth
opportunities. In this context, this study aims to develop an integrative model for
B2B EVRM capability and firm sustainability. With the help of dynamic capability
view (DCV) theory and related literature, a theoretical model is proposed. This
model was later validated using the covariance-based structural equation modeling
technique (CB-SEM), in considering 378 responses from Indian firms. The study has
three main findings. First, EVRM capability significantly and positively impacts
B2B dynamic relationship capability between the firm and the vendors. Second, B2B
dynamic relationship management capability has a significant and positive impact on
firms' sustainability performance mediated through the financial, environmental,
and operational performance of the firm. And third, Environmental dynamism (ED)
plays a significant role as a moderator, influencing B2B dynamic relationship
management capability. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Chaudhary, S., et al. (2023). "Connecting the dots? Entrepreneurial ecosystems and
sustainable entrepreneurship as pathways to sustainability." Business Strategy and
the Environment 32(8): 5935-5951.
While the exponential growth of entrepreneurial ecosystem research has
dramatically increased our understanding of the role of context in entrepreneurial
outcomes, our knowledge of entrepreneurial ecosystems and environmentally
sustainable entrepreneurship is still fragmented. There is ambiguity on how
entrepreneurial ecosystems influence sustainable entrepreneurship and what factors
facilitate or constrain sustainable entrepreneurship. We attempt to take stock of
the extant scholarship on entrepreneurial ecosystems and synthesize studies
examining their linkages with sustainability. We systematically reviewed 77
articles identified in the World of Science and Scopus databases to discuss the
main themes. The content analysis uncovered four key themes: (a) how
entrepreneurial ecosystems become more sustainable, (b) the role of entrepreneurs,
(c) the role of universities, and (d) the outcomes of sustainable ecosystems. The
findings reveal that interactions between different actors, including customers,
suppliers, institutions, governments, and universities, can result in a sustainable
entrepreneurial ecosystem. The novelty of our study arises from integrating extant
studies on entrepreneurial ecosystem and sustainability in a systematic and
replicable manner. We observed heightened attention to the environmental challenges
in ecosystem literature and entrepreneurs' expanded roles in generating ecological
and social value. Future studies can further evaluate the effectiveness of
entrepreneurial ecosystems to examine whether creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem
has a similar value while achieving sustainable development goals across varied
contexts. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chaudhary, S., et al. (2024). "Connecting entrepreneurial ecosystem and innovation.

Grasping at straws or hitting a home run?" Technovation 130.
Why do some regions continuously exhibit productive entrepreneurship while
others stagnate? The entrepreneurial ecosystem and innovation are buzzwords within
academic research, representing the cultural, economic, social, and political
environment supporting productive entrepreneurship. Scholars have examined the
linkage between ecosystems and innovation in the past few years, and there is an
agreement that the interaction of entrepreneurial actors, institutions, and
cultures facilitates new venture development and productive entrepreneurship.
However, despite burgeoning research, the entrepreneurial ecosystem still
represents a metaphor lacking clarity. There is little agreement on the causal
mechanisms driving the entrepreneurial ecosystem and innovation outcomes as the
research at the current stage involves diverse views and is currently fragmented.
We present a review of ninety-eight articles to synthesize existing research
evidence on entrepreneurial ecosystems by identifying the ecosystem aspects
maximizing innovative capacity. The content analysis reveals three predominant
themes: (1) the role of universities, (2) the role of entrepreneurial actors, and
(3) innovation as an outcome of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The findings
highlight scholarly attention on the interactions between elements of the
entrepreneurial ecosystem and reveal the crucial role of entrepreneurial actors as
drivers of innovation. We contribute to the prior research by offering an overview
of predominant themes and proposing a conceptual framework. Shedding light on the
intersection between the entrepreneurial ecosystem and innovation is a potential
pathway for future ecosystem research. © 2023 The Authors

Chaudhuri, A., et al. (2022). "Circular economy and digital capabilities of SMEs
for providing value to customers: Combined resource-based view and ambidexterity
perspective." JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 142: 32-44.
Some small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are involved in recycling
plastic waste to produce innovative products. These SMEs have adopted digital
technologies, such as 3D printing and blockchain, to gain competitive advantage
from their circular economy (CE)-based business models. However, the specific
capabilities needed to create value for customers and to generate a competitive
advantage for such SMEs are not known. In this study, we conducted in-depth
interviews with four SMEs engaged in the CE to identify the specific resources and
capabilities needed to provide value to customers. Our findings reveal that SMEs
focusing on circular economy initiatives demonstrate exploitation and adaptive
capabilities in utilising their CE resources followed by exploration and adaptive
capabilities while implementing digital technologies. Our study extends the
resource-based view by combining it with ambidexterity to explain the role of
specific circular and digital resources and capabilities that SMEs need to provide
value to their customers.
Chen, Q., et al. (2023). "Selection bias of ideas for sustainability-oriented
innovation in internal crowdsourcing." Technovation 124.
Decision biases reinforce firms' tendency to develop innovations based on
narrow economic motivations. Consequently, sustainability-oriented ideas explicitly
targeting social and environmental issues are easily discarded in idea selection
when trade-offs between economic and sustainability values are faced. Given the so
far limited knowledge about how sustainability-oriented ideas are developed and
selected in organizations today, this research aims to explore how managerial
biases affect selection of sustainability-oriented ideas in internal crowdsourcing.
It does so through an empirical study drawing on data collected from a Swedish
multinational company using internal crowdsourcing for different types of
innovation ideas. The empirical study explicitly identifies sustainability-oriented
ideas based on machine learning and captures managerial biases for ideas based on
sentiment analysis. Regression analyses reveal that managerial biases potentially
affect the selection of sustainability-oriented ideas through the mediating role of
managerial attention in idea development. Furthermore, this mediating relationship
is moderated by search pattern in terms of directed search. The study contributes
to the literature on both innovation and sustainability, shedding new light on the
effects of managerial bias, managerial attention, and innovation search for
decision making and provides managerial implications enabling a fruitful adoption
of sustainability-oriented innovation ideas.

Chen, W. and R. Filieri (2024). "Institutional forces, leapfrogging effects, and

innovation status: Evidence from the adoption of a continuously evolving technology
in small organizations." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 206.
Although SMEs' innovation adoption has been widely studied, little research
has explored how SMEs strategize a continuously evolving technology in a complex
institutional context over time. Drawing from institutional perspectives, our case
study, based on 44 interviews and field observation, seeks to analyze how
institutional forces interact with the Wi-Fi adoption process at three small
organizations with different innovation statuses. Results reveal the significance
of institutional forces in shaping small organizations' technology adoption
process. At the knowledge stage, institutional forces stem from the champion's
advocacy and institutional pressures. At the persuasion and implementation stages,
they are embedded in organizations' actions in following the institutional trend
and complying with institutional norms. At the confirmation stage, they can be
observed in organizations' shaping institutional changes or leapfrogging
institutional trends. These insights challenge and extend the traditional linear
perspective of innovation diffusion and contribute to the literature on technology
adoption, digital transformation, innovation leapfrogging, institutional theory,
and SMEs. Managerially, we propose three strategic responses (i.e., trend
reformulation, service differentiation, complete transformation) that urge SMEs to
utilize leapfrogging effects of technologies to renovate their innovation status. ©
2024 The Author(s)

Cherrington, R., et al. (2023). "A Perspective on Circular Innovation: Dynamics,

Strategies, and Implications." Journal of Innovation Management 11(4): I-XVI.
This Letter considers the multifaceted realm of circular innovation, shedding
light on its dynamics, strategic implications, and broader significance for
sustainable development. By evaluating existing research and exploring examples
across sectors, this work contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of
circular innovation in transforming industries, economies, and societies. Although
the topic has received increased interest in recent years, we find that there are
notable gaps. While significant attention has been given to initial adoption and
expansion, there is a lack of understanding regarding the enduring impacts on
businesses and society. Further research addressing these gaps can enrich our
understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this evolving field. © 2023
Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Engenharia. All rights reserved.
Ching, N. T., et al. (2022). "Industry 4.0 applications for sustainable
manufacturing: A systematic literature review and a roadmap to sustainable
development." Journal of Cleaner Production 334.
Industry 4.0 is transforming the manufacturing industry and the economics of
value creation. A great deal of positive hype has built up around the sustainable
development implications of Industry 4.0 technologies during the past few years.
Expectations regarding the opportunities that Industry 4.0 offers for sustainable
manufacturing are significantly high, but the lack of accurate understanding of the
process through which Industry 4.0 technologies enable sustainable manufacturing is
a fundamental barrier for businesses pursuing digitalization and sustainable
thinking. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by developing a roadmap
that explains how Industry 4.0 and the underlying digital technologies can be
leveraged to support and facilitate the triple bottom line of sustainable
manufacturing. To this purpose, the study conducted a systematic literature review
and identified 15 sustainability functions through which Industry 4.0 contributes
to sustainable manufacturing. Interpretive structural modeling was further applied
to identify the relationships that may exist within the sustainability functions.
The resulting sustainable manufacturing roadmap explains how, and in which order,
various Industry 4.0 sustainability functions contribute to developing the
economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. The resulting
implications are expected to serve manufacturers, industrialists, and academia as a
strategic guide for leveraging Industry 4.0 digital transformation to support
sustainable development. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Chipulu, M. and C. Ikeatuegwu (2024). "Investigating Cultural and Structural

Influences on Optimizing Engineer-to-Order Project Delivery and Sustainability."
IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 71: 4205-4215.
Several culture theories, which explain the formation, embedment, and
propagation of organizational culture, suggest that certain organizational culture
practices of an executing organization may enable sustainable outcomes in project
manufacturing. However, practices that support sustainability may not support
project delivery, and vice versa. We explore the effects of organizational culture
practices and structural complexity on the ability of manufacturing projects to
optimize both sustainability and project delivery. We use data envelopment analysis
to calculate a sustainability-delivery quotient - a measure of each organization's
ability to optimize both sustainability and project delivery outcomes - for 186
projects conducted in the U.K. By conducting generalized linear modeling and
censored regression of the sustainability-delivery quotient, we estimate the
effects of the GLOBE organizational culture dimensions, principal components of
culture dimensions, and project structural complexity indicators. Results indicate
a noteworthy gap between the delivery of projects and their sustainability
performance, which is worse. Both institutional and in-group collectivism may
support the optimization of each. However, neither the principal components of
culture dimensions nor structural complexity indicators are likely to be
significant. We discuss the managerial implications. © 1988-2012 IEEE.

Chistov, V., et al. (2023). "Sustainability orientation and firm growth as ventures
mature." Business Strategy and the Environment 32(8): 5314-5331.
This article revisits the dilemma between sustainability orientation and a
firm's growth along the stages of the entrepreneurial process. We draw upon the
recent research on sustainable entrepreneurship to determine whether
entrepreneurial ventures can pursue sustainability objectives and still grow in
terms of turnover and employment. Based on the data of 2 370 firms, we conclude
that the relationship between sustainability orientation and a venture's growth is
not straightforward. The results show that the stage of the entrepreneurship life
cycle matters and that only the introduction of sustainability objectives in the
mature stage of the entrepreneurial process (rather than during the early stage)
significantly increases the likelihood of such ventures growing. We also find
empirical evidence against combining environmental and social dimensions under one
umbrella of sustainability, as each of these dimensions demonstrated distinctive
behavior in our models. While our results show the importance of innovation for the
firm's growth, it is not evident that it exerts any significant moderation effect
on the relationship between sustainability orientation and a venture's growth.
These findings provide insightful evidence for policymakers about the intrinsic
difficulty of reconciling sustainability and economic objectives at the early
stages of the process of entrepreneurship and also about the need to differentiate
the multiple meanings and forms of sustainability orientation. © 2023 The Authors.
Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley &
Sons Ltd.

Chourasiya, R., et al. (2022). "Developing a framework to analyse the effect of

sustainable manufacturing adoption in Indian textile industries." Cleaner Logistics
and Supply Chain 4.
This study aims to develop a framework to understand the effect of
sustainable manufacturing (SM) adoption in Indian textile industries. The survey-
based methodology has been used to fulfill the objective of the study. Hence this
study develops an instrument/questionnaire construct on the most accepted principle
of instrument design to assess the various factors such as SMEs, SM barriers,
solutions to overcome the barriers, and SM performance factors through the
responses collected from 64 Indian textile industries. These factors have been
found through extensive literature review and expert consultation. The SPSS 18.0
software has been used for the analysis of the responses. The reliability,
normality, and validity of the developed instrument/questionnaire were determined
and are found to be acceptable for most SMEs. The framework can be used by industry
professionals in the Indian textile industry. The industry practitioners can easily
evaluate and select sustainable manufacturing based on the importance level of the
identified factors through this study. Further, this research may be needed to
confirm these results from larger data sets. It is necessary for organizations to
trust their manufacturer for their survival and to gain a competitive advantage. ©
2022 The Authors

Chowdhury, S., et al. (2022). "Impact of Organisational Factors on the Circular

Economy Practices and Sustainable Performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
in Vietnam." Journal of Business Research 147: 362-378.
Internal organisational factors have been identified as barriers to adopt
circular economy (CE) practices in prior research. However, empirical evidence is
limited to support this claim. Additionally, their impact on sustainable business
performance, especially for the emerging economies and within the small and medium
sized enterprises (SMEs) have not been studied adequately. This research bridges
these knowledge gaps drawing on from CE, human resource management, innovation and
sustainability literature to develop and validate a theoretical model that examines
the relationships between organisational factors (leadership, innovation, culture,
and skills) and their impact on adopting CE practices to enhance sustainable
performance of SMEs. A survey was conducted among 205 SMEs’ employees in Vietnam,
and responses were analysed using employing Structural Equation Modelling. Our
findings reveal that organisational leadership will facilitate developing the
culture and innovation capability to adopt CE practices through a ‘hub and spoke’
strategy for enhancing sustainable performance among the SMEs in Vietnam. In this
vein, we recommend creating knowledge sharing strategies, collaborative and
cooperative CE working groups within and between SMEs, and information systems
capabilities to build sustainable business organisations. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Claxton, S. and A. Kent (2020). "The management of sustainable fashion design

strategies: An analysis of the designer's role." Journal of Cleaner Production 268.
The aim of this research is to advance an understanding of how design in the
fashion industry can be successfully managed to contribute to environmental
sustainability. Its objectives are to investigate how fashion businesses use
environmentally sustainable strategies and how designers contribute to the
development of sustainable products. The article reviews the literature of the
sustainability of fashion through the circular economy and design management. The
research was conducted through semi-structured interviews and a quantitative survey
of designers in the UK. A framework based on the level of business engagement in
sustainability was used to structure the thematic analysis of the findings. The
research demonstrates the relatively low influence of designers on sustainable
fashion strategy and their engagement at a tactical organizational level. It
concludes by developing a model for the integration of designers into the
management of sustainable fashion business. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Colucci, M. and A. Vecchi (2021). "Close the loop: Evidence on the implementation
of the circular economy from the Italian fashion industry." Business Strategy and
the Environment 30(2): 856-873.
Fashion is widely considered as one of the most polluting and destructive
industries to the environment and is a resource-intensive industry in which
opportunities to reduce environmental impacts abound. By relying on an exploratory
approach, this paper features an investigation into the circular economy (CE)
practices of four purposefully selected Italian fashion companies. The study
endorses the overlooked perspective of the product lifecycle (vis-à-vis the
business model perspective), consistent with the key principles of the CE, to
provide a comprehensive picture of CE practices implemented. This study engages
with the current debate on the relationship between the concepts of sustainability
and CE, supporting the idea that there is a beneficial relation between the two.
The analysis shows the emergence of categories of CE-related practices as well as
CE implementation challenges. The study also provides granular insights into the
nature of these challenges that hinder the implementation of CE and demonstrates
how they can be turned into sources of competitive advantage. Drawing on this
emblematic evidence, we develop a set of theoretical and managerial implications. ©
2020 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Corazza, L., et al. (2022). "The enabling role of formalized corporate networks to
drive small and medium-sized enterprises toward sustainability." Business Strategy
and the Environment 31(1): 545-558.
The global economy's transition toward more sustainable development models is
undoubtedly grounded on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, SMEs,
individual entrepreneurs, and microenterprises have always encountered barriers to
implementing social responsibility and sustainability concepts. The paper
investigates the enabling role of formalized corporate networks to drive SMEs
toward sustainable behaviors. A quantitative nonlinear regression approach is
applied to a content analysis of a sample of network contracts coded. The content
analysis is applied to analyze the declared objectives, the purpose of the
contract, and sustainability areas. An ordered logistic regression is applied on
variables related to the behavior of SMEs before entering in the contract and post-
adhesion phases. Data demonstrates how networks of SMEs can be used as enabling
factors to boost sustainability among them. Specifically, the study is based on a
sample of 96 formalized network contracts (FNCs), including 1486 Italian SMEs in
that sustainability-oriented networks. It offers an evidence-based perspective on
how networks of companies can play a fundamental role in the development of
policies aimed at bringing small companies closer to the concept of sustainability
(such as eco-innovations, eco-efficiency, environmental performance, and social
innovations, among others) and its practical implementation. This paper has two
significant strengths. The first is that it uses as a sample a set of 1486
companies, including individual entrepreneurs and microenterprises, whose data are
usually difficult to collect. The second is that it demonstrates the efficacy of a
contractual form that could be scalable to different countries. © 2021 The Authors.
Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley &
Sons Ltd.

Cozzio, C., et al. (2023). "Toward an integration of blockchain technology in the

food supply chain." Journal of Business Research 162.
The traceability of what we eat is a lingering issue. Blockchain enables
transparency across the value chain as it tracks a product's origin, location, and
history. In this work we adopt a mix-method approach - experiment plus qualitative
evidence - to understand why consumers consider the traceability offered by
blockchain important and what are the barriers that suppliers face when considering
blockchain adoption. Our findings show that, when the food is local, blockchain
increases consumers’ trust and, in turn, attitudes and behaviors toward the sharing
experience. On the supply side, we find that, while operators see key benefits in
blockchain adoption – including enhanced trust, they are still hesitant in using
the technology because of a greater need for intra-organizational support and a
concern in data sharing. By looking at both consumers and suppliers, we offer a
complete picture on the integration of blockchain technology in the food supply
chain. © 2023 The Author(s)

Cramer, J. M. (2020). "Implementing the circular economy in the Amsterdam

Metropolitan Area: The interplay between market actors mediated by transition
brokers." Business Strategy and the Environment 29(6): 2857-2870.
This paper analyses the interplay between regime and niche actors in
implementing the circular economy through mediation by transition brokers. The
study is based on ‘action research’ carried out in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area.
Innovation science is adopted as theoretical approach. First, the analysis shows
that more ambitious initiatives could be taken than by individual market actors.
Whether these circular initiatives represent just incremental change—as other
studies suggest—cannot be concluded. Rather, it is plausible to conceptualise the
transition process as a continuous transformational change. Second, in creating
circular initiatives, the interplay between regime and niche actors was evident but
varied. Actors could team up more easily where their interests aligned. This
conclusion corresponds with recent innovation literature, which emphasises the
importance of linkages between processes at niche, regime and landscape levels.
Before generalising the results, similar studies in other regional contexts would
be valuable. Short informative: In moving to a circular economy, the willingness of
market actors to innovate is crucial. Real-life experiments on the implementation
of circular initiatives built by market actors at local level through the mediation
of independent intermediaries (here called ‘transition brokers’) are scarce. This
study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by focussing on the interplay between niche
and regime actors. Action research on implementing the circular economy programme
in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (2015–2020) represents an example. Innovation
science is adopted as leading theoretical approach. The case shows that more
advanced ambitions could be achieved than through individual market actors by
themselves. Whether the circular initiatives built represent just incremental
change—as suggested in the few other studies—is considered too simplistic. It is
concluded to conceptualise the CE transition rather as a continuous,
transformational change which takes time. The interplay between niche and regime
actors was evident in the case but varied. Niche actors could team up more easily
with regime actors where their interests coincided. Niche CE innovations did not
necessarily develop in protected environments, as suggested by early MLP studies.
They could diffuse more widely if they link up with ongoing processes at regime and
landscape level. This conclusion corresponds with the more recent innovation
literature. © 2020 The Author. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Csedő, Z., et al. (2023). "Implications of open eco-innovation for sustainable

development: Evidence from the European renewable energy sector." Sustainable
Futures 6.
This study aims to look inside the vague construct of an open eco-innovation
(OE) network to reveal underlying strategic factors of combining complementary
resources to overcome complexity. Results show that uncertain economic outcomes
might reduce the motives of certain partners to engage in OE. In this case, OE
network transformation is needed to reduce risks of market failure, driven by
bridging nodes. This transformation should focus on exploration and future
complementarities of network members, instead of exploitation and existing
complementarities, despite technological maturity. This study is the first to
demonstrate the significance of future complementarities in OE network evolution. ©
2023 The Author(s)

D’Adamo, I., et al. (2023). "The Role of Automotive Flexibility in Supporting the
Diffusion of Sustainable Mobility Initiatives: A Stakeholder Attitudes Assessment."
Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management 24(3): 459-481.
Even if the European Commission is acting against the climate change,
greenhouse gas emissions are still increasing in the transport sector. In this
scenario, the flexibility characterizing the automotive sectors could invert this
negative trend. The goal of this work is identifying suitable methodologies to
evaluate flexible initiatives in automotive contexts, with a specific focus on
sustainable mobility and electric vehicles (EVs). The results show that
stakeholders identify purchase price as a determinant in the choice to purchase an
EV, while for a model toward a sustainable e-mobility transition, experts place
emphasis on renewable energy production and consumers on charging stations. A
flexible approach in policy choices is also suggested in order to foster a
pragmatic sustainability model in which the deployment of EVs is accompanied by
green and circular practices. However, such change also requires attention to be
paid to the social sphere with job creation and a spread of consumer knowledge
toward sustainable choices. © 2023, The Author(s).

Dabbous, A., et al. (2024). "Digitalization, crowdfunding, eco-innovation and

financial development for sustainability transitions and sustainable
competitiveness: Insights from complexity theory." Journal of Innovation and
Knowledge 9(1).
The introduction of digitalization and the promotion of eco-innovation, the
move towards financial development, and the appearance of alternative financial
practices such as crowdfunding as well as the adoption of freer economic systems
represent plausible enablers of the sustainable transition and potentially help to
increase nations’ sustainable competitiveness. However, knowledge is scarce about
their contribution. The present study fills the gap in the sustainability
literature by proposing a complexity theory lens to a dataset spanning four years
from 2015 to 2018 for 18 countries which captures the possible configurations of
the chosen factors that allow countries to achieve two outcomes: sustainability
transitions and sustainable competitiveness. The findings show three configurations
for each outcome. High levels of digitalization, crowdfunding, and financial
development are present in all configurations showing their important contribution
to sustainable competitiveness and sustainability transitions. High eco-innovation
and economic freedom are present in four out of six solutions, while they are
present in negation (low levels) in the remaining two solutions. Overall the
results offer insights to policymakers, individuals, and businesses on how to use
these findings to understand the complex interactions generating high
sustainability transitions and sustainable competitiveness. © 2023

Dadsena, K. K., et al. (2024). "Overcoming strategies for supply chain digitization
barriers: Implications for sustainable development goals." Business Strategy and
the Environment 33(5): 3887-3910.
This paper examines barriers to supply chain digitization (SCD) and offers
mitigation strategies, focusing on sustainable development goals (SDGs),
technological adoption, and financial constraints. A hybrid research approach,
combining qualitative and quantitative methods, has been used to analyze
significant SCD barriers and strategies under budget constraints. According to the
findings, “lack of proper research and development facility” is the most
influential barrier to SCD. The overcoming strategies are then ranked by how likely
they are to be implemented in response to barriers. From a sustainability
perspective, “improving privacy and security” is identified as the most important
strategy. Further, a mathematical model is developed to facilitate investment-
related decision-making by determining the most suitable overcoming strategies
under budget constraints. The proposed mathematical model is evaluated across a
range of investments and for a set of overcoming strategies within a given
scenario. The findings demonstrate that optimal investments of $1.78 million can
cover the top two overcoming strategies for implementation. Furthermore, the
results indicate that a minimum investment of $1.9 million is required to adopt all
10 overcoming strategies. © 2024 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

D'Angelo, V., et al. (2023). "Green manufacturing for sustainable development: The
positive effects of green activities, green investments, and non-green products on
economic performance." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 32(4): 1900-1913.
This article explores the impact of green manufacturing practices,
disentangled in green activities, green investments, and the type of product made,
on the economic performance of firms. Using survey data collected by European
Commission from European small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we adopt the
self-determination theory to investigate the extent to which the number of green
activities, green investments, and type of product made affects a firm's economic
performance. We argue that consumers are affected by firms' green manufacturing
practices in response to the pressing environmental issues affecting our era. Our
results reveal that while the number of green activities has a positive effect on
economic performance, the amount of green manufacturing investments has an inverted
U-shaped relationship to economic performance and that this effect is positively
moderated if a company also sells non-green products. Our study contributes to the
literature on green manufacturing by dissecting the effect of green manufacturing
practices on a company's economic performance. Our findings also provide managers
with advice on the right balance of green practices that most benefit their
companies.

Darmandieu, A., et al. (2022). "How does it pay to be circular in production

processes? Eco-innovativeness and green jobs as moderators of a cost-efficiency
advantage in European small and medium enterprises." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE
ENVIRONMENT 31(3): 1184-1203.
This study investigates whether circularity in production processes generates
a reduction of firms' production costs and the conditions that determine the
intensity of this reduction. It explores the role of two moderators for this cost-
efficiency advantage to emerge, namely, eco-innovativeness (investments dedicated
to the adequate implementation of circular practices in current production
processes) and green jobs (human resources dedicated to circular practices). Using
data on 13,117 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the Flash Eurobarometer
2017, a cluster analysis revealed that there is a gradual path towards Circular
Economy among European SMEs, with the implementation of increasingly more circular
practices. Four ordered probit models confirmed that a higher level of circularity
in processes achieved by European SMEs is related to a reduction in their
production costs. Moreover, eco-innovativeness positively moderates this relation.
In contrast, the relative share of green jobs in SMEs' workforce mitigates the
impact of circularity on production costs. In practice, by engaging in circularity,
SMEs can contribute to the United Nations goals for Sustainable Development while
reducing production costs; although the level of this reduction depends on how
circularity is implemented.

De Angelis, R. (2022). "Circular economy business models as resilient complex

adaptive systems." Business Strategy and the Environment 31(5): 2245-2255.
Broad consensus seems to have emerged on the circular economy as a plausible
and desirable solution to build prosperity while respecting ecological boundaries.
However, its implementation in industry is slow paced. Whilst the systemic nature
of the innovation required and barriers to implementation in complex sustainability
transitions partially explain why this is the case, reflecting on the contribution
of the growing scholarly literature on circular business models to orient
management practice is also relevant. In fact, despite the existence of a fairly
voluminous scholarly literature on the subject, practitioners are either uncertain
or struggling about how to implement circular economy strategies and models. Using
an integrative research approach to theory building and drawing on systems theory,
this article proposes a resilient complex adaptive system view of circular business
models. The resulting framework is a stepping-stone to overcoming conceptual
ambiguities and construct fallacies in the way circular business models are
typified. © 2022 The Author. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

De Angelis, R. (2024). "Circular economy business models as progressive business

models: Evidence from circular start-ups." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
The transition towards the circular economy-viewed as a holistic solution to
meet the sustainable development goals-requires the crucial engagement of the
corporate sector, and thereby, radically new business models. Whilst academic
literature abounds of tools classifying and categorising circular business models,
comparatively little is known in terms of how exactly they look like in the
corporate context. Drawing on case studies of small, British circular start-ups,
this article illustrates the characteristics of circular business models and their
fit with progressive business models, which are conceptualised as serving nature,
future generations, and society, while maintaining financial profitability. This
article also highlights how circular business models contribute to competitive
advantage and the distinctive challenges met in implementation. As a result, this
research contributes to the scant academic literature exploring circular business
models implementation, particularly within the context of start-ups and SMEs.

De Angelis, R., et al. (2023). "Open strategy and dynamic capabilities: A framework
for circular economy business models research." Business Strategy and the
Environment 32(7): 4861-4873.
The circular economy has attracted the interest of business leaders, policy
makers and academics alike for its potential to contribute to a more resilient,
prosperous and resource-efficient economy. The transition towards a circular
economy requires new business models that challenge the linear logic of value
creation that is still endemic across most industries. In turn, the transition from
linear to circular business models involves the rethinking of strategic decision-
making processes and the development of new organisational capabilities. This paper
addresses these important strategic implications of the emergence and
implementation of circular business models. Coupling business models with open
strategy and dynamic capabilities, we develop a “three-pronged” strategy framework
that advances the emerging field of circular business model research. Our
contribution is crystallised into a series of propositions and future research
questions for scholars working at the intersection of the circular economy and the
strategy literature. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

De Giacomo, M. R. and R. Bleischwitz (2020). "Business models for environmental

sustainability: Contemporary shortcomings and some perspectives." Business Strategy
and the Environment 29(8): 3352-3369.
Recently, business models for environmental sustainability have gained
increasing attention in the management field and among practitioners and
stakeholders. This study aims to analyse the state of the art on the topic by
reviewing the growing but mainly phenomenon-driven research. In particular, by
identifying main research trends and relevant gaps in the literature and by
providing future research avenues, this paper advances the debate on the need for
alternative concepts of doing business that go beyond the creation of economic
value for a company in a way that generates value for the society. Our article
undertakes two stages of screening the available literature and selects 151 peer-
reviewed articles published between 2007 and early 2019 for the review. The paper
provides the first comprehensive systematic review of business models in the field
of environmental sustainability with a detailed descriptive and critical analysis
and with a discussion of future research opportunities. © 2020 The Authors.
Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley &
Sons Ltd

De Marchi, V., et al. (2022). "Environmental innovation and cooperation: A

configurational approach." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 182.
Firms are increasingly pressured to introduce green innovations. The
literature suggests that – given their high complexity – collaborating with
external stakeholders is a key ingredient in the effective development of green
innovations (GI), even more so than for ‘traditional’ types of innovation. While
there is evidence that firms engage with more than one partner at once and that not
all those collaborations result in higher innovation performance, nothing is known
regarding the combination of collaborations that provides the highest GI
performance. To address this gap, this paper uses a qualitative comparative
approach (QCA) to identify these potential conjoint effects on GI propensity. By
means of a csQCA analysis of Spanish firms, we find seven equifinal paths leading
to high innovative performance—cooperating with universities but not with private
consultants; cooperating with universities and with suppliers; and cooperating with
suppliers and customers being by far the most diffused. © 2022 The Authors

Dey, P. K., et al. (2022). "Adoption of circular economy practices in small and
medium-sized enterprises: Evidence from Europe." International Journal of
Production Economics 248.
Circular Economy (CE) practices have the potential to enhance sustainability
performance of organisations and therefore can help respond to United Nations
Sustainability Development Goals. The aim of this research is to examine the
adoption of CE in Euroepan small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and its impact
on sustainability performance. We analyse the current state of CE practices and its
impact on sustainability performance across key CE fields of action (design,
procurement, production, distribution, consumption and recover) for SMEs in France,
Greece, Spain and the UK A mixed-methods approach (survey, interviews, case
studies) is undertaken to collect data from around 100 SMEs in each country,
employing resource-based view as the theoretical lens. Our findings reveal that CE
adoption can result into superior environmental performance through energy and
resource efficiency, and waste reduction. Moreover, the ‘design’ function
contributes the most towards the adoption of CE in SMEs, whereas the ‘recover’
function contributes the least, considering the current state-of-practices. From a
theoretical perspective, we outline the issues and challenges, impact of support
from customers and policymakers, and self-motivation of SMEs to adopt CE. Based on
the findings, we propose an implementation framework for SMEs to develop
organisation wide strategic initiatives for CE adoption in business operations. ©
2022 The Authors

Dey, P. K., et al. (2020). "Circular economy to enhance sustainability of small and
medium-sized enterprises." Business Strategy and the Environment 29(6): 2145-2169.
The circular economy (CE) represents a major paradigm shift of moving from
the concepts of linear to circular supply chains across multiple industries.
Although some aspects of CE adoption within industrial supply chains have been
researched extensively (particularly addressing challenges of design,
implementation, and operations), the research that relates CE practices with
sustainability performance to reveal the current state of CE practices within small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is scant. The aim of this research was to
facilitate SMEs to achieve greater sustainability through CE implementation. This
research addresses three research questions—How are CE fields of action related to
sustainability performance? What are the issues, challenges, and opportunities of
adopting CE in SMEs? And what key strategies, resources, and competences facilitate
effective implementation of CE in SMEs? This study adopts a mixed method approach
(qualitative and quantitative) using survey research, focus group, and case
studies; 130 randomly selected SMEs within the Midlands of the United Kingdom have
been surveyed, and the responses are analysed using statistical tools along with
findings from focus groups and case studies. The study reveals that all CE fields
of action (take, make, distribute, use, and recover) of SMEs are correlated to
economic performance, but only make and use are related to environmental and social
performance. The study further derives strategies, resources, and competences for
achieving sustainability across all the CE field of actions. Additionally, this
research reveals the issues and challenges, strategies, resources, and competences
required for implementing CE in SMEs. © 2020 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons
Ltd

Dey, P. K., et al. (2020). "The Impact of Lean Management Practices and
Sustainably-Oriented Innovation on Sustainability Performance of Small and Medium-
Sized Enterprises: Empirical Evidence from the UK." BRITISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT
31(1): 141-161.
While lean management practices (LMP) help small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) to be efficient, sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) facilitates
adopting environmental and social practices. Although prior research looks into the
effect of LMP on the economic performance (EP) of SMEs, less is known about the
effect of LMP on sustainability (economic, environmental and social) performance.
Studies on the effect of SOI on sustainability and economic performance are also
scant. Additionally, examining the mediating effect of corporate social
responsibility (CSR) practices (environmental and social practices) on both LMP and
SOI achieving sustainability performance (SP) is rare. This research bridges these
knowledge gaps by answering the question of how LMP, SOI, CSR practices,
sustainability and economic performance are correlated. Through hypothesis testing
using structural equation modelling, this study reveals the impact of LMP, SOI, CSR
(environmental and social) practices on sustainability and economic performance.
The study uses data from 119 SMEs within manufacturing industries in the Midlands,
UK. The analysis reveals that LMP and SOI facilitate achieving both sustainability
and economic performance, and SOI mediates LMP to achieve sustainability
performance. Additionally, although CSR practices mediate LMP to achieve
sustainability performance, they only borderline mediate SOI to achieve
sustainability performance.

Dhir, A., et al. (2023). "Drivers of sustainable business model innovations. An

upper echelon theory perspective." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 191.
This study explores the factors that drive the adoption of sustainable
business model innovations (SBMIs). In this mixed-method (qualitative and
quantitative) study, we draw on upper echelon theory to identify the factors that
have led firms to switch from conventional products and processes to sustainable
business innovation. This study of senior managers uses qualitative data to
understand the mechanisms adopted by top management to make the switch to SBMIs.
Data was gathered from 285 middle managers to empirically validate the theoretical
model. The study concludes that in the top management team (TMT), ambidextrous
learning has a positive association with the firm's decision to adopt SBMIs.
However, TMT diversity and university-industry collaboration are positively
associated with ambidextrous learning by top management and, subsequently, the
adoption of SBMIs. Our findings also suggest that transformational leadership
positively moderates the association between TMT diversity and ambidextrous
learning. However, the impact on the relationship between collaboration and
ambidextrous learning is negative. © 2023 The Authors

Dias, A., et al. (2021). "Implementation of eco-innovation in hotels: A dynamic

capabilities approach." Tourism 69(1): 58-72.
In a context of increasing concern with environmental factors, hotels show a
tendency to respond with passivity to eco-innovation. Furthermore, the literature
is scarce about the way hotels adopt and integrate ecoinnovation changes in their
internal processes. As such, this article intends to present an integrative
perspective of the dimensions that influence the adoption of eco-innovation,
starting from the external dimension, which incorporates the context and drivers of
eco-innovation. The internal dimension is divided into two levels: Ordinary and
dynamic capabilities. Based on a survey of a sample of hotels, the data were
analyzed using partial least squares. The results indicate a positive and signifi
cant relationship between context and drivers in both dynamic and ordinary
capacities. The influence of context on the green behaviour of hotels was only
found in the technological dimension, while external drivers show a strong
correlation with eco-innovation. The results also indicate that the two dynamic
capacities and the three ordinary capacities studied have a positive and signifi
cant relationship with eco-innovation. The role of knowledge is highlighted, not
only by its role in establishing a link with the external dimension, but also in
the reconfi guration of the set of implementation capabilities that triggers eco-
innovation. © 2021 The Author(s).

Dias Lopes, J., et al. (2023). "Industry 4.0, multinationals, and sustainable
development: A bibliometric analysis." Journal of Cleaner Production 413.
The concept of Industry 4.0 develops from a technological base - a set of
technologies with a profoundly transformative character. The development of the
concept from an essentially manufacturing base to other domains - Services 4.0,
Government 4.0, Tourism 4.0, etc. - tells us that the concept is now much broader
in scope and has much broader transformative potential, both from an economic,
social and an environmental sustainability point of view. In this context,
multinationals may play a very important role, as these companies are considered to
play a key role in promoting sustainable development. This study seeks to
understand whether there is evidence that multinationals are playing this role by
analyzing the literature published on Industry 4.0 and seeking to identify in the
literature which is published on multinationals a bias towards a greater focus on
environmental and social issues. The study conducted does not confirm this bias.
The study shows that environmental and social issues are modestly present in the
literature/research about Industry 4.0 but are no longer present in the specific
literature on multinationals. The study thus challenges us to develop and implement
research agendas on the topic and mobilize academia towards research in this
domain. Such reorientation of research will be determinant to accelerate the
implementation processes of Industry 4.0, exploring in an integrated way its
transformative potential in the economic and technological dimensions, but also
environmental and social. © 2023 The Authors

Dimakopoulou, A. G., et al. (2023). "Environmental innovation and R&D

collaborations: Firm decisions in the innovation efficiency context." Journal of
Technology Transfer 48(4): 1176-1205.
To develop innovation, firms make several decisions on the allocation of
resources to specific innovation activities. Important innovation decisions include
among others the decision to collaborate with other partners for innovation
activities and the decision to engage in complex R&D projects such as projects with
environmental benefits. Although there are very few empirical works that examine
these two decisions together, while supporting that R&D collaborations are more
important for the development of environmental innovations than for conventional
innovations, an empirical work that examines the joint impact of these two
decisions on corporate innovation efficiency is still lacking. This study aims to
fulfill this gap by making one of the first attempts to employ a new dataset based
on the Greek Community Innovation Survey (CIS), conducted for the years of 2012–
2014 analyzing 2456 companies. Econometric results indicate that firm’s decision to
eco-innovate exerts a positive influence on firms’ innovation efficiency directly.
On the contrary, regarding the decision to engage in R&D collaborations,
econometric results indicate that there is not a direct or an indirect, via eco-
innovation, impact on innovation efficiency. © 2022, The Author(s).
Do, B. N., et al. (2023). "Firm’s innovation activities across ASEAN countries:
Examining the impacts of management experience, management practices and the
moderating role of female CEOs." Cogent Business and Management 10(1).
This study investigates the roles of management experience and management
practices towards innovation activities across ASEAN nations. Notably, the
moderating role of the female CEOs in the management experience management
practices—innovation relationship is also examined. The data came from the World
Bank’s Enterprise Survey, consisting of 180,000 enterprises worldwide. This study
extracted data from seven economies in ASEAN (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia,
Philippines, Malaysia, Laos, and Cambodia). To deal with the
hierarchical/multilevel structure of the study’s data set, the study uses the
multilevel mixed-effects ordered logit model. The findings reveal that both
management practices and management experience have positive impacts on innovation
activities, particularly product innovation. Furthermore, this paper highlights the
positive moderating role of female CEOs in the management experience management
practices—innovation relationship. © 2023 The Author(s). This open access article
is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.

Dohale, V., et al. (2024). "An integrated MCDM-ML approach for predicting the
carbon neutrality index in manufacturing supply chains." Technological Forecasting
and Social Change 201.
Organizations across the globe are devising novel approaches to strive for
carbon neutrality. Global institutions have manifested the critical need to develop
reasonable strategies in every sector to mitigate the impending issues of excessive
anthropogenic carbon emission and, in consequence, climate change. World-leading
economies have initiated significant steps by developing zero-carbon emission
policies to monitor the escalating carbon emissions to curb global warming. The
clothing industry has a substantial carbon footprint while causing environmental
pollution. Based on transition management theory, this study aims to explore and
evaluate the critical determinants that can assist in pursuing carbon neutrality in
the clothing industry. A decision support system comprising an integrated voting
analytical hierarchy process (VAHP) and Bayesian network (BN) method fulfills our
purpose. Pertinent literature is reviewed to determine the critical determinants
for carbon neutrality (CDs-CN). After that, the VAHP method is employed to
prioritize the CDs-CN. Further, the influence of CDs-CN on achieving carbon
neutrality is modeled using a BN, predicting the carbon neutrality index (CNI) for
the clothing industry. The findings reveal that professional expertise, laws and
certifications, technological acceptance, availability of decarbonizing methods,
and adequate carbon offsetting are the essential CDs-CN. This research extends the
existing knowledge on integrating MCDM-ML techniques to address predictive
modelling-based problems involving complex structures. Simultaneously, the present
study helps practitioners and policymakers understand the key CDs-CN to
successfully build and manage a carbon-neutral clothing industry by adopting the
suggested strategies. Finally, recommendations concerning sustainable development
goals (SDGs) are provided to achieve carbon-neutral manufacturing supply chains. ©
2024 The Authors

Dominidiato, M., et al. (2023). "Supplier-customer relationships for

sustainability-led innovation in the textile industry." Journal of Business and
Industrial Marketing 39(13): 15-26.
Purpose: This paper aims to investigate sustainability-led innovation,
focusing on the interplay between product and process innovation for sustainability
goals and the underlying supplier–customer relationships. Thus, the paper delves
into sustainability-led innovation and how it affects supplier–customer
relationships, and vice versa, thus providing a twofold perspective.
Design/methodology/approach: The textile industry is the empirical context of this
study, which is exploratory research based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews
with entrepreneurs, managers and experts in the textile industry. Findings: In the
textile industry, sustainability-led product innovation concerns mainly product
durability and performance, product recyclability and the use of waste for new
product development. Process innovation deals with circular economy, traceability
and water and chemical use minimization. The paper also shows how sustainability-
led innovation is implemented in more technical terms and regarding supplier–
customer relationships. Originality/value: The paper adopts an original perspective
on how processes take place in the relationships between suppliers and customers,
where there is no dominance of one actor, but innovation emerges from
interdependence and interaction. Such perspective allows to provide an in-depth
analysis of the supplier–customer relationships and underlying dynamics that affect
sustainability-led innovation; moreover, the authors study how such innovation
impacts supplier–customer relationships and the underlying relational dynamics. The
value of the paper also stands in delivering a real representation of the
innovation processes grounded in the textile industry. © 2023, Matteo Dominidiato,
Simone Guercini, Matilde Milanesi and Annalisa Tunisini.

Doni, F. and M. Fiameni (2024). "Can innovation affect the relationship between
Environmental, Social, and Governance issues and financial performance? Empirical
evidence from the STOXX200 index." Business Strategy and the Environment 33(2):
546-574.
Innovation represents one of the most important drivers in the business
context. Drawing upon the research on corporate social responsibility (CSR), shared
value, and innovation, this paper aims to analyze the relationship between
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG, a form of CSR) sustainability policies
and corporate financial performance (CFP) by investigating the mediating role of
Innovation (i.e., investment in research and development, R&D). Our sample
comprises 148 European companies belonging to the Euro Stoxx index in the period
2009–2014. For high-innovation companies (HICs), we find positive relationships
between some Social (S) issues and CFP and weaker linkages between Environmental
(E) indicators and CFP. In contrast, Governance (G) issues (i.e., issues related to
board structure and board function) negatively influence CFP. In contrast, for
medium-innovation companies (MICs), these relationships are absent and low-
innovation companies (LICs) show negative relationships. Adopting reporting
frameworks or guidelines affects CFP only in HIC. We introduce an original
interpretative model, which identifies innovation (R&D) as the main driver in
corporate sustainability, particularly in light of Social issues related to the
production of a good or service. In terms of managerial implications, we identify
three key factors for effectively embedding ESG in organizations' policies:
investment in product innovation, compliance with environmental regulations, and
corporate choices on brands and channels of external communication. © 2023 The
Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and
John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Donis, S., et al. (2023). "Economic complexity, property rights and the judicial
system as drivers of eco-innovations: An analysis of OECD countries." Technovation
128.
Rising global temperatures and the increase in natural disasters in recent
years have raised concerns regarding the sustainability of economic activity. In
this context, eco-innovation has become increasingly important. Nevertheless,
countries are heterogeneous in terms of their eco-innovation production. Our study
contributes to the understanding of the drivers of eco-innovation by analyzing the
determinants of green patent production at the country level. We focus on the
specific characteristics of green innovations, namely their complexity and
appropriability problem, and explain how these characteristics affect firms’
incentives to produce green innovations. We then select three external dimensions
related to these characteristics and examine how they affect the number of green
patents produced. These three dimensions are economic complexity, protection of
property rights, and effectiveness of the judicial system. Using the Furman et al.
(2001) model as a starting point, this study focuses on green patent production in
OECD countries for the period 2007–2016. The results show that economic complexity
and intellectual property rights are key determinants of green patent production. ©
2023 The Authors

Dressler, M. (2023). "Generic strategic profiling of entrepreneurial SMEs -

environmentalism as hygiene factor." INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
JOURNAL 19(1): 121-150.
Climate change, extreme weather phenomena, droughts, fires etc. are just few
examples of man-induced impact, jeopardizing the future of mankind. Businesses are
increasingly held responsible for and try to manage their environmental impact.
Environmentalism and lately sustainability (manifesting an equal pursuit of
environmental, social, and economic goals) guide strategic orientation. Whereas
large corporations anchor environmentalism in their mission statements and
strategic positioning, the strategic reflection of sustainability and especially
environmentalism in the business models of small enterprises is less researched.
Their entrepreneurship builds on exploiting environmental opportunities and is
deemed characteristic for small enterprises, but a lower penetration of strategic
instruments paired with a predominant opportunistic behaviour seem to characterize
SME ' s strategic environmentalism. In order to examine the entrepreneurial
environmentalism and the strategic value for SMEs an empiric study leaned on
population ecology. An online survey with 291 small enterprises explored
environmentalism, strategic profiling, and performance impact in an agricultural
and entrepreneurial industry. Study results manifest a positive performance impact
of sustainability-oriented and thereby ecologic environmentalism. Ecologic
environmental consciousness has been identified for all generic strategic groupings
but it separates into two distinctive clusters, one with a process and one driven
by market focus. Foremost, eco-centric strategic measures were identified as core
levers to increase product quality - a promising finding that secures further
strategic ecological environmentalism.

Duan, C. R. (2023). "Thematic evolution, emerging trends for sharing economy

business model research, and future research directions in the post-COVID-19 era."
R & D MANAGEMENT.
This study explored the scientometrics and current dynamics of the area of
sharing economy business models (SEBMs). Using bibliometric analysis, it examined a
collection of 561 studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases to detect
the thematic evolution, strategy map, and emerging trends in SEBM literature as
well as to forecast research directions. The results showed that SEBMs is a
relatively new multidisciplinary research area that grew rapidly between 2014 and
2019; since then, the publication growth has flattened. Research on SEBMs currently
focuses on sustainability, sustainable development, tourism, new technology
application, and business management, with less attention given to social effects
and public acceptance, determinants of success, and regional entrepreneurial
ecosystem. The thematic analysis revealed that sustainability-oriented themes are
at the center. Six emerging trends were detected: (1) industry-oriented research
such as transportation, tourism, accommodation, energy, and others, (2)
sustainability-oriented studies, including social, environmental, and economic
perspectives, (3) sustainable organizational development concerning social
acceptance, trust, legitimacy, and satisfaction, (4) new technology-oriented and
innovation-focused studies such as blockchain, big data, social media, and e-
platforms, (5) country- and region-oriented studies, particularly for emerging
countries, (6) effects of entrepreneurial ecosystem factors on SEBM development.
Based on the current thematic map and evolution, this paper suggests several
critical research directions. The paper provides (1) providing a one-stop
literature overview on SEBM area for two time slices: fast-growing-initiation phase
(before COVID-19) and transitional phase (during COVID-19), (2) identifying
research focuses, emerging trends, and gaps, (3) developing novel research avenues
for investigation, and (4) aligning expected contributions to the area. By
providing new knowledge, the research theoretically contributes to many disciplines
given that SEBM studies were found to be multidisciplinary. It also has numerous
implications for policymakers and practitioners.

Dubey, R., et al. (2022). "How frugal innovation shape global sustainable supply
chains during the pandemic crisis: lessons from the COVID-19." Supply Chain
Management 27(2): 295-311.
Purpose: The COVID-19 crisis has created enormous strain in global supply
chains. The disruption has caused severe shortages of critical items, including
personal protective equipment (e.g. face masks), ventilators and diagnostics. The
failure of the industry to meet the sudden demand for these necessary items has
caused a severe humanitarian crisis. These situations, resulting from the COVID-19,
crisis have led to the informal growth of frugal innovation in sustainable global
supply chains. This paper aims to provide a detailed overview of drivers of frugal-
oriented sustainable global supply chains, following lessons acquired from emerging
countries’ attempts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a focused group approach to identify
the drivers and this paper further validated them using existing literature
published in international peer-reviewed journals and reports. The authors adopted
total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) to analyze the complex relationships
among identified drivers. Findings: The authors present a theoretical framework to
explain how the drivers are interlinked. This paper has developed the framework
through a synthesis of the TISM modeling and Matrice d’impacts croisés
multiplication appliquée á un classment analysis. This paper observed that
government financial support, policies and regulations, under the mediating effect
of leadership and the moderating effect of national culture and international rules
and regulations, has a significant effect on the adoption of emerging technology,
volunteering initiatives and values and ethics. Further, emerging technology,
volunteering initiative and values and ethics have a significant effect on supply
chain talent and frugal engineering. These results provide some useful theoretical
insights that may help in further investigating the role of frugal innovations in
other contexts. Originality/value: The authors find that outcomes of the methodical
contributions and the resulting managerial insights can be categorized into four
levels. Industry and researchers alike can use the study to develop the decision-
support systems guiding frugal-oriented sustainable global supply chains amid the
COVID-19 pandemic and in recovering them thereafter. Suggestions for future
research directions are offered and discussed. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Dugonski, F. C. V. and C. Tumelero (2022). "Barriers and facilitators of

technological eco-innovations: a multilevel analysis in a Brazilian cosmetics
company." Innovation and Management Review 19(3): 237-251.
Purpose: This study analyzed the multilevel barriers and facilitators of
technological eco-innovations. Design/methodology/approach: The authors carried out
an in-depth case study in a Brazilian cosmetics company, recognized for its eco-
innovative initiatives, which has the technological eco-innovation of products as a
central sustainability strategy. Findings: The results contribute to the existing
literature, showing that multilevel analysis is effective for minimizing barriers
and increasing facilitators, especially through the company's adoption of an eco-
innovation strategy and planning methodologies. The authors identified four groups
of barriers: market, raw material, governmental and company's internal factors; and
four groups of facilitators: legislation, market and technological innovation,
communication and environmental management. Originality/value: The original
research results contribute both to the literature and to the companies that aim to
implement eco-innovative measures. The results showed that the adoption of
innovation strategies and planning methodologies by the company can minimize
barriers and enhance facilitators. In addition the fact is that barriers and
facilitators of implementing eco-innovations are dynamic factors that require
continuous monitoring since they can be a barrier in one circumstance and a
facilitator in another. © 2021, Franciany Cristiny Venâncio Dugonski and Cleonir
Tumelero.
Durán-Romero, G., et al. (2020). "Bridging the gap between circular economy and
climate change mitigation policies through eco-innovations and Quintuple Helix
Model." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 160.
Climate change represents an increasing threat to society and demands
collaborative actions for changing technologies, production methods, and
consumption. The concept of Circular Economy (CE) emerged aiming to increase the
resource use efficiency and minimize resource inputs, waste and emissions
generation. However, the contribution of CE eco-innovations to climate change
mitigation goals, pushed by the Quintuple Helix Model (QHM) actors, is still
unknown. This analytical review intends to fulfil this gap by investigating the
main elements of the QHM that contribute to CE eco-innovations, namely companies,
government, society, academia, and the natural environment. An analytical framework
and theoretical propositions for future research are proposed. Eco-innovation
technologies from energy, waste, transportation, construction and manufacturing
sectors are discussed. Practical recommendations and implications for policymakers
associated with CE and climate change policies and their interrelationship in terms
of eco-innovations are also provided. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.

Dzhengiz, T., et al. (2024). "The Role of Partnership Portfolios for Sustainability
in Addressing the Stability-Change Paradox: Dong/Orsted's Transition From Fossil
Fuels to Renewables." BUSINESS & SOCIETY 63(7): 1518-1557.
This article investigates how firms address the stability-change paradox
inherent in sustainability transitions through the maintenance and utilization of a
portfolio of sustainability-oriented partnerships. Drawing on a retrospective case
study of Dong/orsted, a Danish energy company, we demonstrate the varying
manifestations of the stability-change paradox during different phases of the
company's transition, influenced by both exogenous and endogenous factors.
Furthermore, our findings reveal how Dong/orsted employed their partnership
portfolio to implement diverse responses to manage the paradox. Based on these
findings, we argue that partnership portfolios can serve as spatiotemporal pockets,
enabling organizations to effectively address and leverage the temporal and spatial
aspects inherent in sustainability paradoxes. In addition, we highlight how
partnership portfolios facilitate sustainability transitions by creating and
leveraging different forms of collaborative value.

Dzhengiz, T., et al. (2023). "Configurations of sustainability-oriented textile

partnerships." Business Strategy and the Environment 32(7): 4392-4412.
Firms configure their sustainability-oriented partnerships differently
depending on the sustainability issue, partnership types, and mechanisms (product,
process, policy, and awareness raising) and target change at various levels (firm,
industry, supply chain, and society). We study how sustainability-oriented
partnerships in the textile industry are configured by analyzing 444 partnerships
using a mixed-method approach. Textile firms partner to tackle environmental issues
such as circularity, waste, and sustainable materials, utilizing product and
process mechanisms and create firm-level change. In contrast, these firms address
social issues such as education and job development, labor and working conditions,
poverty, and inequality through cross-sector partnerships that target change beyond
firm boundaries. We discuss these findings critically by drawing on and
contributing to two literature areas: sustainability-oriented partnerships that
study partnership configurations and the sustainability in textiles. Our findings
highlight the importance of issue and context specificity when partnering for
sustainability. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published
by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dzhunushalieva, G. and R. Teuber (2024). "Roles of innovation in achieving the

Sustainable Development Goals: A bibliometric analysis." Journal of Innovation and
Knowledge 9(2).
As we approach the midpoint of the Agenda 2030 programme, scientists are
increasingly reliant on innovative solutions to help bring us closer to achieving
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to analyse the
intellectual structure of academic literature on the SDGs, Innovation, and Science,
Technology and Innovation (STI). Using a database of 544 English-language
publications from Scopus and Web of Science published between 2015 and 2023, we
employ a three-pronged approach comprising bibliometric analyses, SDG mapping and
text-mining techniques. Our findings indicate that innovations in one cluster
defined in the analysis display economic, social and environmental dimensions.
Furthermore, the underlying roles of innovation in the literature are found to
relate to promoting sustainable development, driving economic growth, enhancing
enterprise performance and strengthening policies. Within the sample literature,
all 17 goals were identified by the SDG Mapper. Among the 5Ps (People, Planet,
Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships), there was a clear preponderance of articles on
Prosperity. The text mining of titles and abstracts indicates that the term “sti”
is less commonly associated with the SGDs than “innovation”. However, there is some
evidence that the term “innovation” is used in titles and abstracts to attract a
broader audience. Our study highlights research gaps and identifies opportunities
for future studies. © 2024 The Author(s)

Eid, R. and G. Agag (2020). "Determinants of Innovative Behaviour in the Hotel

Industry: A cross-Cultural Study." International Journal of Hospitality Management
91.
The present study develops a conceptual framework that sheds light on whether
institutional pressures (i.e., normative, mimetic, and coercive) and corporate
support can improve innovative behavior across different societies and the
moderating role of national cultural dimensions on this link. Our study validated
these arguments empirically using data from the 2018 Global Entrepreneurship
Monitor (GEM). Data were collected and analyzed from 2,618 respondents. Data were
collected through a questionnaire survey of full-time non-managerial employees
selected, from different departments of various four- and five-star hotels across
five economically and culturally different societies (UK, UAE, Germany, China,
USA). Our results indicated that both institutional pressures and corporate support
have positive influence on employees’ innovative behaviour. Furthermore, Hotels in
cultures with high levels of individualism and low levels of uncertainty avoidance,
power distance, and masculinity will indicate higher levels of innovative behaviour
in response to corporate support programs. While, hotels in nations with high
levels of power distance, collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity will
indicate higher levels of innovative behaviour in response to normative, mimetic,
and coercive pressure. These findings provide important implications for innovative
behaviour by developing and validating a multilevel model empirically in the
hospitality context. © 2020

Elf, P., et al. (2022). "Advancing the circular economy through dynamic
capabilities and extended customer engagement: Insights from small sustainable
fashion enterprises in the UK." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 31(6): 2682-
2699.
The circular economy holds the potential to significantly reduce resource
use. However, attempts to fully utilize its potential have fallen short so far.
Based on a longitudinal interview-based study, we examine how micro, small and
medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the UK fashion industry advance the circular economy
(CE). Whereas the dynamic capabilities framework is mostly used for medium and
large businesses, our findings advance the current literature, demonstrating how
the distinctive development and use of dynamic capabilities enable MSMEs to act in
agile ways, allowing them to introduce, test and advance CE solutions, while
providing them with more resilience during times of crises. Our study further shows
that fashion MSMEs adopt circular economy business models (CEBMs) by going beyond
conventional, technology-focused approaches currently dominating business thinking.
The research highlights MSMEs' ability to engage in circular practices through an
extension of existing business models in the form of close interactions with their
customers demonstrating the importance and potential of extended business-customer
engagement in businesses' attempts to adopt CE practices.

Elfita, R. A. and T. Mildawati (2023). "Does innovation efficiency affect financial

performance? The role of ownership concentration." Investment Management and
Financial Innovations 20(1): 58-67.
The company that is synonymous with the application of science and technology
is the manufacturing industry (Krmela et al., 2022). Manufacturing companies in
Indonesia have been accustomed to the use of technology in their production
activities so far, because technology really helps the company's production to be
more effective (Muchran, 2020). This study examines the effect of innovation
efficiency on firm performance and the moderating role of ownership concentration
on this effect. This study examines innovation efficiency as the optimal
combination of innovation input and innovation output. The inputs used are research
and development expenses, machine repair expenses, and information technology
purchases. Meanwhile, the output of innovation. This study used 616 annual reports
of manufacturing companies from 2013 to 2018. The analytical technique used is a
moderated regression analysis. The results show that efficiency is positively and
significantly correlated with company performance. In addition, the results of the
study provide evidence of concentrated ownership, encouraging managers to be more
intensive in carrying out innovation efficiency so that it affects increasing
company performance. These findings show that there is efficiency in innovation
projects that can improve company performance, and companies with concentrated
ownership find it easier to carry out innovation efficiency because of the active
involvement of shareholders in the management process when innovation projects are
implemented aimed at improving company performance. © Triyonowati, Rizki Amalia
Elfita, Suwitho, Titik Mildawati, 2023.

Erdiaw-Kwasie, M. O. and M. Abunyewah (2024). "Determinants of social innovation in

hybrid organisations: The moderating role of technology readiness." Business
Strategy and the Environment 33(2): 1099-1112.
A balance between economic, social, and ecological performance has emerged as
a key concern for organisations around the world. The modern era emphasises
achieving eco-friendly business outcomes to drive social needs along with higher
financial performance. However, hybrid organisations in developing countries
frequently progress in ecological and economic terms but struggle with social
innovation. Based on this backdrop, this study aimed to investigate whether or not
technological readiness, organisational learning, transformational leadership, and
sustainability orientation influence social innovation within hybrid organisations.
Data from 447 hybrid organisations in Ghana are used in the study. Study findings
reveal that transformational leadership promotes social innovation among hybrid
enterprises, while sustainability orientation decreases it significantly.
Technology readiness also reduced the social outcome associated with sustainability
orientation by moderating their negative effects. To maximise social innovation
outcomes, this study recommends managers of hybrid organisations to adopt policies
regarding the efficient use of internal resources and processes through
technological readiness. Furthermore, the organisation's future learning processes,
leadership structures, and sustainability orientation policies should be aligned
with its social innovation goals. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The
Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Erdiaw-Kwasie, M. O., et al. (2023). "Does circular economy knowledge matter in

sustainable service provision? A moderation analysis." Journal of Cleaner
Production 383.
Research has shown that achieving sustainable advantage requires building
organisational competencies and dynamic capabilities. It has therefore become
imperative to extend the understanding of service research by exploring the
antecedents of sustainable services. Drawing on organisational-level variables,
this study examines the effects of institutional factors (IF), contextual factors
(CF), and strategic factors (SF) on the adoption of circular economy (CE) within
service organisations and their impact on sustainable service provision. The paper
further examines how circular economy knowledge moderates the impact of
organisational factors on CE practice adoption. Using 'Ghana's service sector as a
case study, 493 top-management employees from 267 service organisations were
surveyed using simple random sampling. The study found that organisational factors
lay the foundation for CE practice adoption, and CE knowledge enhances the
relationship. Additionally, CE adoption contributes to sustainable service
provision via three channels: (1) service longevity, (2) service sharing, and (3)
service ownership. The results confirm CE indicators are relevant for predicting
sustainable service outcomes and shed light on managerial implications. © 2022 The
Authors

Estensoro, M., et al. (2022). "A resource-based view on SMEs regarding the
transition to more sophisticated stages of industry 4.0." EUROPEAN MANAGEMENT
JOURNAL 40(5): 778-792.
The integration of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the
concept Industry 4.0 represents one of its main challenges, as they play a vital
part in industrial value chains that shall be digitized from suppliers to the end
customer. However, what the implementation stages for Industry 4.0 in SMEs should
be as well as the respective resources for achieving the next stage are scarcely
understood. In response, this paper proposes a framework using a resource-based
review for Industry 4.0 implementation according to the stage of development in
SMEs, created between researchers, policy makers, and 354 manufacturing SMEs in the
province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain). The paper applies a mixed-method
approach, combining qualitative (interviews) and quantitative elements (survey
data). The results are used to develop a model with four stages of SMEs that are
characterized by having distinct preconditions and conditions for Industry 4.0.
Thereupon, the required measures to achieve the next stage of Industry 4.0
implementation are derived. This highlights Industry 4.0 for SMEs as a process with
different stages toward achieving sustainable competitive advantage and offering
insight into how the different resources operate. The high importance and advanced
position regarding industrial value creation and SMEs in Gipuzkoa allows to
generalize and transfer the findings to other European regions.

Fazal-e-Hasan, S. M., et al. (2023). "The role of green innovation and hope in
employee retention." Business Strategy and the Environment 32(1): 220-239.
Green innovation is increasingly receiving attention in organisational
behaviour and strategic management literature. However, understanding employee's
preferences for organisations that have adopted innovative environmental practices
have received little attention. This study tests a framework that examines the
relationship between employees' preferences for innovative green organisations,
hope, and intentions to stay. Data were collected from 403 employees in Australia.
Results show that employees' preferences for green innovation drive the emotional
state of employee hope, which has a positive effect on employees' intentions to
stay with the organisation. This study offers implications for academics and
managers, advancing the literature on green innovation, recruitment, retention, and
organisational behaviour. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ferasso, M., et al. (2020). "Circular economy business models: The state of
research and avenues ahead." Business Strategy and the Environment 29(8): 3006-
3024.
This study investigates how the circular economy and business models are
related in the current business and management literature. Based on bibliometric
analytical procedures, 253 articles were retrieved from the Scopus, Web of Science,
and ScienceDirect scientific databases. The articles were analyzed according to
network analysis principles, and key terms were mapped into a network. We used
VOSviewer to build the network, explore the most-researched terms and their
relationships, and identify less-explored terms and research gaps. We furthermore
conducted a qualitative review of selected publications to provide an illustration
of quantitative results and delve deeper into the research topics. The main
findings revealed the networks of current topics as they appear in the publications
such as business models, the circular economy, circular business models, value,
supply chain, transition, resource, waste, and reuse, and their most prevalent
relationships. The results also highlighted several emerging topics such as those
connected with managerial, supply-side, demand-side, networking, performance, and
contextual considerations of circular business models. © 2020 The Authors. Business
Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Fernandez de Arroyabe, J. C., et al. (2021). "The development of CE business models

in firms: The role of circular economy capabilities." Technovation 106.
This paper investigates how the capabilities that are related to the circular
economy (CE) affect the development of products and processes that are compatible
with CE business models. From the dynamic capabilities perspective, we assume that
the development of CE in the firm implies the use of firm capabilities and the
alignment of these in the development of a dynamic process of innovation towards
the development of CE in firms. The analysis is based on a cross-sectional database
from the EU survey on the Circular Economy in the year 2015, including 870
respondents. Our study extends the current literature on the factors that affect
the development of CE business models in organisations. Our results suggest that
CE-related capabilities have a positive effect in the implementation of CE business
models in the organisation. In particular, we find that competences, standards and
information are important in the context of the CE, playing a key role in the
developing CE product and process. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Fernández-Muñiz, N., et al. (2024). "Breaking down barriers: The adoption of eco-
innovation by SMEs and the influence of personality traits." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND
THE ENVIRONMENT.
The role played by leaders in the adoption of eco-innovations (EIs) by small
and medium enterprises (SMEs) is crucial, but there is still little evidence
regarding the influence of leaders on EIs. Despite the extensive literature on EI,
studies that empirically evaluate the association between the role of SME leaders
(CEOs, top managers, and board members) on the delimitation of the barriers to EI
are lacking. The relationship between combinations of leader personality traits and
the adoption of EI from a sensemaking perspective is examined to address this
research gap. In addition, fsQCA analysis was applied. The responses of 40 SME
leaders revealed that configurations involving barriers and personal traits have
led to several solutions in which conscientiousness, openness, and either the
presence or negation of neuroticism by SME managers were relevant. Moreover, the
offset between financial barriers and the lack of public funding for EIs emerges in
all eco-innovative success solutions. These results show that different
combinations of personality traits interact with different EI barriers. Therefore,
the obstacles to EI depend on the interpretations of the leader rather than being
one-size-fits-all. Based on sensemaking theory, as taken from organizational
studies and the literature on microfoundations, these findings enhance our
understanding of the influence of individual-level psychological traits on EI
adoption. Furthermore, practical implications are presented for SMEs with the goal
of adopting sustainable innovative strategies.

Ferrigno, G., et al. (2023). "50+ years of R&D Management: a retrospective

synthesis and new research trajectories." R and D Management 53(5): 900-926.
In 2020, R&D Management celebrated 50 years of publication. The present study
honors that milestone by conducting a retrospective examination of the research
conducted in the journal over time and reflects on its rich history to look forward
in the R&D management field. Using bibliometric techniques, we provide a
comprehensive analysis of the journal's most prominent topics and themes, as well
as its most prolific authors, institutions, and countries. The findings indicate
that R&D Management has increased its productivity and reputation as measured by
the number of published articles and citations per year and expanded its
international reach from the initial European-dominated author base. We complement
this analysis by performing an in-depth systematic literature review of the most
frequently cited papers – annually and of all time – to disentangle the themes and
concepts that prominently shaped the progress of the discipline itself. The results
suggest that R&D Management has progressively widened its field of investigation
from an intra-organizational perspective (1970–1992) to an inter-organizational
view (1992–2006) and then to an extra-organizational outlook (2006–2018). Finally,
based on this history and viewing the contributions from 2019 onwards, we identify
an emerging set of research trajectories that we expect will pave the way for the
future impact of R&D Management and the field at large. © 2023 The Authors. R&D
Management published by RADMA and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fiandrino, S., et al. (2023). "Metagovernance forms for enhancing sustainability-

oriented innovation in a knowledge ecosystem." BUSINESS ETHICS THE ENVIRONMENT &
RESPONSIBILITY.
This study explores how different actors operating in a knowledge ecosystem
catalyse sustainability-oriented innovation. Through collaborative practices among
actors, knowledge ecosystems constitute a fertile ground for sustainability-
oriented innovation to grow and flourish by creating value for businesses and
society. The current literature on knowledge ecosystems is lacking in outlining
governing mechanisms to foster collaborative practices aimed at advocating open
innovation for sustainability transition. This study aims to close this literature
gap. Through interview data collected in a knowledge ecosystem, we apply precepts
of grounded theory to reveal four forms of metagovernance-network design, network
framing, network management and network participation. This study proposes a
conceptual framework of metagovernance forms as powering layers to foster
sustainability-oriented innovation in a knowledge ecosystem. We further discuss
potential weaknesses that may jeopardise the development of sustainability-oriented
innovation in the knowledge ecosystem. This study contributes to the literature on
sustainability-oriented innovation by acknowledging metagovernance as the
appropriate governing mechanism that balances the activities and processes of
sustainability-oriented innovations for becoming and being sustainable.

Fiorentino, R., et al. (2020). "How smart technologies can support sustainable
business models: insights from an air navigation service provider." Management
Decision 58(8): 1715-1736.
Purpose: Although research on smart technologies explains their critical
importance in sustainable business models (SBMs) (Mikalef et al., 2017), it remains
unclear how organisations can embrace smart technologies to create and/or improve
their sustainable business models. The purpose of this paper is to unravel and
address the challenges of smart technologies to build and maintain a sustainable
business model for organisations. Design/methodology/approach: The research
develops an empirical analysis through a case study approach. We have investigated
the case of ENAV – an Italian air navigation service provider – and how this firm
uses smart technologies in the creation of its successful SBM. After constructing a
basic theory, the authors moved to evidence collection. The data analysis has
adopted a qualitative approach based on a thematic analysis of the transcripts and
related documents. Findings: The findings from the case study support the idea that
the business value and the strategic relevance of smart technologies still remain
largely underestimated in SBM adoption (Mikalef et al., 2017). Case study findings
suggest that until today smart technologies have played a minimal role in SBM
adoption. However, the smart technologies show the potential to inform the SBM
adoption process by contributing to corporate communication for external
stakeholders and to the main dimensions of SBMs such as safety and security or the
respect for social and environmental criteria in the supply chain. Practical
implications: This study seeks to support organisations and their directors to
build and improve sustainable business models through smart technologies to
maintain their competitive advantages. Specifically, our findings suggest that
smart technologies can help organisations bridge the design–implementation gap of
sustainable business models. Originality/value: This research advances our
understanding of the role of smart technologies by explaining how they can enhance
sustainable business model adoption. Indeed, we offer a comprehensive view of the
integration of insights from three different but related literature streams such as
sustainability strategies, smart technologies and change management studies. ©
2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Forcadell, F. J., et al. (2021). "Effects of environmental corporate social

responsibility on innovativeness of spanish industrial SMEs." TECHNOLOGICAL
FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE 162.
This study analyzes how environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR)
strategies contribute to enhancing innovativeness among small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) by developing technological resources. We test our hypotheses
over an eight-year period using a panel of 2,405 industrial SMEs in Spain. We
empirically find that ECSR drives the building of firms' technological resources,
which results in an enhancement of their technological effort or R&D and outcomes
in terms of product and process innovation. ECSR intensifies innovation for
innovative firms and catalyzes the inception of innovation for previously non-
innovating firms, and the resultant effects are sustained over time. We contribute
to the literature by analyzing the effects of ECSR in promoting the innovation of
firms beyond the well-known influence on green innovation. Further, we examine the
neglected research area of the environmental strategies of SMEs. Our findings
strengthen the instrumental innovative value of ECSR, specifically for SMEs.

Friedman, N. and J. Ormiston (2022). "Blockchain as a sustainability-oriented

innovation?: Opportunities for and resistance to Blockchain technology as a driver
of sustainability in global food supply chains." TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND
SOCIAL CHANGE 175.
Blockchain technology has been forwarded as an innovation to address pressing
sustainability challenges in global food supply chains. However, limited studies
have critically examined the technology's role in advancing sustainability. Drawing
on the literature on sustainability-oriented innovation and innovation resistance
theory, we explore the potential of blockchain technology to contribute to
sustainable transformations within food supply chains. We reflect on 18 expert
interviews with various actors across global food supply chains to evaluate the
opportunities for, and resistance to, Blockchain technology as a driver of
sustainability. The findings reveal that Blockchain is used within food supply
chains as both a tool for sustainability as well as a broader philosophical mindset
for addressing sustainability challenges. We reveal the opportunities for
Blockchain technology as a sustainability-oriented innovation that can ensure
fairer supply chains, enhance food traceability, and drive environmental
sustainability. We also unpack the resistance to Blockchain that hinder its
potential as a sustainability-oriented innovation which include functional and
psychological barriers alongside cooperative barriers and protection of the status
quo. Our study contributes to the broader literature on sustainabilityoriented
innovation and innovation resistance theory.

Frizziero, L., et al. (2023). "Industrial Design Structure: a straightforward

organizational integration of DFSS and QFD in a new industry and market reality."
TQM Journal 35(8): 2413-2435.
Purpose: The aim of this research is to enlighten the methodology model of
Industrial Design Structure (IDeS) that integrates the internal and external
customer feedback embodied both in methods of quality function deployment (QFD) and
as basis of design for six sigma (DFSS) steps to systematically bring the
information across the entire organization, saving overall product development time
and resources. Design/methodology/approach: The paper describes the state of the
art enlightened to establish the disadvantages and challenges of other methods
taken into consideration in the study like QFD and DFSS that, together with the
need of companies to react fast to changes they need to straightforwardly implement
product development information across all departments, leading to a mass
customization infrastructure. Several application trials of this methodology have
been cited. Findings: The IDeS method has established to been able to integrate
other well-known methodologies to gather technical specifications starting from
voice of customers (VOCs) like QFD that served to canalize the generalist approach
of define, measure, analyze, design and verify (DMADV) of DFSS in order to reach
into a larger share of the organization and englobe by following the overall
product design steps of an industrial project. Research limitations/implications:
The research approach chosen for this document presents the concept of a
methodology ought to operate most internal branches in a company driven by product
design requirements and guidelines. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to
develop further studies on the IDeS method are required in order to adapt this
methodology to specific management tools that would help to ease information
gathering for immediate analysis and modification. Practical implications: The
paper implicates that a need to interchange information systematically across all
subdivisions in the organization, as brisk response to VOC reactions is needed to
thrive in the market nowadays, leading to a fast product customization scene.
However, the industry is heading into adopting an individual customer-centered
product conceptualization ought to be driven by design as a key for individualizing
an object. Afterward by taking this concept broadly and adopting it would lead to
implement a company organization that would be directly affected by the customer's
input. Social implications: The methodology described aims to enable organizations
to portray fast and accurate product prototyping, by exploiting technologies from
Industry 4.0. Originality/value: This concept proposes a method to canalize the
implementation of DFSS by using the DMADV approach, whilst assessing the challenges
of adaptation and keeping up with cultural pace that impacts the behavior of buying
and consumption and moreover implementing a seamless communication within all
departments in the organization to share the development progress and change
requests by using similar information technology tools. This would imply important
savings in resources, whilst delivering quality products to the society. © 2022,
Emerald Publishing Limited.

Fuentes-Fernández, R., et al. (2024). "Uncovering external factors that influence

the acquisition of knowledge for innovative purposes." Operational Research 24(3).
This paper aims to evaluate through an empirical analysis the impact of
social capital on the innovative performance of companies of the energy sector in
Spain, as well as the role of firms’ absorptive capacity and membership to a
business association as mediating variables in this relationship. The energy supply
sector in Spain is analyzed through a sample of 197 companies, using PLS-SEM
technique. This study provides empirical evidence on the positive and significant
effect of firms’ social capital on their innovative performance, and the mediating
effect of firms’ absorptive capacity and membership in a business association. It
is concluded that politicians and managers should be aware about the importance of
firms’ connectivity in the current digital society. But interaction and knowledge
diffusion are of little use if companies do not develop their knowledge absorptive
capacity, to effectively exploit external knowledge. Finally, the role of business
associations as platforms for the dissemination and absorption of knowledge, as
well as business innovation, is highlighted. © The Author(s) 2024.

Gajanayake, A., et al. (2024). "Motivations and drivers for adopting sustainability
and circular business strategies in businesses in Victoria." CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 31(1): 169-179.
With the need to transition to a Circular Economy being highlighted at
government and industry level, business research has focused on how firms
incorporate circular business practices. However, there is a lack of research on
what motivates and drives businesses to implement environmental and CE practices,
specially from an Australian context. This research aims to understand what factors
drive and motivate businesses to implement sustainability practices, using a survey
distributed among businesses operating in Victoria, Australia. The results show
that the major motivation for businesses to implement actions was the belief of
doing the right thing. Although financial returns were not considered a major
driver, the results reveal that firms may not implement environmental activities if
it is not financially viable. The responses also illustrate that understanding of
CE-related terminology within businesses were low, and that this could be a result
of common terms used within the Australian context. Improving the ethical and moral
conscience of business decision makers and incorporating wider CE actions into the
general concept of doing the right thing could increase businesses implementing CE
practices more broadly.

Galdos-Urbizu, L., et al. (2024). "The impact of green supply chain management on
corporate environmental performance and the moderating roles: A meta-analysis."
Business Strategy and Development 7(1).
The adoption of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) and its impact on firm's
performance is gaining importance in both academic and corporate fields. While past
studies found a positive relationship between GSCM and Corporate Environmental
Performance (CEP), there is no evidence of either which are the green practices
that improve CEP the most or the moderating roles that affect such relationship. In
order to provide clarity as to which tools are key in leading to a stronger CEP,
this study aims to examine how GSCM relates to CEP, under the effect of several
moderating roles. To that end, 166 articles published between 2001 and 2023 were
included in our meta-analysis sample. Our central results reveal that the link
between the variables is significantly positive, with investment recovery being the
practice with the strongest impact. Moreover, it is confirmed that moderators do
have an impact in this relationship. Practical implications are relevant for policy
makers and upper management that is willing to introduce environmental thinking in
their business strategy. © 2024 The Authors. Business Strategy and Development
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gallardo-Vázquez, D. and J. de la Cruz Sánchez-Domínguez (2023). "Bibliometric

study of the link between Sustainability and Circular Economy: A contribution for
current business model from the collaboration Enterprise-University." Revista de
Contabilidad-Spanish Accounting Review 26: 46-63.
A business model (BM) is a new unit of analysis distinct from the product or
the company, with broader boundaries than the traditional way to regard a company.
More exactly, it can be defined as a systemic and integrated view to create and
deliver value to its customers. However, issues related to social and environmental
aspects have been neglected by the BM approach. Most of the traditional business
models (BMs) have only one goal, which is to create financially profitable
companies. This narrowness of mind has been tackled by several authors due to the
rising of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies, which have been
amplified, due to the rising of the Circular Economy (CE) paradigm. CSR actions are
part of predominantly linear BMs, in which the overall achievement of the
organization has been measured following the grade of implementation of said
measures. The literature demonstrates that the CSR actions applied have been
effective. However, we must question whether this is enough, and that leads us to
three questions linking CSR and sustainability with BMs under a triple theoretical
framework*.* Owing to the need to study the change of model, the goal of this paper
is to perform a bibliometric analysis of the existing literature about CSR,
sustainability, and CE simultaneously which can help us to put the need for and
importance of this line of research into context. This paper is also a contribution
for the new BMs that stem from the collaboration between enterprises and
Universities. © 2023 ASEPUC.

García-Quevedo, J., et al. (2020). "Barriers to the circular economy in European

small and medium-sized firms." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 29(6): 2450-
2464.
 The concept of the circular economy (CE) is currently gaining impetus as a
way to move towards sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient, and competitive
economies. However, despite the potential benefits of CE activities, their
implementation remains relatively rare. We use a cross-sectional survey of European
small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) to identify the main barriers firms face to
promote the CE, focusing specifically on the following: those related to a lack of
resources (human and financial) and capabilities (expertise) and those related to
the regulatory framework (administrative procedures and the costs of meeting the
regulations). Our results indicate that it is the complexity of
administrative/legal procedures and the costs of meeting regulations/legal
standards that constitute the most significant barriers, whereas the lack of human
resources is also perceived to be an obstacle by firms engaged in CE activities.
Those obstacles may be considered revealed barriers, and it is only when the firms
become involved in these activities that they actually perceive them. Furthermore,
when we consider the breadth of CE activities, administrative procedures and
regulations once again emerge as the most significant obstacles. Finally, we stress
the need to distinguish between different CE activities given that the perception
of barriers differs substantially across these activities. Firms undertaking a
disruptive innovation redesigning products and services to minimize the use of
materials are more likely to perceive all barriers as important. However, firms
implementing such activities as minimizing waste, replanning energy usage, and
using renewable energy only perceive those obstacles related to administrative
procedures and regulations.

Gennari, F. (2023). "The transition towards a circular economy. A framework for

SMEs." Journal of Management and Governance 27(4): 1423-1457.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to the European
GDP and play a pivotal role in the ecological transition from a linear to a
circular economy (CE). According to transition management theory, which emphasizes
the active role of firms as accelerators of global transition processes, and based
on qualitative content analysis of the literature, we found key pillars of CE
(governance, relations with stakeholders and innovation) that SMEs should manage in
an integrated way to increase the speed of the transition towards circularity. The
result of this study is a conceptual framework that explains the development of the
identified pillars in the context of the transition towards CE. This study
addresses a gap in the literature concerning SMEs’ transition towards circularity,
emphasizing the importance of a dynamic vision and the integrated management of a
variety of key dimensions. The study also provides pragmatic advice to facilitate
self-assessments by SMEs with respect to their path of transition and to maximize
the effectiveness of policy-makers’ interventions to support SMEs. Finally, the
study has societal implications: promoting the transition of SMEs towards CE can
accelerate the global green transition due to the proximity of SMEs to the local
environment and work force. © 2022, The Author(s).

Gennari, F. and E. Bocchi (2023). "The dark side of the circular economy: The value
uncaptured in bioeconomy business models." Problems and Perspectives in Management
21(4): 515-531.
The bioeconomy, grounded in the shift from fossils to bio-based resources,
plays an important role in the Net Zero 2050 scenario. However, even if rooted in
circular thinking, bioeconomy business models are not free from environmental,
social, and economic concerns. This paper deals with the causes of the
unsustainability of business models in the biofuels sector, embracing an
unconventional approach that focuses on the uncaptured value. The value uncaptured
is the negative aspect of value, and it consists of creating too much or not enough
value during the product lifecycle. Value uncaptured can threaten the
sustainability of circular business models, which is why it constitutes the ‘dark
side’ of circular strategies. Starting from a gap in the existing literature and
supported by theoretical background, this study aims to suggest a theoretical
framework to identify the causes of the negative value in the biofuel sector. The
paper uses a qualitative tool, namely a case study analysis. The findings reveal
that circular business models can suffer from value uncaptured, which can take the
form of value absence, value destroyed, value surplus, and value missed.
Identifying these forms of value can transform them into opportunities for value
creation. These results enrich the research on the circular economy with a new and
unconventional approach. The elaborated theoretical framework can become a
qualitative tool to identify what causes companies’ circular business models to
underperform. © Francesca Gennari, Edoardo Bocchi, 2023.

Ghag, N. and H. Sonar (2024). "Sustainable entrepreneurship practices of Indian

SMEs: A strategic approach using fuzzy Delphi and best worst method." BUSINESS
STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 33(3): 1794-1809.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up a sizable portion of the
business sector in most countries. These businesses are also becoming more
concerned about sustainability and how to strategically incorporate it into their
operations. However, SMEs have shied away from sustainability investments due to a
lack of a comprehensive viewpoint on the matter, an overemphasis on an economic
perspective, and the resulting devaluation of environmental and social viewpoints.
Though the importance of social and environmental practices for assessing
sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) has increased, very little research has been done
on SE, particularly those linked to the competitiveness of SMEs. The novelty lies
in the identification of social and environmental practices for SE and analyzing it
using the best worst method. The two main objectives are to calculate the relative
weights of these practices and to identify the most crucial elements for judging
SMEs' propensity for SE. The findings of this study have significant consequences
not only for the businesses themselves but also for decision-makers in charge of
putting policies in place that make it easier to take actions that are consistent
with SE.

Ghisellini, P., et al. (2024). "Exploring environmental and social performances of

circular start-ups: An orientation and certification assessment." BUSINESS STRATEGY
AND THE ENVIRONMENT 33(4): 3222-3241.
The circular economy (CE) aims to deeply transform the current linear model
of economy and society into a business model capable to extend the lifetime of
resources and decrease environmental impacts. For this to happen, changes in
societal systems and production sectors, from micro to macro, are required.The
present research, based on a multiple case-study explorative approach of circular
start-ups (CSUs), investigates their adoption of environmental impact assessment
methods, environmental and social certifications and contribution to a better
integration of the social dimension in the CE model. Results indicate that three
out of six CSUs carefully measure and certify their environmental and social
impacts. Life Cycle Assessment resulted the most adopted environmental assessment
method, while two CSUs are also certified benefit corporations. CSUs are mainly
oriented toward the use of quantitative methods for the measurement of
environmental and social impacts. Additional efforts are still needed toward the
implementation of qualitative methods to properly highlight the achievement of
social benefits (environmental and social awareness, employees' engagement, work
time and free time balance, consumers health and safety, among others) for their
stakeholders (workers, local community, consumers). Nevertheless, CSUs case studies
highlight their potential of supporting the transition toward a fair CE while at
the same time facilitating the integration of social dimension aspects into the CE
model. Finally, by developing appropriate business to consumer models, CSUs can
strongly affect consumption behaviors and habits, making them also more aware and
responsible of their environmental and social life cycle impacts and improvement
potential.

Ghobakhloo, M., et al. (2021). "Industry 4.0, innovation, and sustainable

development: A systematic review and a roadmap to sustainable innovation." Business
Strategy and the Environment 30(8): 4237-4257.
 Despite the recent interest in the Industry 4.0 applications for
sustainability, little is known on the processes through which digital
transformation and Industry 4.0 technologies enable sustainable innovation in
manufacturing. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by developing a
strategic roadmap that explains how businesses can leverage Industry 4.0
technologies to introduce sustainability into innovative practices. For this
purpose, the study conducts a systematic review of extant literature to identify
Industry 4.0 functions for sustainable innovation and applies interpretive
structural modeling to devise the promised roadmap. The results offer interesting
insights into Industry 4.0 applications for sustainable innovation. The strategic
roadmap developed reveals that Industry 4.0 enables sustainable innovation through
11 functions. Industry 4.0 and the underlying digital technologies and principles
allow businesses to improve interfunctional collaboration and better integrate with
internal and external stakeholders. Industry 4.0 further improves the knowledge
base and advanced manufacturing competency and promotes organizational capabilities
valuable to sustainable innovation such as green absorptive capacity, sustainable
partnership, and sustainable innovation orientation. Through these functions,
Industry 4.0 subsequently enhances green process innovation capacity and the
ability to develop or reintroduce eco-friendly products economically and
competitively. Overall, the roadmap explains the complex precedence relationships
among the 11 sustainable innovation functions of Industry 4.0, offering important
implications for businesses that seek to leverage Industry 4.0 sustainability
implications and manage sustainable development. © 2021 ERP Environment and John
Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ghobakhloo, M., et al. (2023). "Actions and approaches for enabling Industry 5.0-
driven sustainable industrial transformation: A strategy roadmap." Corporate Social
Responsibility and Environmental Management 30(3): 1473-1494.
Although Industry 4.0 was believed to promote sustainable development, it has
ignored or misunderstood many prevailing sustainability concerns, which led to the
emergence of the Industry 5.0 agenda. While the desirable sustainability values of
Industry 5.0 are widely acknowledged, the knowledge of how this agenda can deliver
sustainable transformation is lacking. The present study addresses this knowledge
gap, explaining how Industry 5.0 transformation should be managed to facilitate
sustainable development. Therefore, this study strives to model the underlying
mechanism for enabling such transformation. The study conducted a content-centric
review of the literature and identified 11 actions and approaches that serve as
enablers of Industry 5.0 transformation. The study further conducted the
interpretive structural modeling and structured the enablers as an interpretive
model explaining steps needed for enabling Industry 5.0. Finally, the study
developed the strategy roadmap for enabling Industry 5.0 transformation and
sustainable development. Results emphasized stakeholder salience, highlighting the
enabling role of stakeholder integration and collaboration in Industry 5.0
transformation. Proactive governmental support is the most driving enabler of
Industry 5.0, whereas eco-innovation and sustainable value network reformation are
among the most complex and hard-to-develop enablers. Results offer several
implications for policymakers and practitioners, explaining the functionality of
each approach and strategy necessary for Industry 5.0 transformation. The roadmap
determines the sequential relationships among these approaches and strategies and
identifies their optimal development sequence for enabling Industry 5.0
transformation synergistically. Results further identify the codependences among
the Industry 5.0 transition enablers and highlight their interactions and
complementarities. © 2022 The Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and
Environmental Management published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ghobakhloo, M., et al. (2024). "Blockchain technology as an enabler for sustainable

business ecosystems: A comprehensive roadmap for socioenvironmental and economic
sustainability." Business Strategy and Development 7(1).
Blockchain technology is a core technology expected to play a highly
instrumental role in competing with socioenvironmental challenges. The literature
hypothesizes various blockchain functions for building a sustainable business
ecosystem. This study unifies these diverse perspectives into an interpretive
strategy roadmap that provides a holistic overview of how blockchain should be
leveraged to deliver sustainability functions optimally. The study first identified
the sustainability functions of blockchain through a content-centric literature
review. The study applied interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and drew on
experts' opinions to model how and in which order blockchain delivers these
sustainability functions. The study further drew on the ISM output and interpretive
logic-knowledge base to develop the promised roadmap. Results revealed that
blockchain promotes a decentralized decision system that facilitates automation and
real-time information sharing (RIS) across supply chains. Blockchain introduces
traceability and transparency into supply chain operations. These conditions offer
monitoring of business operations and the development of trust across value-chain
stakeholders. These driver functions lead to value chain optimization and
circularity integration into business and supply chain operations. When these
necessary functional conditions are met, businesses can further draw on blockchain
to promote economic and environmental aspects of sustainability through more
complex functions enabling resource efficiency, cost reduction, pollution
prevention, and higher profit margins. The order in which businesses can leverage
these functions would define blockchain sustainability performance. Each function
is uniquely valuable to sustainability, and none of them can be overlooked. © 2023
The Authors. Business Strategy and Development published by ERP Environment and
John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ghoniyah, N., et al. (2024). "Business sustainability performance through

sustainability awareness and business work ethics in Islamic institutions." Cogent
Business and Management 11(1).
This study aims to examine the connection between global goals
(sustainability) and corporate goals for long-term survival (business
sustainability), as well as the role of Islamic business and work ethics in
achieving them. 325 responses from employees of Islamic institutions were selected
to be examined using the partial least squares (PLS-SEM). The results confirmed
that business sustainability could be achieved by implementing Islamic business and
work ethics and increasing awareness of sustainable goals (Sustainability
Awareness). The results explained that when a company is aware of further goals
such as sustainability, it will effectively achieve its ability to survive in the
long term, called business sustainability. The originality of this study is
providing a clear relationship between sustainability and business sustainability
(long-term business goals), while previous research only analyzed sustainability
toward business short-term goals. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK
Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Ghosh, S., et al. (2022). "Exploring the influence of critical parameters on green
supply chain management performance of small and medium-sized enterprise: An
integrated multivariate analysis-robust design approach." Cleaner Logistics and
Supply Chain 4.
The implementation of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices is still
in its rudimentary stage in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of emerging
economies. So far, too little research has shown clear empirical evidence on the
actual impact of various parameters on GSCM performance of SMEs. In order to fill
this knowledge gap, this research attempts to identify the critical GSCM parameter
and quantitively measure its influence on the GSCM performance of an India-based
SME. To this end, twenty important GSCM parameters are identified from an extant
literature and verified by the experts. Data is collected through questionnaire
development, expert committee formation, and conducting interviews. This research
employs an integrated multivariate analysis-robust design approach, in which item
analysis is used to check the consistency of the data and principal component
analysis (PCA) is used to determine the weights of the parameters. The Taguchi's L9
orthogonal array analysis is used in which, qualitative data, quantitative data,
and attitude of decision maker are taken as input parameters and a GSCM performance
index is taken as a response parameter. The result reveals that, ‘Use of emission
control system’ is the most critical GSCM parameter and the optimal combination of
input parameters are: use of the emission control system (0.08); total carbon
emission (0.37); attitude of decision maker (0.6), and the corresponding GSCM
performance index is 0.196. The proposed framework may help decision makers
identify and control a set of influential parameters for the best GSCM performance.
© 2022 The Author(s)

Gil-Lamata, M., et al. (2024). "Does digitalization foster the path to a circular
economy? An exploratory analysis of European Union countries." Corporate Social
Responsibility and Environmental Management 31(2): 1239-1253.
European Union (EU) governments are placing intensified stress on both the
development of the circular economy (CE) and digital performance. In spite of the
strategic and economic relevance of these two scientific fields, there is a lack of
evidence regarding their mutual effects and implications. We tackle this gap by
analysing how digitalization favours the path towards the CE across EU member
states. Firstly, a cluster analysis was conducted to identify groups of EU
countries depending on circular behaviour, resulting in the Generators, Recyclers,
Achievers, Innovators classification. Subsequently, an analysis of variance was
performed to examine how the groups were influenced by the different contexts of
digitization. This has allowed us to detect that the digitalization variables of
human capital, integration of digital technology and digital public services, are
key drivers of variability in the CE. Moreover, we have found that countries with
similar circular behaviour share similar levels of digitalization variables. © 2023
The Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published
by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Gil-Saura, I., et al. (2024). "Sustainability-oriented innovation in retailing."

PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING 41(2): 240-253.
Sustainability-oriented innovation in services has recently been raising
interest among academics and professionals. The present research has a dual
objective. The first is to develop a scale that captures the notion of
sustainability-oriented innovation in retailing (SOI-r) from the consumer's
perspective. A sequential process is carried out to purge and retain 17 items which
synergistically measure SOI-r. We use quantitative research, adopting an
exploratory-descriptive approach on a total sample of 510 customers of commercial
food establishments. The principal axis factor analysis shows six factors: product
innovation, marketing innovation, relational innovation, economic sustainability,
social sustainability, and environmental sustainability. The second objective is to
develop an index using importance-performance map analysis, which allows analysis
of the level of development of the six dimensions identified in SOI-r and areas for
their improvement. The results are compared across food retail formats
(hypermarkets, supermarkets, and discount stores) and recommendations are made at a
strategic level.

Globocnik, D. and P. Holzmann (2024). "Sustainability-related product satisfaction

– Development and application of a multi-dimensional measurement instrument."
Journal of Cleaner Production 448.
Given the increased pressure of customers on companies to engage in
sustainability efforts, satisfying their sustainability expectations for their
products is crucial. However, research on customer satisfaction so far has widely
neglected sustainability concerns. Based on the sustainability literature we
conceptualize a multi-dimensional measurement instrument for sustainability-related
product satisfaction (SPS). Scale purification and validation using three
independent samples support six subdimensions: sustainable product value,
sustainable product manufacturing, sustainable product use, sustainable product
life-cycle, product accessibility, and sustainable product end-of-life. The
employed MIMIC approach lends support to the conceptualization of SPS as a Type II
second-order factor model. Measurement invariance tests support the scale's cross-
regional equivalence. When assessing criterion-related validity, we find that
compared with other facets of product satisfaction, SPS is strongly related to
increasing word-of-mouth but less so to customer loyalty. The availability of
sustainability-related information is positively associated with SPS, which in turn
contributes to overall product satisfaction. © 2024 The Authors

Gohr, C. F., et al. (2023). "Dynamic capabilities and sustainability-oriented

innovations in higher education institutions: a case study." Gestao e Producao 30.
This paper aims to analyze the Dynamic Capabilities (DC) from their micro-
foundations (sensing, seizing, and reconfiguration) that help in sustainability-
oriented innovation (SOI) activities (organizational optimization, organizational
transformation, and systems building) and that lead to the development of
innovations in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs). This research
has a descriptive and exploratory nature, developed through a case study in an HEI
located in the northeast region of Brazil. The study was based on interviews with
key sustainability managers within the institution and on research of institutional
documents related to the subject. As a result, the existence of specific sensing,
seizing, and reconfiguring microfoundations for HEIs that can enable SOI in the
three levels of activities studied was verified, highlighting important
relationships between them. This work contributes to the advancement of knowledge
about SOI activities in HEIs by identifying the microfoundations that drive such
activities and addressing a gap in studies on microfoundations of SOI dynamic
capabilities and activities in higher education institutions. In practical terms,
this article can serve as a basis for HEIs managers to understand what they need to
do to drive SOI activities, especially in building systems for the development of
innovations with social and economic impact for territories beyond institutional
boundaries. © 2023 Brazilian Institute for Information in Science and Technology.
All rights reserved.

Gonçalves, M. P. V., et al. (2024). ""Navigating through the digital swamp":

assessing SME propensity for online marketplaces." REVIEW OF MANAGERIAL SCIENCE
18(9): 2583-2612.
Digital technology has produced deep changes in the business world. However,
companies have a hard time understanding consumers' changing needs and new
consumption patterns, especially small and medium-sized enterprises that currently
face growing challenges in an era characterized by a lack of time and information
overload. New mechanisms must be found that not only can keep businesses
competitive in digital environments but can do so in innovative and sustainable
ways. This study sought to address this issue by adopting a process-oriented
approach and developing a decision-support tool for SMEs that are considering
joining online marketplaces. The proposed analysis model helps these companies
decide whether they are ready to take advantage of these digital platforms or
whether they have to take action to improve in specific areas of their business
operations. The model-building process relied on a combination of cognitive mapping
and the best-worst method. An expert panel was recruited to identify the most
relevant factors determining SME readiness to join online marketplaces. The model
was applied to a set of real companies to assess their propensity for online
marketplaces. The practical applicability of this decision-support system was then
discussed in a consolidation session with a member of Portugal's Agencia Nacional
de Inovacao (National Innovation Agency), who acknowledged the strong potential of
the proposed model.

Gonibeed, A., et al. (2023). "How small organisations develop sustainability-

oriented strategies: evidence from northwest Himalayas." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF
ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOR & RESEARCH 29(6): 1269-1289.
PurposeUsing Gibson and Tarrant's (2010) resilience triangle model, this
study explores how small northwest Himalayan organisations respond to contextual
challenges and opportunities and embed sustainability strategies in the
organisations' operational values.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative
exploratory design through individual and group interviews with owner-managers and
employees was held in five small northwest Himalayan organisations.FindingsThe
findings reveal multiple contextual challenges facing small organisations in
northwest Himalayas, including ecological conditions, remoteness, underdeveloped
infrastructure and human competencies. The investigated organisations respond to
these challenges through reactive and innovation-based services like eco-tourism,
conservation and educational initiatives. The organisations engage communities
through participatory and educational activities. Owner-managers adjust the
respective vision and mission statements, train employees on sustainability values
and lobby the government on policy changes to embed sustainability strategies. Some
organisations invest in resources and capabilities and others in process
capabilities.Practical implicationsSmall organisations can improve how the
organisations predict contextual issues by developing the organisations' process
capabilities, specifically by creating practical tools with parameters relevant to
ecological conditions. These organisations can set the tools through participatory
actions with the broader communities to ensure the (un)intended consequences of
environmental issues are considered. Furthermore, improvements in process and human
capabilities will provide new approaches to raising business opportunities,
especially in post-pandemic business environments.Originality/valueThis study
develops a framework that enhances the understanding of how process capabilities,
leadership, people and knowledge capabilities are critical to developing and
embedding sustainability strategies in small organisations.

Govindan, K. (2024). "How Artificial Intelligence Drives Sustainable Frugal

Innovation: A Multitheoretical Perspective." IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management 71: 638-655.
Recent globalization and industrialization efforts have pushed many companies
to seriously consider innovation efficiency and its effectiveness. Industries seek
to integrate innovation thinking in the company, resulting in different innovation
theories. However, these theories become mostly ineffective when disruptions such
as pandemics, political instability, or other natural events occur. In response to
such disruptions, frugal innovation has been adopted in recent years because it can
maximize efficiency with fewer resources. While frugal thinking is effective from
an economic perspective, not enough attention has been devoted to exploring this
innovative thinking method from the perspective of other pillars of sustainability
(environment and society). This article focuses on this gap to deepen the
understanding of sustainable frugal innovation in a recent business environment
under various theoretical perspectives (triple bottom line, diffusion of
innovation, and critical success factor theories). Technology is a vehicle for
innovation, so this article integrates the technological advantages of AI with
sustainable frugal innovation as a driving force for its effective implementation;
other existing studies are limited. Integrating AI with sustainable frugal
innovation requires precise actions that can be the result of understanding AIs
critical success factors from the perspectives of sustainable frugal thinking.
Therefore, this article analyzes the critical success factors for AI through grey
DEMATEL. A research framework has been proposed and validated with a Danish case
study context. Among 24 overall common critical success factors, 'understanding the
concept of AI' and 'level of AI investment' in sustainable frugal innovation are
identified as the most influential success factors. In addition, influential
connections among other overall common success factors are presented. These
findings could motivate industries to explore different options for successfully
integrating AI with their sustainable frugal thinking, which may increase their
business competitiveness during disruptions in a more sustainable way. © 1988-2012
IEEE.

Govindan, K., et al. (2021). "Structural model for analysis of key performance
indicators for sustainable manufacturer–supplier collaboration: A grey-decision-
making trial and evaluation laboratory-based approach." Business Strategy and the
Environment 30(4): 1702-1722.
With growing competition in the market and dire need for sustainability, it
has become imperative for companies to build long-term relationship with their
supply chain partners through sustainable collaboration. Among these, the supplier–
manufacturer relationship is crucial for improved organizational, business and
sustainable performance. Sustainable collaboration with suppliers involves crucial
decision-making processes such as continuous supplier monitoring and supplier
development. Hence, a critical challenge that a company faces is to identify the
key performance indicators (KPIs) for assessing the performance of a supplier for
sustainable collaboration. In this regard, this study focuses on identification of
KPIs for an Indian home appliance company through exhaustive discussions involving
multiple decision-makers. Further, a grey-based decision-making trial and
evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) model is proposed in the study for analysing the
importance levels among the fifteen KPIs based on multiple stakeholder
perspectives. The results of the grey structural model indicate seven KPIs as
influencing KPIs and eight KPIs as influenced KPIs. The KPI ‘Information
disclosure’ has been identified as the most influential KPI for the evaluation of
suppliers for sustainable collaboration. The implications drawn from the result
analysis model can provide meaningful insights to managers for identifying
strategies towards strengthening the supplier–manufacturer relationship and
achieving organizational and market competence. © 2021 ERP Environment and John
Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Greco, A., et al. (2021). "Identity reflexivity: a framework of heuristics for

strategy change in hybrid organizations." MANAGEMENT DECISION 59(7): 1684-1705.
Purpose The aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between
(dual) organizational identity and individual heuristics - simple rules and biases
- in the process of strategy change. This paper offers a theory on identity
reflexivity as a cognitive mechanism of strategy change in the context of
organizational hybridity. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on a 2-year
ethnographic study at a Dutch social housing association dealing with the process
of strategy change. The empirical data comprises of in-depth semi-structured
interviews, ethnographic observations as well as secondary sources. Findings
Conflicting identities at the organizational level influence heuristics at the
individual level, since members tend to identify with their department's identity.
Despite conflicting interpretations, paths of cognitive shortcuts - that the
authors define as internal and external identity reflexivity - are shared by the
conflicting identities. Research limitations/implications The findings of this
research are subject to limitations typical of a qualitative case-study, such as
possibly being context dependent. The authors argue that this research contributes
to the understanding of how individual heuristics relate to organizational
heuristics, and suggest that the process of identity reflexivity can contribute to
the alignment of conflicting identities enabling strategy formation in the context
of a dual-identity organization. Practical implications Understanding how managers
with conflicting identities achieve agreements is important to help organizational
leaders to pursue sustainability-oriented strategy change. Social implications
Given the pressure experienced by mission-driven organizations to integrate
multiple sustainability demands in their mission, understanding managers' decision-
making mechanism when adapting to new, often conflicting, sustainability demands is
important to accelerate societal sustainability transitions. Originality/value This
paper addresses the process of new strategy design in the context of a socially
driven business. This context fundamentally differs from the one addressed by the
existing heuristics literature with respect to organizational environment and role,
and specific competing demands.

Greenland, S., et al. (2022). "Sustainable management education and an empirical

five-pillar model of sustainability." International Journal of Management Education
20(3).
 Management academics, as the primary researchers of business practices and
the educators of future managers, play critical roles shaping corporate behaviour
and industry response to global sustainability challenges. However, the
competencies required to optimise sustainable management education are often
lacking and further research is required. Addressing recognised gaps in the
literature, this study measured student perceptions of global sustainability to
better inform sustainable management education. 59 in-depth interviews with
students from an Australian business and law school identified their sustainability
concerns. The perceived importance of such concerns was then quantified via a
survey with 383 responses. Factor analysis generated five core sustainability
dimensions, comprised of 31 items, which inform a new empirically derived five-
pillar model of sustainability. This model includes pillars from traditional three-
and four-pillar conceptual models of sustainable development, as well as a new
fifth pillar of corporate sustainability. The five pillars in order of perceived
importance are social, political, economic, environmental, corporate and economic –
importance varied between student types. Aligned with the United Nations 17
Sustainable Development Goals, these five pillars and associated items provide a
useful planning tool to assist sustainable management educators in structuring
their curricula, as well as businesses considering their sustainable corporate
impacts. © 2022

Gross-Golacka, E., et al. (2021). "PERCEPTION OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AND ITS

IMPACT ON BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY: EVIDENCE FROM SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE
ENTERPRISES." E & M EKONOMIE A MANAGEMENT 24(2): 35-50.
The main goal of this article is to analyze the level of differentiation of
awareness and knowledge among managers of small, medium and large enterprises in
the scope of the essence and meaning of intellectual capital as well as the
influence of its elements on the sustainable development of enterprises in Poland.
Intellectual capital is perceived as a key resource of an enterprise. It is also
one of the most valuable resources of an enterprise, which enables its sustainable
development. It is critical base of organization's innovative and strategic
sustainability. This article is based around the results of a survey conducted in
2019 among 1,067 enterprises operating in Poland. For the purposes of the
verification of the statistical hypothesis, the classical chi-squared test of
independence has been applied along with the analysis of variations for fuzzy
numbers (FANOVA) with an assumed level of significance alpha = 0.05. The assessment
of the influence of the elements of intellectual capital on the sustainable
development of enterprises has been conducted with the application of fuzzy
conversion scales. In fuzzy conversion scales, points are most often expressed as
triangular or trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. The conducted research indicates a
difference between theory and practice in the field of intellectual capital
management among enterprises in Poland. On the one hand managers declare awareness
of the importance of the influence of intellectual capital on the development of
enterprises in Poland, whereas on the other hand, a significant majority of them
state that they have not implemented an intellectual capital management strategy at
their enterprises and neither identify nor measure this capital or its elements.

Handrito, R. P., et al. (2024). "The more concerned you are, the greener you are:
The role of consumer personality towards adoption of biobased shopping bags."
BioProducts Business 9(1): 1-18.
Plastic waste is known as the worst pollutant to our environment, with
single-use plastic shopping bags perceived as the biggest cause of this issue.
However, despite massive actions undertaken by environmentalists and government
agencies to promote the adoption of biobased shopping bags, human behavior towards
single-use plastic shopping bag consumption continues to persist and unfortunately,
is soaring. To address this issue, we propose that consumer personality traits
significantly influence this behavior. Therefore, we apply motive disposition
theory (MDT) and institutional theory to examine consumers’ motives, specifically
focusing on the power motive and the institutions that influence them. By employing
an online survey and moderated mediation analysis, a sample of 207 individuals was
engaged to investigate the influence of consumers’ power motives on green
consumption towards biobased shopping bags. The results indicate that this
relationship is contingent upon the mediating role of consumer environmental
concern. Additionally, it has been observed that the level of adoption is even
stronger when consumers perceive that knowledge supporting environmentally friendly
behavior is accessible to them. © 2024, Society of Wood Science and Technology. All
rights reserved.

Hariastuti, N. L. P. and L. Lukmandono (2022). "A Review on Sustainable Value

Creation Factors in Sustainable Manufacturing Systems." Production Engineering
Archives 28(4): 336-345.
This article describes in detail the elements of value creation through the
transformations and flexibility, which is carried out in the implementation of
sustainable manufacturing. The purpose of this study is to generate the criteria or
elements that build the sustainable value creation process through a literature
review analysis. The overall classification of sustainable manufacturing
implementation discussed shows several essential factors that support this. The
process of review studies on selected papers strengthens the classification carried
out to obtain the necessary elements of sustainable value creation. The value
created can later be a hallmark of the company's superiority to survive the market
competition. Besides, the role of partnerships, such as collaboration indicates a
positive influence in generating value creation to increasing the company's
competitive rate. In addition, the importance of partnership processes such as
collaboration and cooperation between stakeholders, is needed to generate value
creation to increase the company's competitive level. The partnership process is
one of the critical factors in creating sustainable value in achieving sustainable
manufacturing in the future. © 2022 Ni Luh Putu Hariastuti et al., published by
Sciendo.

Harsanto, B., et al. (2024). "Sustainability-oriented innovation in manufacturing

firms: Implementation and evaluation framework." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE
ENVIRONMENT.
In this paper, complementary perspectives from innovation management
capabilities (IMC), the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and the social resource-
based view (SRBV) are revisited in order to lay the theoretical foundation for
developing evaluation framework for sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI). Six
dimensions of SOI are identified, as innovation focus, sustainability focus,
integration intra-organisation, integration inter-organisation, ambidexterity, and
emphasis on physical life cycle - which then lead to developing the key parameters
for the evaluation framework. The proposed framework is validated through analysis
of 25 cases from the manufacturing sector in Indonesia. Data were primarily
collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using a polar diagram.
This approach offered a comprehensive understanding of the qualitative data by
assessing all six SOI dimensions simultaneously, presenting an effective
visualisation of the firms' approach to SOI. The findings suggest that the majority
of firms tend to adopt an operational optimisation approach when developing their
SOI, while only a few opt for organisational transformational, and none choose the
system building approach. This research paper makes a significant contribution to
literature by introducing transition phases among SOI approaches, which were
previously not explored in literature. The framework developed in this study would
provide valuable support to practitioners in implementation and enhancement of
their SOI practices.

Hausdorf, M. and J. M. Timm (2023). "Business research for sustainable development:

How does sustainable business model research reflect doughnut economics?" Business
Strategy and the Environment 32(6): 3398-3416.
In this study, we explore sustainable business model (SBM) research through
the lens of doughnut economics (DE). By conducting an integrative literature
review, we analyse concepts that reflect the seven principles of DE at the business
model level. We identify 23 SBM concepts and develop a framework that draws on
cognitive science theory to distinguish between seven abstract and 16 concrete
concepts. The contribution of our study is threefold: First, the framework enhances
the theoretical understanding of SBM concepts that mirror DE. Second, our study
presents seven unique avenues for shifting the SBM research agenda. Third, the
findings have the potential to inspire SBM innovation in practice. © 2022 The
Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and
John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hellemans, I., et al. (2022). "Harnessing digitalization for sustainable

development: Understanding how interactions on sustainability-oriented digital
platforms manage tensions and paradoxes." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
31(2): 668-683.
In the digital age, interactions among heterogenous actors are increasingly
mediated by digital platforms. While sustainability-oriented digital platforms
(SODPs) have the potential to accelerate sustainability through increased
connectivity, knowledge sharing, and co-creation, they also have a dark side,
leading to unexpected tensions and paradoxical effects that may risk the creation
of value for societal actors. Understanding how digital platforms can be designed
to stimulate fruitful interactions among participants without succumbing to their
paradoxical effects is still an unresolved puzzle. In this paper, we examine how
the bright sides of SODPs can be brought to light while reducing their associated
tensions and paradoxes through a qualitative study of micro-level knowledge
integration interactions on an open platform to tackle food waste. Our analysis
identified 11 distinct mechanisms and 3 main interactional patterns through which
participants framed the scale of the sustainability problem, mobilized resources
for their solutions, and generated breadth and diversity of knowledge on the
platform to tackle the problem of food waste. Our study contributes to research on
SOPDs by showing how participants can take on a "distributed brokering" role
through their interactions on the platform. We also provide implications to policy-
oriented practitioners regarding platform design choices to help manage known
paradoxes and tensions of SOPDs.

Henry, M., et al. (2020). "A typology of circular start-ups: Analysis of 128
circular business models." Journal of Cleaner Production 245.
The circular economy (CE) concept is much-heralded among policy-makers,
scholars and industry professionals as an accelerated pathway towards
sustainability. This move away from the dominant linear system where products are
discarded at the end of product lifecycle is deemed necessary since it is the main
cause of an accelerated resource consumption. Business models are considered as a
key enabler for the shift from a linear to a CE. However, research on circular
business models has mainly focused on circular approaches adopted by incumbent
firms, while the contributions of newly established firms (the authors call these
’circular start-ups’) have been largely overlooked. This article scrutinises the
business models of circular start-ups and how they may differ from those of
incumbent firms embracing CE. For this, it analyses the circular business model
strategies and innovations adopted by circular start-ups, relying on a novel data
sample of 128 circular start-ups identified in three major CE ecosystems in Europe:
the Randstad region in the Netherlands, Berlin and London. Based on this data, a
novel typology of circular start-ups is proposed, distinguishing between five
circular start-up archetypes: design-based, waste-based, platform-based, service-
based and nature-based start-ups. The results also show that circular start-ups
tend to embrace strategies corresponding to higher levels of circularity than those
of incumbents. This preliminarily suggests that circular start-ups can indeed make
major contributions to transitioning towards CE. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Henry, M., et al. (2023). "Motivations and identities of “grassroots” circular

entrepreneurs: An initial exploration." Business Strategy and the Environment
32(3): 1122-1141.
The circular economy (CE) is now widely seen as a key concept to drive
sustainability transformations. Existing research on circular business models has
tentatively indicated that circular entrepreneurship may be able to play a pivotal
role in the transition process. However, grassroots activity in CE has not yet
received substantive scholarly attention, nor have the founders of circular
ventures. This study attempts to start closing this gap by presenting the first
empirical analysis of circular founders' motivations and identities. Our work is
based on interviews with 57 founders of circular start-ups in Europe and Australia.
The analysis reveals distinct characteristics for these entrepreneurs. We find that
noneconomic motives are dominant drivers of grassroots circular entrepreneurs while
they include a triple bottom line orientation (i.e., economic, social, and
environmental value) in principle. Yet, circular start-up founders barely formalize
socio-political dimensions in their activities despite being motivated by social
altruism. Furthermore, circular founders have an inventive mindset when starting
their entrepreneurial journey, possibly driven by their limited market-oriented
positioning, limited entrepreneurial experience, and managerial education. However,
their scaling ambitions grow significantly over time, as opposed to social and
sustainable entrepreneurs. Overall, our findings suggest adding grassroots circular
entrepreneurs or circular founders as a distinct group of sustainability
entrepreneurs to the scientific discourse on sustainability-motivated
entrepreneurship and circular innovation studies. © 2022 The Authors. Business
Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons
Ltd.

Hermundsdottir, F., et al. (2024). "Transition from fossil fuels to renewable

energy: Identifying the necessary dynamic capabilities for a transition among
Norwegian oil and gas companies." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
The increasing awareness of the role of fossil fuels in global warming,
fluctuating oil and gas prices, and governments' commitments to phase out fossil
fuels are driving the Norwegian oil and gas industry to increasingly aim for a
transition to more sustainable renewable energy. There are few studies
investigating how highly emission-intensive oil and gas firms can transition into
greener industries. In this multiple-case study, we investigate how these firms can
develop green innovations and enter renewable industries by developing dynamic
capabilities. We find several microfoundations of dynamic capabilities that are
important for green innovation development. Expanding the search window and
proactive behavior are key for identifying new opportunities, while developing
market insight, cross-sector collaboration, and structural ambidexterity are
crucial to seize and reconfigure opportunities. The findings also illuminate how
firm strategy in the sensing stage impacts what opportunities firms seize. The
study is one of few studies that explore the microfoundations of dynamic
capabilities necessary for entering new and unfamiliar markets, and it contributes
to the understanding of the dynamics of the underlying microfoundations and the
impact of green innovation type on these dynamics.

Hermundsdottir, F., et al. (2022). "Analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on

environmental innovations in manufacturing firms." Technology in Society 68.
COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the manufacturing industry, and
manufacturers have responded to the crisis in different ways. This study
investigates Norwegian manufacturers’ response to the crisis, particularly how it
has influenced their adoption of environmental innovations. More specifically, the
study investigates whether firms choose “general” or “green” strategic responses to
the crisis and how this influences the overall adoption of environmental
innovations. In addition, the study investigates how the degree of environmental
innovation adoption occurring before COVID-19 affects how the crisis impacted
firms. The study adopts a quantitative research approach using survey data from 526
manufacturing firms—a representative sample of manufacturers in Norway. The
findings reveal that those manufacturers the most environmentally innovative before
COVID-19 were more impacted by the crisis. Moreover, firms adopted both general and
green responses to the crisis, and the overall conduction of environmental
innovations decreased during the pandemic. The main contribution is the empirical
findings related to the overall impact of COVID-19 on sustainability-oriented
manufacturing. The implications are discussed for both theory and practice. © 2022
The Authors

Hernández, V., et al. (2024). "Digital data-driven technologies and the

environmental sustainability of micro, small, and medium enterprises: Does size
matter?" BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
Despite the increasing interest in understanding the relations between firms'
digitalization and their environmental sustainability, they are still poorly
understood as research on this hot topic is nascent and empirical evidence is
sparse and fragmented. In this study, we delve into the relations between different
digital data-driven technologies (DTs) used for gathering and storing (smart
devices and cloud computing), analyzing (Big Data and Artificial Intelligence), and
sharing data (Blockchain) and environmental sustainability in micro, small, and
medium enterprises (MSMEs). These firms, despite their relevance in the business
landscape and their heterogeneity, are understudied in this area. Thus, we also
examine the moderating role of firm size to understand the inherent diversity of
MSMEs in the use of DTs and the development of the sustainability oriented
practices. Empirical results from a large-scale representative sample of European
enterprises show that the adoption of DTs for data gathering and analysis is
positively associated with sustainability-oriented actions in MSMEs. The findings
also reveal the positive moderating role of size: relations between data analysis
and sharing technologies and sustainability are stronger for larger MSMEs, with the
latter being significant only for medium-sized enterprises.

Hina, M., et al. (2023). "Circular economy business models as pillars of

sustainability: Where are we now, and where are we heading?" Business Strategy and
the Environment 32(8): 6182-6209.
The prior literature has discussed the benefits of the circular economy
business model (CEBM) while working to streamline the environmental aspect,
touching upon the social aspect and improving the economic aspect. These aspects
have been widely recognised as pillars of sustainability. Thus, prior scholars have
sought to identify the relationship between the CEBM and sustainability. However,
the extant literature, which remains relatively nascent, has failed to clarify this
linkage for each pillar of sustainability. To address this lacuna, we followed a
systematic literature review (SLR) approach to determine the current state of
research on the CEBM and sustainability. Our study identifies and presents the
thematic foci in the prior literature, which highlight the linkages between the
CEBM and the pillars of sustainability. These thematic foci include the CEBM and
sustainability, the CEBM and the environmental dimension, the CEBM and the social
dimension and the CEBM and the economic dimension. In addition, this SLR recognises
various research gaps within each theme and offers actionable avenues for future
research. We also propose a conceptual framework, rooted in social capital theory
(SCT), that highlights the linkages between the CEBM and sustainability. Our
findings reveal that research at the intersection of the CEBM and sustainability
considers the CEBM an integral component of sustainability. We conclude by
presenting our work's theoretical and practical implications, which can assist
scholars and organisations to incorporate the pillars of sustainability within
their CEBMs. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hinderer, S. and A. Kuckertz (2022). "The bioeconomy transformation as an external

enabler of sustainable entrepreneurship." Business Strategy and the Environment
31(7): 2947-2963.
Bioeconomy strategies worldwide emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship
in the transformation toward a sustainable and circular bioeconomy. However, the
bioeconomy transformation itself also offers great opportunities for creating new
ventures. Based on interviews with bioeconomy entrepreneurs from six European
countries, we investigate how entrepreneurial opportunities emerge in the
bioeconomy context and what competencies entrepreneurs need to act on them. By
conceptualizing the bioeconomy transformation as an external enabler of
entrepreneurial activity, we open new avenues for research on sustainable
development and innovation policy. We conceptualize sustainable entrepreneurship as
a phenomenon that can be enabled externally via the transformation toward
sustainable development. Furthermore, we show that new venture creation in the
bioeconomy requires unique knowledge (transformative knowledge) and specific
competencies (sustainable valorization of biomass, marketing of biobased products,
and management of limited resources). © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The
Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hoang, G., et al. (2021). "Leaders influencing innovation A qualitative study

exploring the role of leadership and organizational climate in Vietnamese tourism
SMEs." EMPLOYEE RELATIONS 43(2): 416-437.
Purpose Innovation is ever more critical for sustainable business performance
in the contemporary, global economic and social context. Small- and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) are arguably well positioned to innovate through their potential
for rapid adjustment. Although leadership and organizational climate have been
identified as playing a key role in innovation, little is known about whether such
influences play out in SMEs. The aim of this study is to explore how leaders shape
the organizational climate of their firms to enhance innovation.
Design/methodology/approach The article presents findings from semi-structured
interviews conducted with 20 CEOs of SMEs in the Vietnamese tourism sector.
Findings The findings indicate that SME leaders in the tourism sector influenced an
organizational climate that provided for autonomy and supported innovation through
a number of leadership approaches. They also used daily interaction-based practices
to drive the innovative behaviors of employees and developed reward systems to
encourage innovation in their organizations. Originality/value This study describes
how different leader approaches affect innovation through orientating the
organizational climate and business processes within their firms toward encouraging
staff to initiate and try out new ideas.

Hofman, P. S., et al. (2020). "Supply chain collaboration and eco-innovations: An

institutional perspective from China." Business Strategy and the Environment 29(6):
2734-2754.
This study explores the impact of supply chain collaboration on eco-
innovations in the context of 220 Chinese manufacturing supplier firms involved in
global supply chain networks. It investigates how supplier and customer
collaborations help firms to enhance product eco-innovations, and/or process eco-
innovations, and how the institutional context (i.e., regulatory, market, and
community pressures) influences these relationships. The structural equation
modeling approach is used to analyze the data captured from medium and large
manufacturing enterprises in three major sectors: automotive, electronics, and
textiles. The results show that community pressure has a positive effect on
supplier collaboration, which further leads to enhanced process eco-innovation. On
the other hand, the findings indicate that while market pressure enhances customer
collaboration, this does not reinforce product eco-innovation. Contrary to our
expectation, regulatory pressures do not impact supplier or customer collaboration
for innovation. Overall, different institutional factors indicate divergent effects
on supply chain collaboration and product/process eco-innovation. The importance of
normative pressures, such as those applied through the local community and interest
groups, for eco-innovations in production processes is further discussed as a
typical feature of the institutional environment of Chinese supplier firms. © 2020
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Hossain, M. (2020). "Frugal innovation: Conception, development, diffusion, and

outcome." Journal of Cleaner Production 262.
Frugal innovation (FI) demonstrates a new entrepreneurial landscape where
small firms with limited resources develop innovations for underserved customers in
low-income countries. FIs also create new markets and contribute to sustainability.
The studies so far have highlighted various frugal products introduced by large and
small firms around the world. This study aims to explore the process of how
individuals at the grassroots level successfully conceptualize, develop, and
diffuse their FIs to achieve commercial success. It analyzes the antecedents,
processes, and consequences of FI development and commercialization, and explores
how FIs evolve and diffuse in emerging markets. It also seeks to identify what
triggers and motivates individuals to engage in FI. The study points out the
initiative that individuals take and the challenges they face, from inception to
the successful commercialization of their innovations. We therefore portray an
overall understanding of the antecedents, processes, and consequences for these
entrepreneurs. Along with the scholars, the findings of this study will be
insightful for practitioners who are interested in the frugal innovation
phenomenon. It points out issues, such as the dual-business model, innovation to
serve low-income customers, and diffusion patterns that managers need to understand
when shaping their business strategies, for emerging markets in particular and the
world in general. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Hsu, C. C. (2024). "The Impact of Innovation Adoption on Sustainable Business

Development in China: the Role of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance
Performance." Engineering Economics 35(2): 169-181.
ESG as a phenomenon appears to be consistent with high quality development of
economy of country like China, hence, implementation of ESG is essential to embrace
sustainability. Thus, it is imperative to scrutinize the its effectiveness and, in
this lieu, the study attempts to scrutinize the effectiveness of innovation
adoption on the environmental, social and governance performance, and SBD of the
electric vehicle industry in the context of China. Along with it, mediating role of
ESG performance has also been explored in the study. Primary data was collected for
the study and PLS-SEM methodology was used to evaluate the collected data. Results
showcase that innovation adoption is positively correlated with ESG performance and
SBD of the electric vehicle industry in China. The outcomes also exposed that the
ESG performances significantly mediates the relationship between innovation
adoption and SBD. In the light of the evidence, the analysis recommends that
organizations must value their ESG performance in order to formulate relatable
policies. © 2024, Kauno Technologijos Universitetas. All rights reserved.

Hübel, C., et al. (2022). "Strategic alliances for corporate sustainability

innovation: The ?how? and ?when? of learning processes." LONG RANGE PLANNING 55(6).
Mounting sustainability pressures challenge established firms to engage with
sustainability innovations, which are often introduced by startups. Research on
alliance learning has established the potential of learning from startups to
advance corporate innovation. Here, scholars have outlined alliance learning
processes and outcomes and have distinguished learning about and learning from
alliance partners as two key learning types. The saliency of learning from the
operational alliance process is stressed. To date, however, no study has
investigated alliance learning processes and outcomes for sustainability
innovations. This is despite the fact that sustainability research suggests
learning processes in the sustainability context have a distinct nature. This study
addresses this research gap by analyzing the sustainability-specific learning
processes and outcomes of a large European meat producer and wholesaler with a
turnover of $2.7bn in the fiscal year 2019/2020. The firm formed alliances with
nine startups for sustainable plant, insect-based and cell-based protein solutions.
Our analysis (1) identifies three distinct characteristics of sustainability-
related alliance learning processes and outcomes, and (2) specifies the temporal
occurrence and outcomes of learning types in alliance learning phases. In contrast
to findings of prior research, our study reveals that learning about alliance
partners is of key importance throughout the whole sustainability-oriented alliance
learning process. In addition, the findings highlight that alliance learning
outcomes may support an established firm's contribution to the sustainability
transformation of mass markets.

Huy, P. Q. and V. K. Phuc (2023). "Acquiring Sustainability in The Prospect of

Digital Transformation Through Global Brain-Reflective Accounting Practices
Application." International Journal of Economics and Management 17(2): 229-249.
The current research conceptualizes and validates a model concentrating on
how policy initiatives foster the big data management capabilities (BDMC) to
achieve sustainability. Additionally, it also pursues to delve into the mediation
mechanism of Global brain reflective management accounting practices (GBAP) in the
linkage between BDMC and sustainability. Outstandingly, it makes several endeavors
to deepen insight on whether the extent of the effect of BDMC on GBAP and the
effect of GBAP on sustainability vary resting on specific degree of innovation
human resource management (IHRM). The statistical data of a convenient and snowball
sample of 612 participants was gathered from a structured and close-ended
questionnaire survey. In order to bring forth the proposed hypothesized
interconnections, the fundamental analytical instrument utilized was structural
equation modeling (SEM). Additionally, multi-group SEM analysis was also applied to
corroborate the moderating effects of IHRM. Beyond ameliorating the insight into
how intersection of accounting practices and new technologies could make a huge
contribution to BDMC enhancement to reach the sustainability paradigm, the
observations of this research gave rise to the practical implications for the
practitioners in organizational management and policy-makers in promulgating rules
in relation to digital transformation implementation within small and medium
enterprises. © International Journal of Economics and Management.

Huynh, M. T., et al. (2023). "Big data analytics capabilities: Patchwork or

progress? A systematic review of the status quo and implications for future
research." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 197.
This paper presents a systematic literature review of the research field on
big data analytics capabilities (BDACs). With the emergence of big data and digital
transformation, a growing number of researchers have highlighted the need for
organizations to develop BDACs. Despite valuable efforts to examine determinants
and contributions to performance measures, the research field on BDACs remains
relatively unexplored. The review reveals a patchwork of studies lacking a
theoretical and conceptual foundation and questions arise regarding the reliability
and validity of predominantly survey-based empirical studies. Drawing on findings
from related capability concepts, this paper suggests the use of clearer
definitions and items and a greater variety of methods to facilitate further
exploration of BDACs. Finally, future research areas and implications are outlined.
© 2023 The Authors

Inigo, E. A., et al. (2020). "Networking for sustainability: Alliance capabilities

and sustainability-oriented innovation." INDUSTRIAL MARKETING MANAGEMENT 89: 550-
565.
Research on open innovation and sustainability suggests that alliances with
external stakeholders help to improve innovation outcomes. This paper taps into the
intersection of these literatures and investigates how alliance proactiveness and
alliance portfolio coordination affect firms' sustainability-oriented innovation
(SOI) outcomes. Data were collected from 170 firms in the Basque Country region in
Spain, which has a highly collaborative regional innovation system. Partial least
squares (PLS) modeling confirmed that alliance proactiveness is positively related
to radical SOI, while alliance portfolio coordination is positively related to
incremental SOI. In addition, these two capabilities involve a positive interaction
effect in the case of radical SOI. An additional set of post hoc tests using latent
class analysis (FIMIX-PLS) provided further evidence that firms with different
internal features and levels of environmental turbulence benefit to varying extents
from these capabilities and their interactions. Overall, the findings of this study
show the benefits of the coupled mode of open innovation and alliance capabilities
in reaching positive outcomes in SOI. On the one hand, companies focusing on
incremental SOI can reap greater benefits from open innovation when collaborating
within their existing portfolio; while for radical SOI, alliance proactiveness is
beneficial for finding disruptive partners.

Iqbal, Q., et al. (2024). "Sustainable development through frugal innovation: the
role of leadership, entrepreneurial bricolage and knowledge diversity." REVIEW OF
MANAGERIAL SCIENCE.
Frugal innovation through frugal functionality, frugal cost, and frugal
ecosystems that reduce goods to their essential features has emerged as a highly
effective method to improve sustainable development across societies, in developed
countries as well as in developing countries. Drawing on social exchange theory and
effectuation theory, this study examines the indirect effect of diversified
knowledge sharing on the relationship of sustainability-oriented leadership with
frugal innovation and the conditional role of entrepreneurial bricolage. The study
utilized data collected from 223 representatives of small and medium enterprises in
Poland. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the
proposed hypotheses. The results confirmed that sustainability-oriented leadership
indirectly and significantly affects frugal functionality and costs through both
internal and external diversified knowledge sharing. Yet, internal diversified
knowledge sharing does not mediate the sustainability-oriented leadership-frugal
ecosystem relationship. The findings show that the sustainability-oriented
leadership-external diversified knowledge sharing relationship amplifies with
increasing values of entrepreneurial bricolage. However, the sustainability-
oriented leadership-internal diversified knowledge sharing relationship does not
change in the presence of entrepreneurial bricolage. This pioneering study explores
the interactions between sustainability-oriented leadership, entrepreneurial
bricolage, and internal as well as external diversified knowledge sharing with
regards to frugal innovation. It uncovers the underlying processes of frugal
innovation and improved frugal innovation performance, facilitates the integration
of knowledge, recognises successful approaches to leadership, creates initiatives
for leadership development, and offers actionable insights for organisations aiming
to cultivate frugal innovation.

Ji, X. and C. Su (2023). "Exploration of Supply Chain Financing Model and Virtual
Economic Risk Control Using the Backpropagation Neural Network." Journal of Global
Information Management 31(9).
This article aims to optimize the supply chain financing model and address
virtual economic risk control by effectively reducing associated risks. To achieve
this objective, the backpropagation (BP) neural network model is designed and
implemented, promoting the application of intelligent technology in supply chain
financing and virtual economic risk control. Initially, a fundamental BP neural
network model is developed and evaluated. Subsequently, an Adam-BP neural network
model is proposed by optimizing the Adam optimizer, providing substantial technical
support for enhancing the supply chain financing model and virtual economic risk
control. The research results indicate significant performance improvement after
applying Adam optimization to BP, with all indicators in the plant classification
dataset surpassing 0.92 and those in the credit card fraud dataset increasing to
above 0.9. Thus, the model presented here exhibits exceptional adaptability and
offers effective technical support for optimizing the supply chain financing model
and virtual economic risk control methods. © 2023 IGI Global. All rights reserved.

Jia, M., et al. (2022). "Supplier absorptive capacity: learning via boundary
objects in sustainability-oriented supplier development initiatives." INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT 42(8): 1173-1199.
Purpose To study the learning processes and mechanisms involved in
sustainability-oriented supplier development (SSD), including how knowledge is
transmitted by the buyer and how it is received, understood and internalised by the
supplier. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory longitudinal multi-case study
approach is adopted. The research context is a social SSD project focusing on
occupational health and safety (OHS) management at four supplier factories. The
paper draws on the constructs of absorptive capacity and boundary objects. Findings
The development of a supplier's absorptive capacity for OHS management is triggered
by the transfer of boundary objects that are created by the buyer. Findings suggest
that each supplier starts explorative learning in a similar and passive way in
order to accept the knowledge, but then each supplier proactively transforms and
exploits the knowledge through continuous sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring loops
that develop the boundary objects in a way that fits their own needs and contexts,
incorporating the objects into organisational structures and routines. Research
limitations/implications The research furthers the understanding of the development
of supplier absorptive capacity for sustainability via SSD projects, including how
it is triggered and sustained. The impact of ostensive and performative aspects of
boundary objects on knowledge transfer is presented. Finally, insight is provided
into how absorptive capacity and dynamic capabilities are linked in the context of
SSD. Practical implications Buying firms should seek to develop boundary objects
that can trigger and maintain learning momentum for sustainability at supplier
organisations in addition to effectively transferring SSD-related sustainability
knowledge. There is also a need to allow for sufficient flexibility in the design
of the boundary objects, and to pay sufficient attention to how suppliers
contextualise and embed them into their own organisations, providing support for
this process where necessary. For the supplier, establishing structures and
routines for OHS management can help to prepare for future audits, thereby reducing
audit fatigue. Originality/value The paper contributes to the supply chain learning
literature by exploring the development of supplier absorptive capacity for
sustainability triggered by the focal buying firm. It sheds new light on the role
of boundary objects for facilitating knowledge transfer and learning between supply
chain members in the context of SSD projects.

Joshi, S., et al. (2020). "Modeling circular economy dimensions in agri-tourism

clusters: Sustainable performance and future research directions." International
Journal of Mathematical, Engineering and Management Sciences 5(6): 1046-1061.
The purpose of this research is to identify the key Circular Economy
dimensions (CE-D) in Agri-tourism industry and to determine the performance of
these dimensions using AHP-TOPSIS method. The research is carried out in two
stages, firstly 11 CE-D were identified using systematic literature review. In
stage two, industrial experts validate and finalize 9 CE-D which can decide the
overall performance of Agri-Tourism Networks. The AHP analysis shows that
Destination Attractiveness is valued highest for making CE decisions, whereas,
community contributions and sustainable livelihoods valued second and third as
important dimensions. Moreover, TOPSIS shows that Pithoragarh is emerged as the
best cluster among all Agri-tourism clusters selected for the study, whereas,
Almora stood in second position. The Agri-food clusters are becoming more complex
and flexible and started putting pressure on existing supply chains to re-design
the existing value chain and incorporate more sustainable practices and
performances. The identification of Circular Economy Dimensions (CE-D) to evaluate
the performance of clusters can serve as guiding tool for the Agri-tourism
Practioners and policy makers. Besides, the study examines relevant issues related
to CE in Agri-tourism clusters, major advantages and challenges of building CE
driven Agri-tourism clusters. The limitation of the study is the geographical
coverage and limited demography of the respondents. The research study is among
very few works on evaluating Agri-tourism supply chain practices in India, with the
case reference of Uttarakhand. © 2020, International Journal of Mathematical,
Engineering and Management Sciences.

Kalnbalkite, A., et al. (2023). "The tango between the academic and business
sectors: Use of co-management approach for the development of green innovation."
Innovation and Green Development 2(4).
This study explores a co-management approach to prepare future environmental
engineers for green innovation and commercialisation by improving cooperation
between academia and industry. Collaboration between academia, government,
agencies, and industry is a top priority due to the significant impact of the
availability of qualified environmental professionals on the economy. The potential
for collaboration among parties with different interests and principles remains
largely unexplored. Compared to tango dance, the paper discusses the co-management
approach, combining two disciplines with other goals and expectations. The
methodology adapts brainstorming for studying environmental engineering to improve
students' competencies and diversify study methods. Studying classical idea co-
creation approaches in higher education, evaluating their results, and analysing
stakeholders’ opinions - involving 65 students, six industry and government
representatives, and 14 lecturers. This study identified crucial factors that form
a model for successful collaboration between academia and industry to train
environmental science specialists and develop green innovations. These factors
include party participation activity, the definition of primary evaluation
criterion, and student motivation. The study concludes that the co-management
approach could enhance competence education quality by promoting skill
diversification and teamwork and providing greater motivation to work. © 2023 The
Authors

Kannan, D. (2021). "Sustainable procurement drivers for extended multi-tier

context: A multi-theoretical perspective in the Danish supply chain."
Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review 146.
In light of the rising global importance of sustainable procurement (SP)
implementation for contributing to sustainable development goals (SDGs), the main
aim of this study is to perform an abductive research to analyse the drivers of SP
under a Danish extended multi-tier supply chain context. Initially, the expansion
of the traditional multi-tier theory to a novel extended multi-tier theory is
accomplished by considering three factors: any number of upstream SC entities, the
direct customer on the downstream entity, and the focal firm. This study has been
done with the intention of implementing SP for the focal firm. Following that, the
study develops a research framework to analyse the drivers of SP in an extended
multi-tier environment by considering both upstream (1st tier and 2nd tier
suppliers) and downstream (direct customer) supply chain entities together with the
focal company using multiple theories such as extended multi-tier, triple bottom
line (TBL), dynamic capability, institutional theory, and decision theory. Firstly,
the relevant SP drivers are categorised (i.e., 7 categories of main drivers and 24
sub-drivers) based on the TBL, dynamic capability, and institutional theory.
Secondly, applying the Best Worst Method (BWM), SP drivers were prioritized, and a
comparative analysis was performed across the extended multi-tier context. The
result shows that the top three priorities of the sub-drivers are “personal
values,” “active top management support,” and “government regulation and
legislation,” respectively for the focal company. Comparative analysis points to
the fact that the sub-driver “government regulation and legislation” is considered
important for all the SC entities; however, no mandatory government regulation
currently exists to implement SP in the private sector context. On the other hand,
the sub-driver “customer pressure / demand” for the sustainable products has been a
low priority for the focal company and 2nd tier suppliers and it has not been
considered relevant for the 1st tier supplier and direct customer. Thirdly,
applying the Decision-Making Trial And Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), an
interrelationship analysis was performed on the key SP drivers that exist from the
focal company's perspective. Finally, relevant managerial implications and
conclusions were drawn for the focal case company based on the results of the
prioritization and interrelationship analysis. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Kayikci, Y., et al. (2022). "Using blockchain technology to drive operational

excellence in perishable food supply chains during outbreaks." International
Journal of Logistics Management 33(3): 836-876.
Purpose: This paper aims to explore the potential of blockchain technology
(BT) to support the operational excellence in perishable food supply chain (PFSC)
during outbreaks, by doing use-case analysis. Design/methodology/approach: A
systematic literature review is performed to determine the dimensions of
operational excellence in the food supply chain (FSC), then a single use-case
analysis is conducted to explore the potential of blockchain in order to achieve
operational excellence for PFSC during the pandemics by applying context,
interventions, mechanism and outcomes (CIMO) logic. Findings: The findings of this
study reveal that blockchain capabilities such as immutability and transparency,
visibility, traceability, integration and interoperability, disintermediation and
decentralisation, smart contracts and consensus mechanism provide better
sustainable operational excellence outcomes for PFSCs to be more responsive,
flexible, efficient and collaborative to cope with the impacts of COVID-19.
Research limitations/implications: This research employs only one real case with
multiple PFSC participants. Statistical generalisation is not possible at this
stage of the research. However, the findings are not restricted to this single use-
case. Practical implications: This study provides a research direction to explore
the potential of BT to achieve operational excellence in the PFSC during outbreaks
and generates prescriptive knowledge for better managerial decision-making across
the PFSC during outbreaks. Originality/value: This research conducts semi-
structured interviews with different participants in one blockchain ecosystem to
understand multiple participants' perspectives of operational excellence within
PFSC. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Kayikci, Y., et al. (2022). "Assessing smart circular supply chain readiness and
maturity level of small and medium-sized enterprises." JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH
149: 375-392.
A Smart Circular Supply Chain (SCSC) integrates both Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and
Circular Economy (CE) concepts into supply chain in response to achieving
sustainable goals/agenda. The purpose of this paper is to assess SCSC readiness and
maturity level of SMEs considering different stakeholders from a multi-layered
perspective. For this aim, a conceptual framework was proposed and accomplished
through a case study of SMEs in Turkey's textile industry. Such integrated approach
to holistically assessing SCSC readiness and maturity makes a unique contribution
to the field. The highlights of this study are summarized as follows: (1)
approaching readiness and maturity in transitions by focusing on systems theory;
(2) identifying the dimensions of readiness and maturity in transitions to I4.0 and
CE; (3) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to CE and
(4) assessment of readiness and maturity level of SMEs in transition to I4.0 within
the supply chain.

Kazemi, M. Z., et al. (2023). "Reinvigorating research on sustainability reporting

in the construction industry: A systematic review and future research agenda."
Journal of Business Research 167.
This study investigates sustainability reporting (SR) in the construction
industry, which is vital to achieving sustainable development goals. Despite
extensive research on sustainability practices, scant attention has been paid to
SR, a crucial channel for communicating and managing sustainability performance.
Aiming to advance SR research, this study systematically reviews 150 articles on
the topic in 73 journals. The review reveals significant knowledge gaps and
methodological limitations, highlighting the need for a more diversified
theoretical lens for evaluating the complex nature of SR. The investigation
identifies four study themes: assessment and indicators, determinants, strategic
management, and outcomes of SR. The review offers a comprehensive analysis of the
current literature and presents an integrated framework that encompasses
sustainability attributes and reporting in the construction sector. The study's
contributions include directions for future research and practical implications for
managers and policymakers that can support the transition toward sustainable
development in the construction industry. © 2023 The Author(s)

Keränen, O., et al. (2021). "Restructuring existing value networks to diffuse

sustainable innovations in food packaging." Industrial Marketing Management 93:
509-519.
Sustainable innovations in food packaging are important in terms of
preventing food waste and reducing environmental impact, but existing industry
regimes and networks may hinder their diffusion into established markets. However,
research on reorientation of existing industries, and value networks in that
situation, has been limited. This study examines the changes to existing industry
value networks that can facilitate the diffusion of sustainable innovation in food
packaging. Empirically, the transformation and distribution of agro-food waste into
a new bioplastic packaging through the existing food packaging value network is
investigated. As a result, the changes to the existing value network and their
connections, facilitating the diffusion of the sustainable innovation, are
identified at three levels – firm, network, and macro. The findings show the
importance of opportunity recognition, but also the role of new actors, resources,
activities, and relationships in the restructuring of the existing value network
and actions creating supportive regulative framework and increasing market demand
for such renewal. This creates understanding of how the adoption of sustainable
innovations, such as new packaging materials, which might seem simple, is
complicated by the broad changes required from the existing value network. © 2020
The Authors

Khan, I. S., et al. (2023). "Industry 4.0 innovations and their implications: An
evaluation from sustainable development perspective." Journal of Cleaner Production
405.
As the dyad of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and innovation have gained greater
attention from researchers, practitioners and policy makers, integration of
sustainability and sustainable development paradigms to this dyad have become
fundamental to sustain businesses’ competitive advantage. A variety of I4.0 based
innovations with several sustainability implications exists in the literature, but
they largely address independent and distinct knowledge areas, which yields an
opportunity to explore the interconnections of I4.0-innovation-sustainability
nexus. Therefore, this research performs a systematic literature review to
synthesize the nexus by investigating how a combination of I4.0 technologies and
different types of innovations, could contribute to sustainable development thereby
providing sustainability implications. Our review portfolio derived from three
databases analyzed 58 journal articles that addressed the simultaneous links of
I4.0-innovation-sustainability. The primary findings show that I4.0 results in
various innovation types including process, product, business model, supply chain,
organizational, open, and marketing innovations that advance triple bottom line
(TBL) sustainability, circular economy (CE), sustainable business models (SBMs) and
achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs). While most studies focus on
process, product, and business model innovations with TBL and CE implications, more
research is required to address the significant but overlooked areas such as open,
organizational, and marketing innovations to advance business model sustainability
and SDGs. © 2023 The Authors

Khan, O., et al. (2020). "Microfoundations of dynamic capabilities: Insights from

circular economy business cases." Business Strategy and the Environment 29(3):
1479-1493.
Circular economy is a key strategy to achieve corporate sustainability.
However, so far, most firms are unable to translate the concept of circular economy
into their corporate strategies, business models, and operations. Some scholars
have argued that firms need to develop new (and dynamic) capabilities for circular
economy implementation. Yet there is a little discussion on how firms can develop
such capabilities. Notably, there is a paucity of research on specific skills,
processes, and organizational activities (microfoundations of dynamic capabilities)
that may facilitate circular economy implementation. To address this knowledge gap,
using a multiple-case studies approach, we explore microfoundations of dynamic
capabilities in successful circular economy business cases. Our findings indicate
that dynamic capabilities positively contribute to circular economy implementation.
Our case studies show that case firms identified circular economy opportunities by
using four microfoundations of sensing capability. Further, case firms acted on the
identified opportunities by using simultaneously three microfoundations of seizing
capability and four microfoundations of reconfiguring capability. This paper
contributes to the literature on the relations between dynamic capabilities and
corporate sustainability by providing insights on how sensing, seizing, and
reconfiguring dynamic capabilities act in successful operationalization of circular
economy strategies. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Khan, P. A., et al. (2021). "Firm Sustainable Development Goals and Firm Financial
Performance through the Lens of Green Innovation Practices and Reporting: A
Proactive Approach." Journal of Risk and Financial Management 14(12).
The current global economy demands synergy between ecological responsiveness
and proactive business models. To analyze these dynamics, the objective of this
study is to simultaneously investigate the effects of green innovation practices
concerning the sustainable development goals (SDG) and financial performance of
firms. This study also advocates for the injection of green innovation reporting
into sustainable reporting for greater disclosure. Data from sixty-seven companies
from five continents and the top five blue chip firms for each country are
collected through content analysis, with the generalized least squares (GLS)
approach used to test a causal relationship hypothesis. The results indicate mixed
findings, with green product innovation showing positive relationships with returns
on equity (ROE) and returns on investments (ROI). At the same time, green process
innovation shows negative relationships with returns on assets (ROA) but shows a
positive impact on returns on investments (ROI) and firm SDGs. In contrast, green
service innovation shows an insignificant relationship with financial performance
and SDGs. On the other hand, non-operational green innovation variables and green
marketing positively affect returns on assets and investment, showing significant
negative impacts on returns on equity. However, green organizational innovation
shows an insignificant relationship with firm financial performance and SDGs. In
addition, this study also shows that the Australia/New Zealand region is the leader
in green innovation reporting, followed by Europe, Asia, Africa, and lastly, North
America. © 2021 by the authors.

Khan, P. A., et al. (2022). "Vinculum of Sustainable Development Goal Practices and
Firms’ Financial Performance: A Moderation Role of Green Innovation." Journal of
Risk and Financial Management 15(3).
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) has been established to
alter our world by addressing the challenges faced by humanity in order to promote
wellbeing, economic prosperity, and the protection of the environment. The SDGs
provide a holistic and multi-dimensional approach to development compared to
conventional development plans that focus on a limited range of dimensions. As a
result, linkages between the SDGs may result in differing outcomes. This research
is the first to investigate the direct relationship of environmental and social
SDGs with firms’ financial performance and the moderating role of green innovation.
Data from 67 companies from five continents (Europe, Australia and New Zealand,
Asia, North America, and Africa) and their top five blue-chip firms were collected
through content analysis. Generalized least squares (GLS) were used to test for
direct relationships. The results showed a positive correlation between
environmental SDGs and the negative significance of social SDGs on firms’ financial
performance. However, mixed findings regarding the moderation variable green
innovation over SDGs and firms’ financial performance were found. The new findings
extend the SDG literature and provide empirical evidence to practitioners and
policymakers. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Khatami, F., et al. (2024). "Innovation ecosystem for smart product: empirical
quantification of its key dimensions in SMEs of 21 European countries." Review of
Managerial Science 18(9): 2723-2748.
This paper aims to quantify the innovation ecosystem model for allowing the
development of smart products at the country level. In this regard, the research
used an empirical approach to scale and validate the six dimensions of an
innovation ecosystem model among the small and medium-sized enterprises of 21
European countries. The quantitative methods of panel data analysis and Pearson
correlation tests between variables of the innovation ecosystem and smart products
were considered to examine six research hypotheses. Three dimensions of the
innovation ecosystem model, i.e., configuration, change, and capability, have
enough effects to accelerate high levels of smart products in the small and medium-
sized enterprises of European countries, supporting the external and internal
economic partnerships of institutions and companies, cultural changes in functional
status, and knowledge-based capabilities of technological skills in each ecosystem.
In addition, hierarchical clustering analysis for the classification of the
countries showed that some countries, e.g., the United Kingdom, Netherlands,
Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, and Norway, could support their
powerful smart products for small and medium-sized enterprises at the national
level due to their high mean innovation ecosystem values. Overall, the research can
describe the managerial implications regarding the knowledge-based capabilities of
the technological skills in each ecosystem to be utilized by managers and
stakeholders in small and medium-sized enterprises. © The Author(s) 2024.

Klammer, A., et al. (2023). "Opposites attract: How incumbents learn and unlearn in
coopetitive relationships with start-ups." Industrial Marketing Management 112: 85-
97.
Incumbents increasingly turn to start-ups to benefit from their
entrepreneurial spirit and thinking. Incumbents collaborating with start-ups from
the same industry can create a relationship that entails both cooperative and
competitive elements. While previous research primarily focuses on how both sides
learn and gain knowledge, we investigate, from the perspective of incumbents, how
the interplay of both learning and unlearning mechanisms unfolds when engaging in
coopetitive projects with start-ups. Following a qualitative research approach, we
conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with incumbents from different industries.
The results of our thematic analysis show that incumbents dynamically use learning
and unlearning mechanisms to develop a coopetition mindset and overcome
asymmetrical tensions with start-ups. Furthermore, we find that incumbents revert
to previous cognitive and behavioral patterns after the coopetitive project with
start-ups has ended. We contribute to a better understanding of incumbent-start-up
dynamics and highlight the importance of organizational unlearning in coopetitive
settings. © 2023 The Authors

Knizkov, S. and J. C. Arlinghaus (2021). "Frugal Processes: An Empirical

Investigation Into the Operations of Resource-Constrained Firms." IEEE TRANSACTIONS
ON ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT 68(3): 667-684.
The severe resource constraints that characterize markets at the bottom of
the world's economic pyramid have forced firms to innovate both their products and
processes. However, discourse in frugal innovation literature on how firms can
design frugal processes in response to the resource constraints they face remains
relatively sparse. Based on a systematic literature review, in this article we
consolidate existing work on the process echelon of frugal innovation. We outline
three ways frugal processes that have been conceptualized in the literature thus
far, and distill their key characteristics. Based on an exploration of the supply
chains of 87 small- and medium-sized enterprises, we show how firms configure these
characteristics to overcome resource constraints at each stage of their supply
chain. Ultimately, we propose three archetypes of a frugal supply chain that firms
can strategically adopt. Firms with the primary goal of increasing consumer access
to affordable products opt for a supply-chain structure that favors traditional
economies of scale, and postpone any decentralization as further downstream as
possible. In contrast, firms aiming to provide consumers with greener alternatives
can adopt a hyperdecentralized structure throughout their supply-chain, which is
made economically viable through low-cost approaches to distributed manufacturing.
Firms interested in empowering local communities should consider hybrid structures
that balance the high costs of investments in local capabilities.

Kocollari, U., et al. (2024). "The 5 E(lements) of employee-centric corporate

social responsibility and their stimulus on happiness at work: An empirical
investigation." CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 31(3):
1959-1976.
In recent times, there has been a growing interest in corporate social
responsibility (CSR) practices that focus on employees, with an increasing emphasis
on investigating employees' experiences of CSR in relation to their happiness. The
purpose of this study is to explore employee-centric CSR initiatives with the aim
of identifying the elements stimulating happiness at work (HAW). To accomplish
this, we adopt a non-linear and data-driven approach to analyze self-reported data
from 441 employees across 21 small and medium-sized enterprises spanning various
industries. The analysis brings to light 5 E(lements) of employee-centric CSR:
envisioning, related to personal and organizational value orientation; equity,
related to definition and distribution of rewards; empowerment, related to career
development and professional growth; experimentation, related to innovative tasks
and organizational forms; and empathy, related to a supportive workplace and
coworkers' network. These 5 E(lements) serve as stimuli for HAW in different ways:
envisioning, empowerment, and experimentation play a major role in promoting
employees' happiness and underscore the importance of initiatives related to shared
values, inclusivity, and innovative work practices. Thus, this study sheds light on
the influence of employee-centric CSR in promoting HAW and on effective strategies
that may contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals targets.

Koilo, V. (2024). "Unlocking the sustainable value with digitalization: Views of

maritime stakeholders on business opportunities." Problems and Perspectives in
Management 22(1): 401-417.
Digitalization in the maritime sector encompasses interconnected technologies
that enhance efficiency, risk mitigation, and safety in marine operations and
offshore assets management. Digital twin, or virtual assets, plays a pivotal role
within this digital ecosystem. This study aims to explore the transformative
potential of digital twins in the maritime industry, focusing on their capacity to
improve sustainability, optimize productivity, and drive innovative business
models. A quantitative methodology was employed to investigate this potential in
the maritime sector, utilizing questionnaires to gather insights and perspectives
from key stakeholders in the Northwestern part of Norway s maritime industry,
including ship designers, shipyards, equipment suppliers, and ship owners. Among
the 23 respondents, there were individuals holding senior, leadership, management,
and specialized digitalization roles. Notably, 65% of these respondents possessed
over 20 years of experience in the maritime industry. The survey reveals a strong
interest in adopting digital twins within the maritime sector (70% of respondents).
The findings underscore the potential advantages of digital twin solutions,
including predictive maintenance (16%), real-Time operational efficiency
enhancements (17%), and design optimization (18%). Nevertheless, implementation
complexity (73.9%) and data integration (73.9%) loom significant obstacles.
Respondents also recognize the potential for new product opportunities and
innovative business models arising from digital twin implementation. Sustainability
initiatives are emphasized, particularly in real-Time monitoring (83%),
retrofitting (74%), and predictive maintenance (65%). Cybersecurity (65%) and data
protection (62%) are critical concerns. Furthermore, implementing digital twins is
anticipated to promote collaboration and information sharing among maritime
industry stakeholders, underscoring their potential for transformative impact. ©
2024 LLC CPC Business Perspectives. All rights reserved.
Kolagar, M., et al. (2024). "Linking Digital Servitization and Industrial
Sustainability Performance: A Configurational Perspective on Smart Solution
Strategies." IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 71: 7743-7755.
Manufacturing companies are introducing innovative ways to facilitate the
sustainable transition of their customers’ operations. The emerging literature on
digital servitization proposes numerous factors, such as the use of advanced
artificial intelligence analytics, orientation toward outcomes, and aligning
ecosystem partnerships, which can potentially influence the sustainable performance
of industrial customers. However, there is currently a lack of understanding
regarding how these factors interact to result in sustainable outcomes. Hence, this
study seeks to shed light on these complex relationships by identifying viable
smart solution strategy configurations for achieving customer sustainable
performance. Drawing on a dataset of 180 Swedish manufacturing firms, this study
uses a configurational comparative method—namely, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative
analysis—to identify the impact of different configurations of “AI-driven
optimization,” “outcome orientation,” “value co-creation,” and “ecosystem
orchestration” conditions on the realization of customer sustainable performance.
This study has identified five smart solution strategies that empower manufacturers
to realize sustainable performance for their customers. Among the five
configurational strategies identified, the first configurational strategy appears
to be the most prominent, as it is based on an outcome-based approach in which the
firm uses its technological expertise and its ecosystem partnerships to take over
customer operations. Thus, this study contributes to the ongoing discussion in
digital servitization on its enabling role for industrial sustainability practices.
© 2024 The Authors.

Koliousis, I., et al. (2024). "Artificial intelligence and policy making; can small
municipalities enable digital transformation?" International Journal of Production
Economics 274.
This study investigates digital transformation and the usability of emerging
technologies in policymaking. Prior studies categorised digital transformation into
three distinct phases of digitisation, digitalisation, and digital transformation.
They mainly focus on the operational or functional levels, however, this study
considers digital transformation at the strategic level. Previous studies confirmed
that using new emerging AI-based technologies will enable organisations to use
digital transformation to achieve higher efficiency. A novel methodological AI-
based approach for policymaking was constructed into three phases through the lens
of organisational learning theory. The proposed framework was validated using a
case study in the transportation industry of a small municipality. In the selected
case study, a confirmatory model was developed and tested utilising the Structural
Equation Modelling with data collected from a survey of 494 local stakeholders.
Artificial Neural Network was utilised to predict and then to identify the most
appropriate policy according to cost, feasibility, and impact criteria amongst six
policies extracted from the literature. The results from this research confirm that
utilisation of the AI-based strategic decision-making through the proposed
generative AI platform at strategic level outperforms human decision-making in
terms of applicability, efficiency, and accuracy. © 2024 The Authors

Kraus, S., et al. (2023). "From moon landing to metaverse: Tracing the evolution of
Technological Forecasting and Social Change." Technological Forecasting and Social
Change 189.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change (TFSC) is one of the most
prominent journals to focus on the methodologies and practices of technological
forecasting and futures studies. This study aims to analyse the topical structure
of TFSC and track the most cited articles published in the journal using a
combination of a structural topic model (STM) and bibliometric analysis. The STM
reveals 18 prominent topics in TFSC, and the topical quality of the STM results is
verified based on semantic coherence and topic exclusivity scores as well as an
assessment of the correlations among topics. The STM also tracks the temporal
variations in topical prevalence that occurred from 1969 to 2022, shedding light on
the changing popularity of each topic. The bibliometric analysis presents a decade-
by-decade perspective on the most cited articles and the geographical dispersion of
authors affiliated with TFSC, thereby providing a truly global perspective on the
journal's publishing activity. © 2023 The Authors

Kraus, S., et al. (2020). "Corporate social responsibility and environmental

performance: The mediating role of environmental strategy and green innovation."
Technological Forecasting and Social Change 160.
This study investigates the influence of corporate social responsibility
(CSR) on environmental performance, using data from 297 large manufacturing firms
in Malaysia. Our results show that CSR has no direct significant influence on
environmental performance, but is positively correlated to environmental strategy
and green innovation, which again improve environmental performance, i.e. they
significantly mediate between CSR and environmental performance. Our study offers a
valuable model for general managers of manufacturing organizations and policymakers
to manage CSR, environmental strategy, and green innovation in examining
environmental performance. It can help to assist general managers of large
manufacturing organizations to strengthen their internal resources like CSR,
environmental strategy, and green innovation to enhance environmental performance.
© 2020 Elsevier Inc.

Kristoffersen, E., et al. (2020). "The smart circular economy: A digital-enabled

circular strategies framework for manufacturing companies." Journal of Business
Research 120: 241-261.
Digital technologies (DTs), such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data,
and data analytics, are considered essential enablers of the circular economy (CE).
However, as both CE and DTs are emerging fields, there exists little systematic
guidance on how DTs can be applied to capture the full potential of circular
strategies for improving resource efficiency and productivity. Furthermore, there
is little insight into the supporting business analytics (BA) capabilities required
to accomplish this. To address this gap, this paper conducts a theory- and
practice-based review, resulting in the Smart CE framework that supports
translating the circular strategies central to the goals of manufacturing companies
in contributing the United Nation's (UN) 12th Sustainable Development Goal, that
is, “sustainable consumption and production,” into the BA requirements of DTs. Both
scholars and practitioners may find the framework useful to (1) create a common
language for aligning activities across the boundaries of disciplines such as
information systems and the CE body of knowledge, and (2) identify the gap between
the current and entailed BA requirements and identify the strategic initiatives
needed to close it. Additionally, the framework is used to organize a database of
case examples to identify some best practices related to specific smart circular
strategies. © 2020 The Author(s)

Kuhl, C., et al. (2022). "Product-service systems and circular supply chain
practices in UK SMEs: The moderating effect of internal environmental orientation."
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 146: 155-165.
Many studies uphold product-service systems (PSSs) as key factors for the
implementation of circular supply chain (CSC) practices. This paper explores this
assumption by testing the links between product-, use- and resultoriented PSSs and
slowing, closing, and narrowing CSC practices. It develops and validates survey
items that can be used to benchmark CSC practice implementation. In addition, it
tests a model that recognises the positive moderating role of internal
environmental orientation. A survey is conducted with 114 manufacturing small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom (UK). Partial least squares
structural equation modelling is conducted to evaluate two models. The results show
that product-oriented PSSs positively affect the slowing, use-oriented positively
affects the closing, and result-oriented positively affects the slowing and the
narrowing of resource loops. Internal environmental orientation does not moderate
the PSS - CSC relationship, suggesting that less internally environmentally
oriented firms are not at a disadvantage.

Kumar, K., et al. (2021). "Difference in stakeholder engagement approach of small &
medium enterprises and large companies and its performance implications." Corporate
Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 28(3): 992-1001.
Using the explicit and implicit Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
framework, this study investigates how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and
large companies differ in their approach to CSR and what association these
differing approaches to CSR have with a company's financial and social
performances. We develop and validate a stakeholder engagement approach (SEA) scale
and then present the results of data collected from 211 SMEs and 179 large
companies. The results indicate that while large companies rely more on explicitly
articulated and formally enacted approaches to CSR, SMEs integrate social
responsibility into their company activities in informal and implicit ways. The
results also show that the explicit approach has a positive association with
financial performance measures, while the implicit approach has a positive
association with social performance. The findings of this study provide a more
nuanced and theoretically grounded understanding of differences in the CSR
practices of SMEs and large companies. © 2020 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons
Ltd.

Kusa, R., et al. (2023). "Does knowledge management mediate the relationship
between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance?" JOURNAL OF KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT 28(11): 33-61.
PurposeThis study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO)
and knowledge management (KM) on firm performance (PERF), as well as the mediating
role of KM in the EO-PERF (EO-PERF relationship). In particular, this study aims to
explain the impact of KM on the relationship between the EO dimensions and PERF;
dimensions are risk-taking (RT), innovativeness (IN) and proactiveness
(PR).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses structural equation modelling and
fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) methodologies to explore target
relationships. The sample consists of 150 small furniture manufacturers operating
in Poland (out of 1,480 in the population).FindingsThe study findings show that KM
partially mediates the IN-PERF relationship. Furthermore, fsQCA reveals that KM
accompanied by IN is a core condition that leads to PERF. Moreover, the absence of
KM (accompanied by the absence of RT and IN) leads to the absence of PERF. In
addition, the results show that all the variables examined (RT, IN, PR and KM)
positively impact PERF.Originality/valueThis study explores the role of KM in the
context of EO and its impact on PERF in the low-tech industry. The study uses
simultaneously two methodologies that represent different approaches in the search
for the expected relationships. The findings reveal that KM mediates the EO-PERF
relationship.

Kutaula, S., et al. (2024). "Linking HRM with Sustainability Performance Through
Sustainability Practices: Unlocking the Black Box." BRITISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT.
In response to the triple-bottom-line sustainability challenges facing
today's world, organizations are increasingly incorporating sustainability
principles into their strategies; however, this is challenging for small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources. While sustainable human
resource management (HRM) has recently gained scholarly prominence, the impact of
sustainable HRM practices on an organization's sustainability performance remains
under-explored. Anchored on signalling theory, we address this gap by examining the
impact of sustainable HRM on an organization's sustainability performance. Drawing
upon survey data collected from 254 employees across SMEs in Vietnam, we found that
sustainable HRM practices and managerial competency positively impact
sustainability practices, which in turn predict sustainability performance, while
sustainability practices mediate these relationships. Employee sustainability
participation and long-term orientation strengthen the relationship between
sustainability practices and sustainability performance. Further, co-worker
sustainability support moderates the relationship between sustainable HRM practices
and managerial competency and sustainability practices. We discuss the
contributions to theory and practice and provide future research directions.

Kutlu, G. and M. Z. Ngoasong (2024). "A framework for gender influences on

sustainable business models in women’s tourism entrepreneurship: doing and re-doing
gender." Journal of Sustainable Tourism 32(3): 500-518.
Drawing on the literature that examines business models, feminist ethics of
care and social policy, this article develops a theoretical framework for
uncovering gender influences on sustainable business models by women entrepreneurs
in a highly patriarchal and established tourism destination. Gender influences are
socially embedded drivers that inform how women entrepreneurs create and operate
sustainable business model archetypes and manifest as doing gender (accepting and
complying with gendered perceptions) and redoing gender (resisting gendered
perceptions by displaying masculine traits or taking advantage of their femineity)
in the business realm. Empirically, the article provides a qualitative analysis of
in-depth interviews with women owner-managers of fourteen small tourism firms in
Turkey. The study provides evidence of gender influences that materialise as
gendered perceptions of identity, role expectations and legislative practices
(regulative). The managerial and social policy implications that encourage and
support women entrepreneurs in pursuing sustainable business models are critically
examined. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor
& Francis Group.

Laasch, O. and J. Pinkse (2020). "Explaining the leopards’ spots: Responsibility-

embedding in business model artefacts across spaces of institutional complexity."
Long Range Planning 53(4).
This article explores the phenomenon that corporations' commercial-logic
business models increasingly embed responsibility-logic patterns: The proverbial
leopards' spots. We have conducted a thematic analysis of responsibility patterns
in annual report business model descriptions (artefacts) and a qualitative
comparative analysis of corporations' strategic environment. We find distinct
responsibility patterns, uniquely combined in four distinct types of responsibility
business model artefacts. We explain these types through responses to institutional
complexity between commercial and responsibility logics. Strategic responses were
enabled or constrained by the characteristics of the varying spaces of
institutional complexity of particular corporations. We contribute to an emerging
heterogeneous business model literature by providing empirical evidence. We
contribute to the institutional discussion of corporate responsibility by providing
a typology of responsibility business models and by explaining why each type
emerged in their respective institutional space. We also discuss how practitioners’
efforts to embed responsibility into their business models may benefit from our
findings. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Le, T. T. and K. Govindan (2024). "Boosting green innovation on corporate

performance: Managerial environmental concern's moderating role." BUSINESS STRATEGY
AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
This study intensively examines the circumstances in which multifaceted green
innovations (GI) play a role in driving business performance for small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) in an upsurging economy. Accordingly, the role of managerial
environmental concern (MEC) is explored in the link between GI dimensions and
corporate performance. This study adopts a quantitative approach and conducts a
partial-least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM) for analysis using the
primary survey-based information. There were 424 valid samples collected. The
findings indicate that GI dimensions (management, process, product, and technology)
significantly and positively affect corporate performance. In these connections,
MEC plays a moderating role. The originality of this study lies in its
revolutionary strategy for enhancing SME sustainability in emerging economies.
Thus, it contributes values not only to the theoretical ground but also to business
practitioners, academics, and policymakers oriented towards sustainable
development.

Leitão, M. E., et al. (2024). "Reconceptualizing socio-tech entrepreneurship: A

systematic literature review and research agenda." Technovation 134.
Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship is a growing observable phenomenon, often
referred to as tech4good, and highly valued in society due to the major benefits it
provides in meeting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. However,
academic research specifically dedicated to socio-tech entrepreneurial ventures is
still incipient. To address this research gap, the paper develops a systematic
literature review of 238 peer-reviewed studies on social, technology and socio-tech
entrepreneurship published from 1988 to 31 December 2023. Through descriptive and
content analysis methods, the paper develops the first framework conceptualizing
Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship as an autonomous topic within the entrepreneurship
research domain. Drawing on the literature, the conceptual framework shows that
Socio-Tech Entrepreneurship is distinct from Social Entrepreneurship or Technology
Entrepreneurship, which legitimates it as a conceptually relevant group of
organizations/practices and as an autonomous research topic within the business
sciences field. The paper's comprehensive assessment of the literature and the
proposed conceptual framework also unveil topics that are specific to Technology or
Social Entrepreneurship but have not been addressed yet for Socio-Tech
Entrepreneurship, offering potential future research opportunities and contributing
to a research agenda. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. © 2024
The Authors

Leonidou, L. C., et al. (2023). "A dynamic capabilities perspective to socially

responsible family business: Implications on social-based advantage and market
performance." Journal of Business Research 155.
Despite the significant role played by family business firms in the economy,
society, and environment of almost every country, there is limited knowledge as to
their socially responsible conduct. This article presents the results of a study
focusing on the drivers and outcomes of both internal and external CSR strategies
adopted by these firms. Based on a sample of 193 family business firms in Cyprus,
we confirm that certain dynamic capabilities, namely sensing, adaptive, and
strategic flexibility, have a favorable effect on the development of both internal
and external CSR strategy in family business. The implementation of these CSR
strategies was also found to generate a social-based competitive advantage, which
was conducive to heightened market performance. This impact of social-based
advantage on market performance was revealed to be positively moderated by both
competitive intensity and social public concern. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Lichtenthaler, U. (2023). "Sustainability Skills and Sustainable Natives: Key

Competencies and Maturity Model for Sustainability Management." Journal of
Innovation Management 11(3): 95-113.
Sustainability and ESG criteria, i.e. environment, social, and governance,
are essential strategic drivers, especially because of the circular economy and a
new generation of 'sustainable natives' among the Generation Z. In light of firms'
varying performance in managing sustainability, this conceptual paper develops a
maturity model for sustainability management with five maturity levels: awareness,
efficiency, transparency, ecosystem, and innovation. A further sixth level goes
beyond most firms' present aspirations in managing sustainability, but it may
become important in the future. Additionally, the key skills that companies and
employees need at different maturity levels are discussed along with implications
for sustainability trainings and assessments as well as human resources management
and ethics. These skills may provide the source of sustainability-based core
competencies, and they help to explain interfirm differences in managing
sustainability, positainability, and digitainability. Finally, the framework
highlights innovation and transformation in the context of the sustainable
development goals (SDGs). © 2023 Universidade do Porto - Faculdade de Engenharia.
All Rights Reserved.

Lit, F. C., et al. (2024). "Business model innovation in circular start-ups:

Overcoming barriers in the circular plastics economy." International Small Business
Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship 42(4): 506-550.
Circular start-ups (CSUs) are crucial for implementing a circular economy;
yet, little research has been undertaken on the specific barriers they face.
Through a case study of CSUs in the Dutch plastics industry, we identify several
key barriers encompassing technology dependence, poor credibility, constrained
resources, collaboration challenges, lack of knowledge and inadequate institutional
support. Additionally, we highlight four success factors (SFs) that enable CSUs to
compete in circular plastics: circular value proposition design, market
sensitivity, networking prowess and circular ambidexterity. Our study shows that
CSUs can enact these SFs as strategies-in-use to overcome barriers. Yet still, CSUs
in plastics continue focusing on recycling-centric business models, limiting their
potential to drive the transition more radically along the waste hierarchy. This
calls for support from various entities such as entrepreneurial ecosystems as well
as a multi-stakeholder perspective that considers their business models as
interdependent with other actors in the plastics value chain. © The Author(s) 2024.

Ljungkvist, T. and J. Andersén (2021). "A taxonomy of ecopreneurship in small

manufacturing firms: A multidimensional cluster analysis." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND
THE ENVIRONMENT 30(2): 1374-1388.
This study presents a multidimensional taxonomy of "ecopreneurship" for small
manufacturing firms. Based on a cluster analysis of 312 Swedish firms, four
distinct clusters are identified: pioneers, green dumpers, overlookers, and
recyclers. These clusters are compared regarding their level of entrepreneurial
orientation and firm performance. Based on the results, and because of the resource
constraints associated with small firms, managers of such companies are advised to
examine the economic consequences of specific environmental business practices and
to adopt a less aggregated approach to ecopreneurship. This study illustrates the
usefulness of a multidimensional scale when researching environmental behaviors and
is a response to the lack of an empirically based classification of ecopreneurship
configurations.

Llena-Macarulla, F., et al. (2023). "Reporting measurements or measuring for

reporting? Internal measurement of the Circular Economy from an environmental
accounting approach and its relationship." Revista de Contabilidad-Spanish
Accounting Review 26(2): 200-212.
This paper aims to provide a model to measure the circular economy in
businesses from an environmental accounting approach. The range of circular
activities and the intensity with which companies implement them are analysed to
increase the understanding of the relationship between the implementation of
circular economy in firms and their different environmental management accounting
and reporting practices. The study is developed through an empirical analysis based
on a survey addressed to a sample of Spanish companies and designed to analyse
different environmental accounting practices and measure the circular economy-
related activities introduced by companies to close the material loops in
processes. Main results indicate that circular economy activities are generally
introduced by companies progressively, without clearly responding to common
patterns for the introduction of the different circular principles and activities.
A moderate correlation is observed between companies’ level of circular economy and
their environmental management accounting practices, with a more significant
correlation for a higher number of circular activities, particularly for firms that
implement environmental management systems and have higher levels of transparency
and sustainability information policies. Although companies are progressively
adopting circular activities, the lack of specific indicators limits their internal
measurement. Consequently, the information provided by organisations about the
closing of material loops remains sporadic. The results highlight the need for
built-in specific metrics to deploy environmental accounting practices in circular
economy models. ©2023 ASEPUC. Published by EDITUM - Universidad de Murcia.

Long, T. B., et al. (2020). "The design and testing of a tool for developing
responsible innovation in start-up enterprises." JOURNAL OF RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION
7(1): 45-75.
Innovation leads to new products, business models and even changes to socio-
economic systems. However, it is important that innovation has the 'right impacts'.
Responsible innovation can help to achieve this; however, it is unclear how to
introduce responsible innovation to real-world, competitive, industry settings. We
explore this challenge in the context of sustainability orientated start-up
enterprises, developing innovations within agriculture, food or energy. We develop
a tool that provides innovators with a systematic way to identify socio-ethical
issues. Using the concept of experiential learning, we track the impact of the tool
across 12 cases. For the tool to install responsible innovation, we propose that a
full learning cycle must be completed. We find evidence that the tool can enable a
full learning cycle and provide a method to identify socio-ethical factors. We
contribute by articulating and operationalising an approach to introduce
responsible innovation principles into real-world contexts.

Lozano, R. and M. Barreiro-Gen (2022). "Embedding Sustainability in Small and

Medium-Size Enterprises: Experiences From Sweden." IEEE Engineering Management
Review 50(1): 211-219.
Most research on corporate sustainability has focused on large companies'
sustainability efforts; however, research on a holistic approach on small- and
medium-size enterprises (SMEs) addressing the sustainability dimensions and the
system elements is still limited. The aim of this article is to assess how SMEs
embed sustainability into their systems. A survey was developed and sent to 261
SMEs, from which 72 complete responses were obtained from SMEs in Sweden. The
results show that there could be a better operationalization of the priorities and
aligning them with the company's impacts, particularly by focusing more on
environmental issues. The results show that 1) SMEs have been embedding
sustainability through technocentric and managerial approaches; 2) the focus has
been on systems elements that tend to be less connected to others (e.g., products,
and operations and production) and not on those with highest influence (e.g.,
governance and change management); and 3) employees tend to be informed about
sustainability issues, but they could receive better training and be better engaged
in sustainability efforts. SMEs should take a more holistic perspective when
embedding sustainability into their system, and better address governance and
change management issues to complement their technocentric and managerial
approaches. © 1973-2011 IEEE.

Lu, H., et al. (2024). "Integrating circular economy and Industry 4.0 for
sustainable supply chain management: a dynamic capability view." Production
Planning and Control 35(2): 170-186.
Circular economy (CE) and Industry 4.0 are recent business buzzwords that
help organizations to maintain a circular flow and optimize the use of resources
with technological supports to improve sustainability practice. Transition towards
CE and Industry 4.0 is promising and yet challenging. As such, the aim of this
research is to investigate how to integrate CE and Industry 4.0 in sustainable
supply chain management (SSCM) in order to improve operational efficiency and
sustainability performance. This study provides an analysis of the dynamic changes
of drivers and barriers when integrating CE and Industry 4.0 and their related
applications in operations and SCM through a systematic review of literature. From
the results, a theoretical framework was derived for future research development. ©
2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis
Group.
Luederitz, C. and D. Etzion (2024). "Generativity as a heuristic for impact-driven
scholars addressing grand challenges." STRATEGIC ORGANIZATION.
In this contribution, we theorize generativity as a heuristic for impact-
driven management scholars seeking to address grand challenges through research. We
use generativity to connote the engagement of diverse actors in pluralistic inquiry
to create conditions for future flourishing. Our theorization applies a pragmatist
worldview and builds on insights from the multidisciplinary literature on
generativity to envisage researchers as agents of care, collective learning, and
transformative change. We synthesize four tenets for researchers seeking both
academic and real-world impact. These tenets can support researchers addressing
grand challenges by guiding their efforts to diversify inputs, distribute agency,
conduct experiments, and pursue prospective impacts. We illustrate generativity in
action by drawing on our experience in a transdisciplinary research project on
small- and medium-sized enterprises taking climate action in Canada. We show how
the four tenets foster generativity to promote an inclusive understanding of grand
challenges and a bias toward action, thereby providing an optimistic stance toward
addressing issues of social concern.

Macchion, L., et al. (2023). "Sustainable business models of small and medium-sized
enterprises and the relationships to be established within the supply chain to
support these models." Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
30(2): 563-573.
Nowadays sustainability plays a crucial role in both academia and industry,
and new insights are required to answer many open questions on the topic. This
study focuses on sustainable business models (SBMs) by adopting a supply chain
perspective to identify the value of sustainability practices along the supply
chain for different SBMs. In particular, the research investigates four small and
medium-sized enterprises (SME) case studies that have been able to implement new
SBMs wisely integrating the concept of sustainability with their supply chain
partners. First, the results confirm that SBMs need to be supported by strong
alignment with sustainability practices within the entire supply chain to be
successfully implemented. Secondly, the application of the proper practices of
selection, monitoring, collaboration, and integration among supply chain partners
within various SBMs is the key to achieving sustainability objectives. The paper,
therefore, contributes to the debate by bringing new evidence to the SBMs topic,
investigating how the success of these models is possible only through a precise
definition of the relationships to be established in the supply chain. © 2022 The
Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Madhavan, M., et al. (2024). "Impact of Industry 5.0 Readiness on Sustainable

Business Growth of Marine Food Processing SMEs in Thailand." Administrative
Sciences 14(6).
This research aims to develop a conceptual framework and propositions to
establish and test the causal relationships between Industry 5.0 readiness (I5.0R),
global value chain (GVC) participation, business competitiveness (BC), and
sustainable business growth (SBG) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
This study focuses on Industry 5.0 readiness, evaluated through human-centricity,
fairtrade practices, lean management, sustainability practices, and business
competitiveness, measured by marketing, resources, production, and finance. Both
constructs were developed and tested as higher-order constructs, while GVC
participation and sustainable business growth were assessed as lower-order
constructs. Data were collected from marine food processing SMEs in Thailand using
a purposive sampling technique. This study tested and confirmed the content
validity, construct validity, and reliability of both lower and higher-order
models. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with
bootstrapping (n = 1000), the results indicated significant positive impacts of
Industry 5.0 readiness on GVC participation, Industry 5.0 readiness on business
competitiveness, GVC participation on business competitiveness, and business
competitiveness on the sustainable business growth of SMEs. Additionally, business
competitiveness was found to mediate the relationship between Industry 5.0
readiness and sustainable business growth. These findings contribute to the
literature on Industry 5.0, GVCs, and SME business competitiveness, offering
practical insights for SMEs and policymakers aiming to enhance sustainable growth
through strategic readiness and competitiveness in Industry 5.0 practices. The
implications and directions for further research in Industry 5.0 readiness of SMEs
are presented. © 2024 by the authors.

Madrid-Guijarro, A. and A. Duréndez (2024). "Sustainable development barriers and

pressures in SMEs: The mediating effect of management commitment to environmental
practices." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 33(2): 949-967.
There is a broad consensus about Small and Medium-sized Enterprises' (SMEs)
responsibility for global pollution, resource consumption, and waste generation.
However, numerous researchers have identified a research gap in the context of
SMEs' managerial and operational environmental insights. Concretely, this gap
involves management commitment, the drivers and barriers to sustainability, and
their impact on SMEs' environmental performance. This study, grounded on the
institutional, stakeholder, and upper echelon theories, fills this gap. We test our
hypotheses using a quantitative empirical approach with structural equation
modeling on a dataset of 351 SMEs. Our findings show the key role of management
commitment to environmental performance in SMEs since it exerts a positive
mediating effect on the relationship between the drivers of sustainability and
environmental performance. Based on the Upper Echelon Theory, results demonstrate
the relevance of the mediating effect of management commitment (values, skills, and
attitudes) to encourage sustainable business models of SMEs in order to reduce
pollution, emissions, energy consumption, and noise, as well as promote the
development of sustainable products and facilities.

Maldonado-Guzmán, G. and S. Y. Pinzón-Castro (2022). "Financial resources, eco-

innovation and sustainability performance in automotive industry." Tec Empresarial
16(2): 34-54.
Eco-innovation is considered in the literature as one of the most important
constructs that substantially improve the environmental sustainability of
manufacturing companies. However, it has been shown that companies alone cannot
adequately develop eco-innovation activities, to achieve not only a higher level of
eco-innovation activities, but also a significant improvement in the level of
sustainable performance of manufacturing firms. In addition, little is known about
the relationship between financial resources, eco-innovation and sustainable
performance fill this gap in the literature and explore the relationship between
these three main constructs through an extensive review of the literature.
Likewise, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 460
through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models. The results
obtained suggest that financial resources have significant positive effects on eco-
innovation, and eco-innovation has significant positive effects on the sustainable
performance of firms in the automotive industry. © 2022.

Malik, A., et al. (2022). "Circular economy adoption by SMEs in emerging markets:
Towards a multilevel conceptual framework." JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 142: 605-
619.
Adding to the growing literature on circular economy (CE) and employing the
theoretical lens of change management, this research explores SMEs' challenges in
the emerging markets context of India for adopting CE practices. We use a multi-
case qualitative design, interviewing senior leaders and owners of Indian SMEs, CE
intermediaries and two large firms on the nature and extent of critical barriers
and enablers of CE adoption. Including CE market intermediaries, sustainability and
CE managers of large organizations, who are required to educate and incentivize CE
adoption of their SME value chain members, we analyze the barriers and
opportunities from both sides of the coin. We develop a multilevel theoretical
framework grounded in CE and change management literature, which presents the
nature and extent of CE activities, barriers and contextual enablers of SMEs'
adoption of CE in emerging markets. Implications for policy, theory and practice
are also discussed.

Mariani, L., et al. (2022). "Achieving Sustainable Development Goals Through

Collaborative Innovation: Evidence from Four European Initiatives." JOURNAL OF
BUSINESS ETHICS 180(4): 1075-1095.
The role to be played by multi-stakeholder partnerships in addressing the
'wicked problems' of sustainable development is made explicit by the seventeenth
Sustainable Development Goal. But how do these partnerships really work? Based on
the analysis of four sustainability-oriented innovation initiatives implemented in
Belgium, Italy, Germany, and France, this study explores the roles and mechanisms
that collaborating actors may enact to facilitate the pursuit of sustainable
development, with a particular focus on non-profit organizations. The results
suggest that collaborative innovations for sustainability contribute simultaneously
to the fulfilment of different Sustainable Development Goals, reaching beyond their
original intent, and that the value being created has the potential to reinforce
such roles and mechanisms. These partnerships are prompted and managed by non-
profit organizations that act as metagovernors of collaborative innovation
processes as they play the roles of cultural spreaders, enablers, relational
brokers, service provides, and influencers. These findings will help policy-makers
and practitioners in the public and non-profit sector to identify and utilize
emerging opportunities for value creation through collaborative innovation, and to
better design existing and prospective collaborative efforts aimed at sustainable
objectives, thereby supporting progress towards the implementation of Agenda 2030.

Mariani, M. M., et al. (2023). "Types of innovation and artificial intelligence: A

systematic quantitative literature review and research agenda." Journal of Business
Research 155.
This study provides a systematic overview of innovation research strands
revolving around AI. By adopting a Systematic Quantitative Literature Review (SQLR)
approach, we retrieved articles published in academic journals, and analysed them
using bibliometric techniques such as keyword co-occurrences and bibliographic
coupling. The findings allow us to offer an up-to-date outline of existing
literature that are embedded into an interpretative framework allowing to
disentangle the key antecedents and consequences of AI in the context of
innovation. Among the antecedents, we identify technological, social, and economic
reasons leading firms to embrace AI to innovate. In addition to detecting the
disciplinary foci, we also identify firms' product innovation, process innovation,
business model innovation and social innovation, as key consequences of AI
deployment. Drawing on the key findings from this study, we offer research
directions for further investigation in relation to different types of innovation.
© 2022 The Author(s)

Marín-Vinuesa, L. M., et al. (2023). "Firms' capabilities management for waste

patents in a circular economy." International Journal of Productivity and
Performance Management 72(5): 1368-1391.
Purpose: This study aims to define and measure the capabilities applied by
firms to waste-related patents and their relations with the businesses economic
performance to support decision-making towards a circular economy (CE).
Design/methodology/approach: A model of cause-and-effect relationships between
firms' waste-related patents and the firm' capabilities was defined within the
dynamic capabilities' theoretical framework. Empirical results were obtained by
applying partial least squares structural equation modelling to a sample of 2,216
Spanish firms that hold 120,406 patents. Findings: Results revealed the importance
of the innovation capabilities of firms related to patenting, such as collaborative
innovation, persistence in patenting or the capabilities to collaborate with
research institutes, as drivers of level of waste patents to improve the businesses
economic performance. Research limitations/implications: The systemic nature of the
CE at the firm level suggests future research focused on the environmental
divergence that appears when the innovation on waste fall outside the regular
domain of its industry. Another topic to be investigated is related to the full
text of patents that could improve the results of this study. Practical
implications: The definition of indicators to measure investments in the CE is
complex, but it is necessary to assess progress in the closing of material loops at
a micro level and to report the investments in waste-related patents in a circular
model to the stakeholders involved in the economic management of the company.
Originality/value: Measuring CE-related patents and the specific capabilities
needed for patenting in a circular framework is an understudied topic, and this
study opens a specific line of inquiry enhancing the knowledge of CE within the
dynamic capabilities' theoretical framework. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Martina, R. A. and I. F. Oskam (2021). "Practical guidelines for designing

recycling, collaborative, and scalable business models: A case study of reusing
textile fibers into biocomposite products." Journal of Cleaner Production 318.
Our current take-make-dispose economic model faces a vital challenge as it
extracts resources from the natural environment at faster rates than that the
natural environment can replenish. A circular economy where businesses lower their
negative impact on the natural environment by transitioning towards recycling
business models (RBMs), one of the four principles of circularity, is suggested as
a promising solution. For a RBM to become viable, collaboration among several
stakeholders and across several industries is required. In addition, the RBM should
be scalable to make a positive impact. Hence, developing RBMs is complex as
organizations need to consider multiple principles imposed by the recycling,
collaborative, and scalability dimensions of these business models (BMs). In
addition, these principles often remain general and not actionable to the
practitioners. Therefore, in this study, we researched the practical guidelines for
viable RBMs that are also collaborative and scalable. The empirical setting is the
reuse of textile fibers to develop biocomposite products. We studied three cases
using a research-through-design approach. We contribute to the literature on RBMs
by showing the six minimum practical guidelines for recyclability, collaboration,
and scalability. We draw implications for within sector collaborations and advance
the thought that lease constructs challenge the scalability of RBM. © 2021 The
Authors

Martínez-Falcó, J., et al. (2024). "The effect of knowledge management on

sustainable performance: evidence from the Spanish wine industry." Knowledge
Management Research and Practice 22(3): 298-313.
The research aims to analyse the effect of Knowledge Management (KM) on
Sustainable Performance (SP) in the wine industry context. In particular, the study
investigates how SP is influenced by KM through the mediating role of Green
Innovation (GI), as well as the moderating role of Collaborative Culture (CC). The
research proposes a conceptual model, based on previous studies, which is tested
through structural equations (PLS-SEM) with data collected from 202 Spanish
wineries. The results of the research indicate that there is a positive
relationship between KM and SP, with GI mediating and CC moderating this link. The
originality of the research is due to the fact that, firstly, there are no previous
studies that have addressed the KM-SP relationship in the wine context and,
secondly, there is no previous academic literature that has used the CC variable to
moderate the main relationship analysed. © 2023 The Operational Research Society.

Martínez-Martínez, A., et al. (2023). "Active listening to customers: eco-

innovation through value co-creation in the textile industry." JOURNAL OF KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT 27(7): 1810-1829.
PurposeThis study contributes to current efforts to design and implement
sustainable innovation strategies in organisations from the textile industry. This
study aims to examine how businesses can overcome the current challenges (e.g. lack
of resources) of sustainable innovation by the incorporation of green knowledge of
customers into their value co-creation strategies. Such strategies are based on
actively listening to customers and addressing their expectations with regard to
environmental sustainability, in particular in the face of the negative
environmental impact of the fast-fashion industry. Design/methodology/approachThe
findings of this study are derived from the analysis of data collected from 208
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Spanish textile sector. A partial least
squares structural equation modeling analysis was conducted using version 3.3.3 of
the SmartPLS software. FindingsThis paper contributes to the literature on
environmental sustainability by informing SME eco-innovation through the active
listening of their customers' perceptions while implementing value co-creation
strategies. The research has found that engaging with customers and actively
listening and addressing their expectations can result in the creation of green
knowledge that contributes to both incremental and radical eco-innovation in the
textile sector. Practical implicationsThis study found that when organisations from
the sector lack eco-innovation capabilities, their existing and often their
potential customer base is able to acquire new environmental knowledge and transfer
it to the business through a process of value co-creation. The research also found
that such green knowledge has the potential to lead to eco-innovation in the
sector. In other words, the value co-creation process between the textile industry
and its customers is a driver of the eco-innovations required to reduce the
environmental impact of the sector, helping it address both its sustainability and
its ethical challenges. Originality/valueThis study proposes that co-creation
challenges such as the lack of resources, funding, qualified staff or technologies
motivate companies in the textile sector to collaborate with their customers to
seek joint solutions.

Mathivathanan, D., et al. (2022). "Drivers of circular economy for small and medium
enterprises: Case study on the Indian state of Tamil Nadu." JOURNAL OF BUSINESS
RESEARCH 149: 997-1015.
The present paper highlights the growing relevance of the Circular Economy
(CE), its adoption by Small-and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and the
relationship between the drivers of CE. Using a case study of CE adoption by Tamil
Nadu state in India, we analyse the interactions between the drivers and examine
the challenges and benefits of CE adoption. Using Total Interpretive Structural
Modelling (TISM) this paper identifies 10 main drivers relevant for SMEs in Tamil
Nadu based on literature and discussions with 78 industrial-academic experts,
comments on the driving, dependent and linking elements that impact the uptake and
adoption of CE. The modelling results confirm that three drivers, namely
urbanisation, funding availability and resource consumption, are relevant and
support the successful adoption of CE. The paper is among the first that uses the
TISM technique to establish a contextual linkage between CE drivers and
relationship between the different drivers.

Maziliauske, E. (2024). "Innovation for sustainability through co-creation by small

and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs): Socio-cultural sustainability benefits
to rural destinations." TOURISM MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES 50.
Small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs) are the dominant industry
players in rural destinations. This study investigates how they can contribute to
socio-cultural sustainability benefits of rural destination communities by engaging
in co-creation in innovation for sustainability (IFS). The rural destinations of
Vega and Roros were selected as qualitative empirical cases to investigate 14
tourism SMEs' co-creation in IFS practices. The findings indicate that due to
contextual elements of rurality (e.g. local embeddedness, strong personal
relations, and trust), tourism SMEs co-create in IFS with various local
stakeholders, and contribute to the sociocultural benefits of rural destinations'
sustainability through local sourcing, education, resource synergies, inclusion,
and quality of life. This study contributes to the literature on sustainable rural
destination development and the role of tourism SMEs, as well as expands the
understanding of IFS and the benefits of co-creation.

Mazzucchelli, A., et al. (2022). "Do circular economy practices affect corporate
performance? Evidence from Italian large-sized manufacturing firms." Corporate
Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 29(6): 2016-2029.
In recent years, corporate social responsibility has become the most
outstanding challenges for firms and circular economy has emerged as an innovative
business model able to transform corporate social responsibility into actions. Even
if by adopting such a strategic model firms could enhance their performance,
results continue to be mixed and unclear. The aim of the paper is twofold. First,
the study investigates the effect of three circular economy practices (waste
treatment, reduction and recycling), on brand reputation and financial performance.
Second, the study tests the role of brand reputation in mediating the relationship
between circular economy practices and financial performance. The findings
highlight the crucial role of 3Rs practices and of brand reputation in enhancing
firm performance. This paper contributes to a better understanding on the
relationship between circular economy practices, as sustainable strategic and
managerial practices, and firm performance, in both marketing and financial terms.
Moreover, it sheds light on circular economy implementation and its effect at the
firm level, by analyzing managers perceptions on how firms and policy makers have
to incorporate the circular economy concept in their sustainability agenda. © 2022
The Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published
by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mendes, A. C. S., et al. (2022). "A BWM approach to determinants of sustainable

entrepreneurship in small and medium-sized enterprises." Journal of Cleaner
Production 371.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute an extremely large
percentage of most nations’ businesses. These companies are also expressing growing
concerns about sustainability and its strategic integration into operations.
However, SMEs have been prevented from making investments in sustainability by the
absence of a holistic view of this topic, an overemphasis on an economic
perspective, and the consequent devaluation of environmental and social
perspectives. In this context, greater importance needs to be given to
investigating SME sustainability and building a transparent, holistic, and
realistic business model. The present study combines cognitive mapping and the best
worst method (BWM) to identify determinants of sustainable entrepreneurship in
SMEs. These techniques were applied in two meetings with a panel of specialists
with knowledge about and experience in this subject matter. The insights obtained
during the two panel meetings allowed the proposed process-oriented approach to
assist decision-makers in analyzing a sample of SMEs and selecting the ones that
best match the following clusters of decision criteria: (1) entrepreneur profile;
(2) firm internal characteristics; (3) economic factors; (4) other external
factors; and (5) market. The results were validated by four representatives of the
Portuguese Institute for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Innovation
(Instituto de Apoio às Pequenas e Médias Empresas e à Inovação (IAPMEI) in
Portuguese). The study's contributions and limitations are also discussed. © 2022

Mignon, I. and A. Bankel (2023). "Sustainable business models and innovation

strategies to realize them: A review of 87 empirical cases." Business Strategy and
the Environment 32(4): 1357-1372.
The importance of developing sustainable business models has recently
received increased interest in society and among scholars. While firms attempt to
innovate their business models towards sustainability or create new businesses to
address sustainability issues, it becomes clear that there is no one-size-fits-all
model when it comes to sustainable business models. Consequently, firms often
struggle to identify, develop, and implement sustainable business models that suit
them. This paper aims to address this problem by drawing on the wealth of recently
published empirical studies and reviewing 87 cases where firms have performed
business model innovation to achieve sustainable business models. Four main
sustainable business models are identified that have been achieved through
different business model innovation strategies. The review contributes to managers
by offering a portfolio of strategies to achieve sustainable business models and to
research by clarifying the relation between the business model innovation and
sustainable business model concepts. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The
Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Miranda, B. V., et al. (2021). "Circular agri-food systems: A governance

perspective for the analysis of sustainable agri-food value chains." Technological
Forecasting and Social Change 170.
Different organizational arrangements have supported the adoption of
sustainable-oriented innovations (SOIs) in the agri-food industry. However, despite
the promises of SOIs, diffusion has been slow. We claim that the gap between the
creation and diffusion of SOIs is due to the neglect of the governance dimension of
sustainable agri-food value chains. This study contributes to bridging this gap by
providing a theoretical framework that disentangles the governance elements of
circular agri-food systems. After discussing the organizational logic of linear
systems, we outline five propositions that shed light on different governance
aspects related to the establishment and stability of circular agri-food systems:
(i) complementarities, (ii) interdependencies, (iii) the role of a leading
organization, (iv) the role of a bridging organization, and (v) the influence of
technology. We argue that circularization should only occur if the potential
benefits of the adoption of SOIs are higher than the overall production costs and
the costs of designing an organizational architecture compared with other feasible
agri-food systems configurations, whether linear or circular. Governance costs
might explain why the diffusion of SOIs is often slower than predicted by scholars,
entrepreneurs, and policymakers. © 2021

Miroshnychenko, I. and A. De Massis (2022). "Sustainability practices of family and

nonfamily firms: A worldwide study." Technological Forecasting and Social Change
174.
As sustainability is pivotal in combating the global warming and climate
change crisis, we examine whether family firms differ from their nonfamily
counterparts in the sustainability practices they adopt. Using a large sample of
listed firms from 45 countries over an 8-year period, we show that family firms on
average engage less in pollution prevention, green supply chain management, and
green product development practices than nonfamily firms. Our results remain
consistent after correcting for the endogeneity of family ownership, using
alternative model specifications and variable definitions. Our findings hold
important implications for both theory and practice. © 2021

Mohapatra, S., et al. (2024). "Circular value creation through environmental

entrepreneurship initiatives: A case-based exploration." Business Strategy and the
Environment 33(5): 3811-3831.
The present study builds on the domain of circular economy and its subdomain
circular value creation to explore the entrepreneurial process of a small business
in India. It aims to find how circular entrepreneurship as a process may unfold and
how it may lead to value creation at different levels. The case study method is
used to address the research objectives and a case study of a small entrepreneur
based in India is selected for the same purpose. The analysis of the case and
within case patterns (three subcases) illustrates circular entrepreneurship as a
process with motivation, action and value creation as three main stages. The
motivation of the entrepreneur leads to several actions related to business
processes that are aimed at circular value creation. Subsequently, this leads to
value creation at multiple levels such as the economy, business and society. Hence,
the findings support the circular economy concept and its role in the creation of
value at the small business level. The findings support the theoretical tenets of
circular value creation and circular entrepreneurship using an interpretive
approach. © 2024 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Monciardini, D., et al. (2024). "Virtuous circles: Transformative impact and

challenges of the social and solidarity circular economy." Business Strategy and
the Environment 33(2): 642-660.
The conventional view tends to consider the social dimension of the circular
economy as conspicuous by its absence. This paper draws attention to business
strategies and organisational practices that bring together the valorisation of
wasted material resources and marginalised people. Theoretically, we build on the
literature on hybrid forms of organisation and management typical of the social and
solidarity economy (SSE)—for example, social cooperatives—to introduce a more
realistic and dynamic model of social and solidarity circular economy (SSCE).
Offering a definition of SSCE based on existing hybrid organisational practices
rather than abstract ideals, we juxtapose the SSCE and the current corporate-led CE
approach across three key dimensions: strategic aims; organisational boundaries and
governance mechanisms. To illustrate how this SSCE works, we focus on the case of
CAUTO, an Italian network of circular social cooperatives based in Northern Italy.
We identify three intertwined steps through which CAUTO developed an effective SSCE
strategy: social circular innovation, networked actions and participatory scaling
up. Taken together, our findings suggest a realistic pathway to business
circularity that is inclusive, pragmatic and embedded in social practices. © 2023
The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and
John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Morales, P., et al. (2024). "Why use or forgo formal and informal appropriation
mechanisms? A qualitative study of sustainable innovations from small- and medium-
sized enterprises." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 33(3): 1937-1961.
The role that appropriation mechanisms such as patents and secrecy play in
sustainable innovation is currently being debated. In particular, we lack an
understanding of the different motives behind using or forgoing specific
appropriation mechanisms. Current knowledge is mainly derived from the general
innovation literature, which emphasizes profiting from innovation. However,
sustainable innovators also seek to positively impact the environment and society,
which raises the question of whether existing appropriation literature also applies
to sustainable innovation. We interviewed 42 business leaders from small-to-medium-
sized enterprises concerning a recently commercialized sustainable innovation. The
results indicate that known motives from the general innovation literature apply to
sustainable innovation but also reveal motives specific to sustainable innovation.
We also discovered motives suitable to all innovations, such as non-disclosure
agreement motives extending beyond achieving secrecy. Theoretically, our findings
suggest the profiting from innovation framework may also apply to sustainable
innovation, even though the pursuit of profits is not the only motive of
sustainable innovators. In practical terms, the results help sustainable innovators
to craft an appropriation strategy, and policy-related opportunities arise for
improving patent and trademark filing experiences.

Morales, P., et al. (2022). "The effectiveness of appropriation mechanisms for

sustainable innovations from small and medium-sized enterprises." Journal of
Cleaner Production 374.
Literature suggests that formal and informal appropriation mechanisms, such
as patents and trade secrecy, play a crucial role in obtaining returns from
innovation. Whether this applies to a sustainable innovation is unclear.
Appropriation mechanisms could enable the commercialization of sustainable
innovations, helping diffusion and societal impact, yet could clash with the
principles of openness and sharing that characterize sustainable innovations. This
may limit sustainable innovations’ commercial success. To shed light on this debate
we analyzed an original sample of sustainable innovations by Dutch small and
medium-sized enterprises. We found that sustainable innovations make use of
informal appropriation mechanisms, such as lead time advantage and confidentiality
agreements, and that these mechanisms are positively associated with commercial
success. The positive and negative views on appropriation mechanisms in a
sustainable innovation context actually vary by mechanism. The results suggest that
firms introducing sustainable innovations behave similarly to other small and
medium-sized enterprises innovators when it comes to use of appropriation
mechanisms, but the extent to which such mechanisms enable commercial success
reveals important specificities. Implications for managers include the use of
first-mover advantages to stay ahead of the competition. Service innovations may
benefit from using confidentiality agreements. Policymakers can promote simplicity,
interoperability, and right-to-repair initiatives to reduce product complexity and
hence waste, thereby lowering the negative impact of complexity on commercial
success. The results also contribute to the literature in which associations
between innovation, sustainability and economic performance were reported for small
and medium-sized enterprises. © 2022 The Authors

Mosgaard, M. A., et al. (2022). "ISO 14001 practices – A study of environmental

objectives in Danish organizations." Journal of Cleaner Production 331.
This article aims to shed light on how organizations implement environmental
objectives in ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management Systems (EMSs), an issue
that has been overlooked in the literature. More specifically, the flexible nature
of ISO 14001 to set environmental objectives, considering the role of their
stakeholders, and the specific environmental aspects addressed in the environmental
objectives are analyzed. The field work based on mixed methods combined 20
qualitative interviews with a survey to 277 Danish certified organizations.
Findings show that the key stakeholders for EMSs - namely, employees and customers
- are rarely involved to set the environmental objectives, as top managers in
collaboration with environmental managers set them. Objectives within the areas of
energy/climate, waste, and water consumption are the most common ones, while the
least used ones deal with biodiversity, lifecycle assessments and design. Thus, the
rather operational focus of the EMSs is highlighted. Implications for
organizations, managers, and other stakeholders are discussed. © 2021 The Authors

Mostafiz, M. I., et al. (2024). "Innovation and commercialisation: the role of the
international dynamic marketing capability in Malaysian international
entrepreneurial firms." International Marketing Review 41(1): 199-236.
Purpose: This study aims to investigate how international entrepreneurial
firms (IEFs) successfully commercialise innovative products/services
internationally. In doing so, the authors examined the role played by the
international dynamic marketing capability (IDMC) in the relationship between
explorative and exploitative innovation and commercialisation. In addition, the
authors also evaluated how the breadth and depth of international networks
facilitate IEFs in upholding the effects of the IDMC to influence
commercialisation. Design/methodology/approach: To test the research model,
structural equation modelling is used based on time-lagged survey data drawn from
201 Malaysian IEFs. To validate the results, additional robustness tests and
endogeneity analyses have been performed. Findings: The findings show that the IDMC
positively mediates the relationship between explorative and exploitative
innovation and commercialisation. Furthermore, the finding exhibits that the
effects of the IDMC on commercialisation are positively moderated by the breadth
and depth of international networks. Originality/value: Given the fragmented and
general nature of the extant marketing research on the IDMC, the study contributes
to the international marketing literature by providing rich and nuanced pertinent
knowledge. This study advances dynamic capability theory in relation to IEFs by
establishing the IDMC as a functional capability suited to enable them to
successfully commercialise the products/services resulting from explorative and
exploitative innovation. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.
Muhwati, C. and R. H. Salisbury (2022). "framework for closed-loop supply chain
adoption by small, medium and micro enterprise fashion retailers in South Africa."
Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management 14(1).
Background: The implementation of closed-loop supply chain strategies is
increasing as the focus grows on the sustainability challenges of the fashion
industry. However, their implementation is more widely adopted and researched from
the perspectives of larger retailers in developed economies outside of Africa,
limiting the widespread applicability of their findings to stakeholders in
developing countries such as South Africa. Aim: The study explored and proposed a
decision support framework for the potential coordination of closed-loop supply
chain strategies by small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) fashion retailers in
South Africa. Setting: This research study was conducted in South Africa with
stakeholders in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo provinces.
Methods: This descriptive, qualitative research approach used purposive sampling,
in the form of judgment sampling, to select 14 participants. The interviews were
then transcribed and transferred to Nvivo™ software to identify and analyse themes
within the data. Results: The findings revealed that while some SMMEs would
consider or were already considering adopting closed-loop strategies, various
challenges and limitations existed related to the sizes of their businesses, their
restricted relationships with supply chain stakeholders and their operation in an
African developing country. A decision support framework was established, which
considers this context and could aid in the implementation of circular strategies
by such retailers. Conclusion: Despite resource limitations, opportunities exist
for SMME retailers to adopt closed-loop supply chains and become globally
competitive, following international focus on accountability and sustainable
consumption. The decision support framework is suitable for such stakeholders to
facilitate collaborative efforts towards achieving end-to-end sustainability. ©
2022. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution License.

Mukhopadhyay, N. and N. C. Nayak (2024). "Examining the relationship between green

innovation dynamics and firm performance: a comparative study of BRICS and G7
countries." Cogent Business and Management 11(1).
Green innovation entails the production assimilation or exploitation of
unique methods of doing business that result in a decrease in environmental risks.
Green innovation is a complex and multifaceted process, encompassing product,
process, and organizational dimensions, each with unique factors influencing firm
performance, business efficiency, and sustainable development. This research
investigates the impact of eco-innovation on the financial performance of firms
across 12 G7 and BRICS countries from 2013 to 2022. Considering 2100 listed firms,
the study explores how process, product, and organizational eco-innovation
dimensions affect business performance. Utilizing Feasible Generalized Least Square
(FGLS) regression and System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) models, the
results indicate a positive impact of environmental innovation on firm performance.
Further, in BRICS countries, process, and organizational eco-innovations have
greater impacts, while in G7 countries, product eco-innovation gets precedence. The
varying impacts reflect the unequal stages of development and priorities between
the two groups. It also signifies that G7 countries possess more resources for
green innovation, while BRICS countries are still evolving. The findings therefore
underscore the importance of tailored regulations, monitoring, and support to
facilitate the integration of eco-innovations into business processes. Moreover,
there is a need for firms to adopt and execute green innovation-based economic
activities that would make them financially efficient, and strengthen the growth
imperatives of both the groups of countries. Collaboration between developed and
emerging economies would go a long way fostering common goals across them. © 2024
The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Mukhuty, S., et al. (2022). "Strategic sustainable development of Industry 4.0

through the lens of social responsibility: The role of human resource practices."
Business Strategy and the Environment 31(5): 2068-2081.
Research on sustainable development is significantly influenced by the trade-
off between the economic, social and environmental performance of businesses.
Industry 4.0 development is a key business priority due to the promise of
exponential increase in productivity, time efficiencies and cost reduction.
However, Industry 4.0 development has been slow. Notably, human actors remain
central to Industry 4.0, while the social responsibility component of sustainable
development is a key prerogative for industry, championed through the UN
sustainable development goals and European Commission. Therefore, we evaluate
human-related impediments for Industry 4.0 and critically explore how human
resource management (HRM) can overcome these barriers using a socially responsible
orientation. First, we analyse the human-related challenges to Industry 4.0 through
a thematic literature review. Thereafter, through an integrative literature review
of different research streams (Industry 4.0, HRM and social responsibility), we
critically argue novel perspectives on how human resource practices can enable
sustainable development of Industry 4.0 in a socially responsible manner. Herein,
we address a crucial literature gap. Our findings reveal numerous people-related
barriers, including change resistance, digital skills gap, employment threats
widening socio-economic inequalities, lack of industry-wide collaboration,
leadership and organisational culture challenges. We show that HRM can be a crucial
enabler for sustainable Industry 4.0 development through socially responsible human
resource practices. These include strategic multistakeholder collaborations,
holistic talent management, change leadership, inclusive knowledge sharing,
sponsoring education research and codesigning curricula, smart technology for
upskilling and retention and rewarding inclusive Industry 4.0 ideas. We conclude
with future research directions. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The
Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Murillo-Luna, J. L. and A. Hernández-Trasobares (2023). "Cooperation with the

Triple Helix and corporate environmental innovation." Journal of Cleaner Production
384.
This paper investigates the possible synergic effect of the cooperation
between firms and the main agents of the Triple Helix approach (academia, industry
and government) on corporate environmental innovation. The results of analysing a
broad sample of Spanish firms from various sectors (38,269 observations) over a 9-
year period show that cooperation between firms and Triple Helix agents, both
individually and jointly, increases the likelihood of corporate environmental
innovation. Indeed, the more Triple Helix agents involved in cooperation with
firms, the greater the likelihood of corporate environmental innovation. In
addition, for the same number of Triple Helix agents involved, the influence of
cooperation on corporate environmental innovation depends on the type of agents.
Consequently, the paper provides empirical evidence of the existence of a synergic
effect of cooperation on environmental innovation. © 2022 The Authors

Mwesiumo, D., et al. (2022). "Navigating the early stages of a large

sustainability-oriented rural tourism development project: Lessons from Traena,
Norway." TOURISM MANAGEMENT 89.
This paper draws on data collected through multiple approaches and presents
an exploration of the early stages of a large sustainability-oriented rural tourism
development project. Through a streamlined qualitative analysis, the study revealed
four tactical moves deployed in the early stages of the project. The moves include
instilling project legitimacy, forging a support network, anchoring the project,
and mobilising resources and capabilities. Further analysis revealed that these
moves tend to reinforce each other, and thus they require concurrent
implementation. Subsequently, the study develops a framework delineating drivers,
enablers, challenges, and key success factors for navigating the early stages of a
large sustainability-oriented rural tourism development project. Intriguingly, the
study contradicts the path dependence perspective, which is often used in project
management research. Instead, it suggests that the early stages of such projects
require tactical path creation involving well-calculated actions that serve as a
breeding ground for valuable random incidents.

Nasir, A., et al. (2022). "The influence of transformational leadership on

organizational sustainability in the context of industry 4.0: Mediating role of
innovative performance." Cogent Business and Management 9(1).
The current study intends to ascertain the influence of organizational
sustainability in the context of Industry 4.0 of textile industry of Pakistan. This
study integrates the transformational leadership approach by aligning it with
Industry 4.0 in order to manipulate the inequitable sustainability. The
sustainability of businesses has dramatically been challenged due to
digitalisation, smart manufacturing, and technological advancement issues, so
therefore innovation has expanded magnitude in boosting the overall performance.
The study determines the influence of transformational leadership, innovative
performance on organizational sustainability, particularly in the perspective of
Industry 4.0. The study is quantitatively analysed, and data collected from ISO
textile firms of Pakistan through questionnaires. The collected data analysed on
Smart-PLS through measurement model and structural equation modelling with second
stage order. The results seem interesting as the association of Industry 4.0
influences the entire relationship significantly. Under the context of the fourth
industrial revolution, the transformational leadership approach has uniquely
boosted innovation performance and organizational sustainability simultaneously.
The results depicted that innovative performance enhances organizational
sustainability more after integration with smart technologies of Industry 4.0.
Furthermore, the mediation reportedly confirmed in hypotheses found to be
statistically significant. The results of the study are essential for the textile
industry to develop strategies towards sustainability concerns while emerging the
organization with Industry 4.0 to attain operational innovativeness. The outcomes
of the research will work as a guideline for Pakistan’s Textile Industry to
increase the working efficiency and productivity effectively. The research’s
framework is a step forward to not only explore future empirical research but also
it will help the other manufacturing sector to align the traditional approaches
with high technological initiatives to uphold organisational sustainability. © 2022
The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons
Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.

Nasso, M., et al. (2024). "Investigating Co-Innovation strategies to prevent food

loss in the fruits and vegetables sector." Journal of Cleaner Production 467.
The transition towards sustainable food systems implies the exploration of
drivers and challenges for the adoption of innovative solutions by the operators on
the value chains. The development of innovative approaches is critical to improve
the collaboration of different stakeholders on sustainability topics. The Q-
methodology combines qualitative and quantitative analysis to navigate subjective
stakeholder perspectives, aiming to find shared strategies and enhance
collaborative approaches on complex topics. This study employs Q-methodology to
investigate stakeholders' viewpoints on reducing food losses in the Italian fruit
and vegetable sector, focusing on the upstream phases of the supply chain. The aim
is to explore the perspectives of producers, experts, and institutional
representatives towards sustainable innovations in food losses prevention and
management practices. The integration of technological innovation is described as a
key factor, but the adoption process is hampered by structural supply chain
burdens. The results enforced the adoption of sustainable technologies by
operators, reporting that collaboration can enhance efficiency, quality management,
and sustainability during fruit and vegetable production and distribution
operations. Innovative solutions to mitigate food losses risk are driven by
resource-efficiency network strategies that should imply a positive environmental
and social performances. The application of the Q-methodology allows for a deeper
understanding of the emerging challenges during the adoption of food loss reduction
strategies. The findings reported the significance of collaboration, technological
innovation integration, and sustainable practices across the supply chain. This
research contributes to the development of effective, stakeholder-supported
strategies and informs policymakers in the fruit and vegetable sector about
different solutions to mitigate food losses. © 2024 The Authors

Nasution, M. D. T. P., et al. (2023). "How do social media-facilitated

crowdsourcing and knowledge integration affect new product development? SME agile
initiatives." Cogent Business and Management 10(3).
Crowdsourcing, which is a relatively new phenomenon, offers a variety of
potential marketing initiatives for the future expansion of SMEs. The aim of this
study is to analyze the impact of social media-facilitated crowdsourcing on the
capability to integrate knowledge, which ultimately results in the development of
new products. This study utilizes a quantitative-deductive approach. There were a
total of 217 valid responses from owners and managers of SMEs who completed the
questionnaire. The data was then analyzed using PLS. The evaluation of a
quantitative model has revealed that the capability of social media-facilitated
crowdsourcing has an impact on the knowledge integration capabilities of small and
medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and their initiatives for new product development.
The authors also discuss additional empirical findings in the discussion section.
The study has a few limitations that should be taken into account in future
research. The study contributes to enriching the literature by providing empirical
results that are rooted in knowledge-based views and practical lenses. © 2023 The
Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Näyhä, A. (2021). "Backcasting for desirable futures in Finnish forest-based

firms." Foresight 23(1): 50-72.
Purpose: In Finland, new forest-based sector (FBS) businesses are seen as
important for the transition to the circular bioeconomy. The purpose of this study
is to explore the transition of Finnish FBS companies to new business models. The
aim is to understand how FBS companies define their ideal future states and related
business models for the year 2030. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses
thematic interviews with managers from various FBS firms and companies from
interfacing sectors. In the interviews, the key idea of backcasting was pursued
when respondents discussed the desirable future states of their business. Findings:
The effort to achieve growth of the business and the appearance of new products
characterize the company-specific desirable future states. In these desirable
futures, expanded businesses will be based on strong knowledge. Resource efficiency
and collaboration create a strong basis for the desirable future state of the whole
FBS to create a sustainable and innovative “Wood Valley.” Research
limitations/implications: The key limitations are that the backcasting process has
been conducted only through interviews and a participative approach with
stakeholder dialogue is lacking in the process. This means that the desirable
futures are created by the FBS companies only. Originality/value: As a practical
contribution, the study shows the future-oriented thinking and goals of FBS firms.
As a theoretical contribution, it extends research on sustainable business models
and discussions on the novel field of corporate foresight. © 2020, Emerald
Publishing Limited.

Neacșu, M. and I. E. Georgescu (2024). "Positions and Delimitations Regarding the

Financial Performance -Sustainability Relationship in the Context of Organizational
Resilience." Scientific Annals of Economics and Business 71(2): 241-263.
Sustainability can guide the decision-making process of managers in obtaining
competitive advantages. Incorporating sustainability criteria into the main
managerial strategies of organizations generates long-term profitability. Using
Structured Literature Review (SLR) as a research methodology we synthesize the
characteristics and differences between financial performance and sustainability in
the context of organizational resilience. Therefore, this paper offers a
comprehensive structured literature review based on the relationship between the
concepts of financial performance, sustainability, and organizational resilience,
using research studies from four main databases: Web of Science, Scopus,
ScienceDirect, and Springer. In carrying out this study, we identified the current
trends in the specialized literature regarding the relationship between financial
performance and sustainability in the context of organizational resilience as they
were debated in the analysed literature, until the end of September 2023, in 116
papers. © (2024), (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi). All Rights Reserved.

Neesham, C., et al. (2023). "Defining Value in Sustainable Business Models."

Business and Society 62(7): 1378-1419.
Although the concept of value is central to sustainable business models
(SBMs), the field has struggled to clarify what value is. SBM research accounts for
multiple forms of value directed at multiple stakeholders. We argue that this
diversity challenge should be addressed not by seeking a field-unifying definition
of value but by developing methodological guidelines for a field-specific approach
to defining value in SBM contexts. Based on Aristotelian logic and philosophical
phenomenology of value, we develop an analytical framework that can be used for
generating good definitions of value. We use this framework to explore approaches
to value in extant SBM literature, highlight problematic patterns in applications
of this concept, and suggest ways to avoid these patterns. The result is a guide to
assist SBM researchers in exploring and defining value, and in applying their
definitions consistently in theory building efforts. © The Author(s) 2023.

Negri, M., et al. (2021). "Integrating sustainability and resilience in the supply
chain: A systematic literature review and a research agenda." Business Strategy and
the Environment 30(7): 2858-2886.
Sustainability has emerged as an important industrial strategic outlook
expanding beyond organizational boundaries to include the supply chain.
Simultaneously, the industry has also been faced with supply chain resilience
concerns. Research on the intersection of supply chain sustainability and
resilience is nascent and is a consequence of their observed mutual influences.
However, confusion about concepts, implementation methods, and measurements of
sustainable and resilient supply chains remains. This study completes a systematic
literature review that critically examines several major observations and
directions. We find the concept of sustainable supply chains is more established,
and general agreement on its theoretical foundations exists. Supply chain
resilience is relatively less mature. The nexus and relationships between the two
topics are often incoherent: there is confusion on sustainable and resilient supply
chains establishment; there is no clarity on what practices could jointly advance
both areas. A major conflict exists since sustainability generally focuses on
efficiency, while resilience seeks effectiveness. We recommend studies to analyze
implementation relationships and impact. We also observe that performance
measurement systems should be developed to assess supply chain sustainability and
resilience performance taking with explicit consideration time horizons considered
in these measures. © 2021 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Neri, A., et al. (2023). "The role of digital technologies in supporting the
implementation of circular economy practices by industrial small and medium
enterprises." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 32(7): 4693-4718.
The adoption of Industry 4.0's digital technologies can enable the
implementation of circular economy practices. Nonetheless, current indications for
industrial practitioners on how to exploit the broad set of technologies for
circular transition appear unclear. This issue is even more challenging for small
and medium enterprises, which are typically endowed with more limited resources
than larger firms and are characterised by both a digital and circular divide. This
present study contributes to the academic debate by offering an exploratory
empirical analysis-based on semi-structured interviews-that involved 10 Italian
industrial small and medium enterprises to deepen the knowledge of the supporting
role played by digital technologies in implementing circular economy practices by
small and medium enterprises, also considering the potential synergies among such
technologies. Results are of interest also to industrial decision-makers, allowing
them to exploit their firms' resources towards the adoption of those digital
technologies that could be more effective to foster the circular transition.

Neri, A., et al. (2023). "What digital-enabled dynamic capabilities support the
circular economy? A multiple case study approach." Business Strategy and the
Environment 32(7): 5083-5101.
Circular economy and digital technologies are crucial topics in the current
academic and managerial debates. It is largely recognised that—although related to
different paradigms—digital technologies could support the industrial circular
transition, fostering the adoption of circular economy practices. So far, the
relationship has been studied by directly linking the adoption of digital
technologies to the implementation of circular economy practices; however,
indications for practitioners are unclear. There is thus the need to investigate
the relationship at a deeper level. This paper aims at contributing to the debate
by adopting a dynamic capabilities theory perspective. By employing an explorative
multiple case study methodology and based on an abductive logic, this study
investigates 11 Northern-Italy industrial firms in order to understand the
transformations that occurred following the adoption of digital technologies and
how these transformations supported the adoption of circular economy practices. The
results shed preliminary light on which dynamic capabilities—sensing, seizing and
transforming, and their related microfoundations—can be enabled by the different
digital technologies and how these capabilities and microfoundations support the
circular transition. The study thus provides a first-of-a-kind investigation and
suggests propositions for further research to better deepen the knowledge of
digital-enabled dynamic capabilities supporting industrial circular economy. © 2023
The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and
John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nguyen, N. P. and S. Adomako (2022). "Stakeholder pressure for eco-friendly

practices, international orientation, and eco-innovation: A study of small and
medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam." CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 29(1): 79-88.
The literature on stakeholder management suggests that involving stakeholders
in the decision-making process of firms is an ethical requirement and a valuable
strategic resource for businesses to derive competitive advantage. However, the
extent to which stakeholder pressure influences eco-product innovation lacks
theoretical clarity. This article extends the eco-innovation literature by
investigating the role of stakeholder pressure on eco-innovation through the
mediating mechanism of environmental commitment. In addition, it examines the
moderating impact of international orientation on the environment commitment-eco-
innovation nexus. The results from a sample of 255 Vietnamese small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) indicate that the influence of both primary and secondary
stakeholder pressure on eco-innovation is mediated by environmental commitment. In
addition, the positive relationship between environmental commitment and eco-
innovation increases with a firm's level of international orientation. The findings
provide a nuanced understanding of the role of stakeholder in eco-innovation.

Niesten, E. and A. Jolink (2020). "Motivations for Environmental Alliances:

Generating and Internalizing Environmental and Knowledge Value." International
Journal of Management Reviews 22(4): 356-377.
Environmental alliances are a common response to societal sustainability
demands. In environmental alliances, firms collaboratively exploit and explore
environmental technologies to address market opportunities while simultaneously
generating positive environmental impacts. A striking idiosyncrasy is that in
addition to economic value, environmental alliances generate two types of external
value: environmental value from positive effects on air, water, land and
biodiversity, and knowledge value from innovations in environmental technologies.
Research on motivations for environmental alliances is dispersed and underdeveloped
compared to the well-established literature on motivations for strategic alliances
that emphasize economic value. This study therefore develops a classification of
motivations for environmental alliances by combining the literature on strategic
alliances and that on environmental and knowledge value. The resulting
classification includes motivations for environmental alliances to generate
environmental and knowledge value as well as motivations to create economic value
by internalizing environmental and knowledge value. A systematic review of 123
articles on environmental inter-firm alliances identifies specific motivations to
populate the new classification. We show that alliance partners are motivated to
share sustainable resources, reduce sustainability risk, respond to stakeholders or
invest in specific sustainable assets to generate external value. They collaborate
to reduce costs or enhance competitive advantage, reputation or legitimacy to
internalize external value. The resource-based view, resource-dependence view,
institutional theory and transaction cost economics have not previously
distinguished between motivations to generate and internalize external value. We
extend their area of application from strategic alliances to environmental
alliances, and thus beyond the exclusive pursuit of economic value. © 2020 The
Authors. International Journal of Management Reviews published by British Academy
of Management and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Nurfadilah, D., et al. (2023). "Digital readiness of Islamic rural banks in

Indonesia: Lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic." Cogent Business and Management
10(3).
The goal of this research is to investigate how various variables, including
ease of use, usefulness, and social influence, competencies affect a specific
phenomenon, and COVID-19 on digital readiness and examine the role of attitude as
mediating variables. This study used a quantitative research method that gathers
the data through questionnaires to employees at Islamic rural banks in Java
Islands, Indonesia. Three hundred and seventy-eight respondents from Java and
outside Java islands across Indonesia were collected and the data were analyzed by
SEM-PLS. The result shows that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness drive
the attitude of employee at Islamic rural banks which also affect their readiness
for digital transformation. Further, COVID-19 and competency also found to have
positive effect on digital readiness. The originality of this study is to provide
new perspective that COVID-19 drive the emergence of digital transformation in
Islamic rural banks. Moreover, by analyzing the attitudes and competencies of
employee and management, this study fills the gap to uncover the critical factors
that shape the outcome of digital transformation in Islamic rural banks in
Indonesia. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor
& Francis Group.

Nwoba, A. C., et al. (2021). "Corporate sustainability strategies in institutional

adversity: Antecedent, outcome, and contingency effects." Business Strategy and the
Environment 30(2): 787-807.
This study examines (i) how top-level managerial institutional ties drive
corporate sustainability strategies of emerging market firms operating under
conditions of institutional adversity; (ii) the impact of corporate sustainability
strategies on market performance; and (iii) the moderating role of financial
resource slack on the relationships between corporate sustainability strategies and
market performance. The study builds from institutional development logic and the
structure–conduct–performance paradigm. Primary data are collected from 300 firms
operating in a major sub-Saharan African market. Findings show that top-level
managerial institutional linkages with regulatory national governmental officials,
local community leaders, and top managers at other firms drive corporate proactive
and responsive sustainability strategies, which in turn influence market
performance. In addition, the findings reveal that financial resource slack
strengthens the path between corporate proactive sustainability strategies and
market performance, but not the path between corporate responsive sustainability
strategies and market performance. Theoretical and practical implications are
discussed. © 2020 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Ogutu, H., et al. (2023). "Current trends in sustainable organization management: A

bibliometric analysis." Oeconomia Copernicana 14(1): 11-45.
Research background:Sustainability in organizations is a business approach to
creating long-term value by taking into consideration how a given organization
operates in the ecological, social, and economic environments. The organizational
practices that eventually lead to sustainable development are referred to as
sustainable organization management. Purpose of the article: The purpose of this
paper is to examine the current trends in sustainable organization management over
the time period of 2015–2022, highlight the emerging themes in this study area, and
provide guidance for further research in the field. Methods: This paper uses
bibliometric meta-data analysis to present an analysis of current trends in
sustainable organizational management. An in-depth analysis of a sample result of
619 papers from the Web of Science core collection was conducted with the use of
biblioshiny, the R-Programming Language package, and the VoS Viewer software. A
global representation of concepts was created using the relational directory
network visualization technique based on VoS Viewer software. Keyword cooccurrence
relationships were determined; relational techniques were used to visualize
bibliographic coupling density to identify thematic areas with little research; and
overlay visualization bibliometric techniques were used to identify new and old
research themes. Findings & value added: Emerging themes are modeling, tourism, and
perceptions. Motor theme areas in the field of study include performance, impact,
and management. The paper concludes that the study area of organizational
sustainability management is still in its early stages and has great research
potential, such as Africa as a study area, despite the fact that there have been
few or no research findings. Future research should examine the role of technology
and innovation in promoting sustainable practices within organizations and clarify
how well an organization can survive global competition. © Instytut Badań
Gospodarczych / Institute of Economic Research (Poland).

Okorie, O., et al. (2021). "Circular business models in high value manufacturing:
Five industry cases to bridge theory and practice." Business Strategy and the
Environment 30(4): 1780-1802.
The transition to a circular economy (CE) requires companies to evaluate
their resource flows, supply chains, and business models and to question the ways
in which value is created. In the high value manufacturing (HVM) sector, this
evaluation is critical, as HVM enables value in nonconventional forms, beyond
profit, including unique production processes, brand recognition, rapid delivery
times, and highly customized services. We investigate the role of value, cost, and
other factors of influence in the selection of a circular business model (CBM) for
HVM. Explored through five case studies using a qualitative evaluation of
circularity, we then contribute to the emerging field of CBMs by modifying the CBM
canvas that can capture the nontraditional value, traditional value, cost, and
other influencing factors enabled via CBM adoption in HVM. Finally, the important
role of digital technologies for incentivizing and enabling CBM adoption, is
clarified. © 2021 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Oliveira-Dias, D., et al. (2022). "Fostering business model innovation for

sustainability: a dynamic capabilities perspective." Management Decision 60(13):
105-129.
Purpose: The study aimed to analyze the association between dynamic
capabilities and sustainable business model innovation of startups in the Brazilian
logistics sector. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was used
through a multiple case study that was operated from semi-structured interviews and
secondary data analysis. Findings: The evidence found pointed to different types of
innovations in sustainable business models and distinct activities inherent to the
three dynamic capabilities surveyed. In addition, the results confirmed that
dynamic capabilities can be considered internal drivers that stimulate sustainable
business model innovation, since the conception until the change or dissemination.
Research limitations/implications: The diffusion of a model that jointly addresses
the theory of dynamic capabilities and sustainable business model innovation.
Practical implications: For managers, the study provides insights into the
archetypes of sustainable business model innovation and guidance on how to
incorporate into the organization's strategic activities aimed at the different
dynamic capabilities to achieve sustainable innovation. Originality/value:
Sustainable business model innovation is seen as a key factor for competitive
advantage and corporate sustainability. However, a more comprehensive understanding
is necessary for those that promote the design and innovation of sustainable
business models. Therefore, the paper addresses this gap by (1) systematizing
sustainable logistics initiatives, (2) detailing the processes that support the
development of startups' sustainable dynamic capabilities and (3) proposing a
framework that establishes connections between capabilities, business model
innovation processes, business model archetypes and the environmental, social and
economic impacts. © 2022, Diéssica Oliveira-Dias, Jordana Marques Kneipp, Roberto
Schoproni Bichueti and Clandia Maffini Gomes.

Ortiz-Avram, D., et al. (2024). "Dynamic capabilities for sustainability: Toward a

typology based on dimensions of sustainability-oriented innovation and stakeholder
integration." Business Strategy and the Environment 33(4): 2969-3004.
This study aims to synthesize the current state of knowledge on
conceptualizations of dynamic capabilities for sustainability (DCsS)—patterns of
behavior in organizations specialized in adapting to sustainability demands. Our
main goal is to elucidate the theoretical nature of the DCsS construct and provide
a theoretical foundation for future empirical works. We perform a systematic
literature review focused on existing conceptualizations of DCsS. Our content
analysis of 86 articles reveals two emerging dimensions that account for variation
in DCsS definitions: (i) the novelty degree of pursued sustainability-oriented
innovations and (ii) the level of stakeholder integration. Based on these
dimensions, we identify four distinct types of DCsS: (1) firm-level eco-efficiency;
(2) Firm-level transformation; (3) supply chain or network level eco-efficiency;
and (4) systemic transformation. We illustrate the predominant underlying practices
and related outcomes of each type, as described in the literature. By developing a
typology that integrates distinct conceptualizations, we substantiate and clarify
the DCsS construct, thus providing a fruitful starting point for more distinct and
focused operationalizations of DCsS. By conceptualizing sustainability-oriented
innovation and level of stakeholder integration as integral dimensions constituting
DCsS, we offer a more nuanced theoretical understanding of the DCsS construct. ©
2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Oskam, I., et al. (2021). "Valuing Value in Innovation Ecosystems: How Cross-Sector
Actors Overcome Tensions in Collaborative Sustainable Business Model Development."
BUSINESS & SOCIETY 60(5): 1059-1091.
This article aims to uncover the processes of developing sustainable business
models in innovation ecosystems. Innovation ecosystems with sustainability goals
often consist of cross-sector partners and need to manage three tensions: the
tension of value creation versus value capture, the tension of mutual value versus
individual value, and the tension of gaining value versus losing value. The fact
that these tensions affect all actors differently makes the process of developing a
sustainable business model challenging. Based on a study of four sustainably
innovative cross-sector collaborations, we propose that innovation ecosystems that
develop a sustainable business model engage in a process of valuing value in which
they search for a result that satisfies all actors. We find two different patterns
of valuing value: collective orchestration and continuous search. We describe these
patterns and the conditions that give rise to them. The identification of the two
patterns opens up a research agenda that can shed further light on the conditions
that need to be in place in order for an innovation ecosystem to develop effective
sustainable business models. For practice, our findings show how cross-sector
actors in innovation ecosystems may collaborate when developing a business model
around emerging sustainability-oriented innovations.

Ostermann, C. M., et al. (2021). "Drivers to implement the circular economy in

born-sustainable business models: a case study in the fashion industry." Revista de
Gestao 28(3): 223-240.
Purpose: This study aims to identify the drivers for adopting the circular
economy (CE) in a born-sustainable business of the fashion sector.
Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory case study was carried out with a
unique and relevant case: the only Brazilian company implementing circularity
practices defined through a sectoral commitment, the 2020 Circular Fashion System
Commitment. Findings: From an analysis of the literature, a theoretical scheme
composed of internal and external drivers is proposed. In the case studied, there
is a prevalence of internal drivers that led the company to implement the CE. Most
of the internal drivers described by the literature were identified in this
research, except for two: profitability and available technology. Regarding the
external drivers, of the 12 listed, only laws and regulations were identified.
Thus, the results suggest that internal drivers are more numerous and may be more
prominent than external ones for CE adoption in the born-sustainable business.
Research limitations/implications: Due to its exploratory design and unique case
study, the research does not allow generalizations, suggesting replication with a
larger number of companies and carrying out quantitative research with born-
sustainable companies and incumbent companies, for comparison. Considering that
there is a difference between companies that decide for sustainable practices and
companies that were already born sustainable, it can be questioned if the drivers
for implementing CE for both companies are also different. Originality/value: This
study proposes a theoretical scheme that indicates the main internal and external
drivers for companies' CE implementation. Developed from a literature review and
applied in an empirical case, this scheme is comprehensive and can be adopted to
analyze companies of different sizes and industries. Hence, this paper generates
new perspectives for CE literature. © 2021, Cristina M. Ostermann, Leandro da Silva
Nascimento, Fernanda Kalil Steinbruch and Daniela Callegaro-de-Menezes.

Oyedijo, A., et al. (2024). "Multi-tier sustainable supply chain management: a case
study of a global food retailer." SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
29(1): 68-97.
PurposeImplementing sustainable practices in multi-tier supply chains (MTSCs)
is a difficult task. This study aims to investigate why such endeavours fail and
how MTSC partners can address them. Design/methodology/approachA single-case study
of a global food retail company was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews
with the case firm and its first- and second-tier suppliers were used to collect
data, which were then qualitatively analysed using thematic analysis. FindingsMajor
barriers impeding the implementation of sustainability in multi-tier food supply
chains were revealed such as the cost of sustainability, knowledge gap, lack of
infrastructure and supply chain complexity. Furthermore, the findings reveal five
possible solutions such as multi-tier collaboration and partnership, diffusion of
innovation along the chain, supply chain mapping, sustainability performance
measurement and capacity building, all of which can aid in the improvement of
sustainability practices. Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should
investigate how specific barriers and drivers affect specific aspects of
sustainability, pointing practitioners to specific links between the variables that
can aid in tailoring sustainability oriented investment. Practical implicationsThis
research supports managerial comprehension of MTSC sustainability, pointing out
ways to improve sustainability performance despite the complex multi-tier system of
food supply chains. Originality/valueThe research on MTSC sustainability is still
growing, and this research contributes to the debate about how MTSCs can become
more sustainable from the perspective of the triple bottom line, particularly food
supply chains which face significant sustainability challenges.

Ozcan, S., et al. (2021). "Social media mining for ideation: Identification of
sustainable solutions and opinions." Technovation 107.
The availability of social media-based data creates opportunities to obtain
information about consumers, trends, companies and technologies using text mining
techniques. However, the quality of the data is a significant concern for social
media-based analyses. The aim of this study was to mine tweets (microblogs) to
explore trends and retrieve ideas for various purposes such as product development,
technology and sustainability-oriented considerations. The core methodological
approach was to create a classification model to identify tweets that contained an
idea. This classification model was used as a pre-processing step so the query
results obtained from the application programming interface were cleared from the
messages that contained the search terms used in the query but did not contain an
idea. The results of this study demonstrate that our method based on text mining,
and supervised or semi-supervised classification methods, can extract ideas from
social media. The social media data mining process illustrated in our study can be
utilised as a decision-making tool to detect innovative ideas or solutions about a
product or service and summarise them into meaningful clusters. We believe that our
findings are significant for the sustainability, tech mining and innovation
management communities.

Palmié, M., et al. (2021). "Startups versus incumbents in ‘green’ industry

transformations: A comparative study of business model archetypes in the electrical
power sector." Industrial Marketing Management 96: 35-49.
Scholars have recently argued that startups and incumbents play differential
roles in the disruptive transformations of industries toward sustainability and
that the transformations are only likely to succeed if both startups and incumbents
contribute. To understand their respective contributions and, thus, to understand
how industries make the transition toward sustainability, comparative studies of
incumbents versus startups during this transformation have been identified as a
central pursuit, but yet they are mostly lacking. Since business models have become
a principal way of characterizing firms, the present study takes a business model
perspective and derives business model archetypes in the electrical power sector
from an analysis of 280 startups and incumbents in three different countries. The
selected countries (USA, UK, and India) represent three different energy profiles
and leading instances of disruption in the energy sector. The article, then,
undertakes a comparative analysis of startups and incumbents based on the
empirically distilled business model archetypes and develops propositions on
startups, incumbents, and business models in industry transformations. This
analysis produces several important insights. First, incumbents do not seem to
engage in less business model experimentation than startups. Second, incumbents
have adopted several new business models that are not pursued by startups. Third,
startups have espoused some business models that are not pursued by incumbents.
Fourth, foreign firms can also affect the ‘green’ transformation of an industry in
a focal country. Finally, the identified business model archetypes are likely to be
of interest to scholars and practitioners who are seeking an improved understanding
of business models in the electrical power industry and the industry's competitive
landscape. © 2021 The Author(s)

Pandya, D. and G. Kumar (2023). "Applying Industry 4.0 technologies for the
sustainability of small service enterprises." SERVICE BUSINESS 17(1): 37-59.
Despite the potential of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to make micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) sustainable, the managers of service MSMEs find it tough to
implement it in their firms. Drawing on the TAM and TAM2, this paper identifies
I4.0 technologies (I4T) that help improve the sustainability in service MSMEs in
the emerging economy of India. Data from different service MSMEs were collected to
assess the importance of I4T. Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, and
Internet of Things emerge as the most important I4T for sustainability. Several
managerial implications along with theoretical contributions, limitations, and
future research have been discussed.

Park, C., et al. (2023). "Key factors influencing the sustained growth of high-tech
SMEs in South Korea: the perspectives of founder owner-managers." INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOR & RESEARCH 29(9/10): 2135-2156.
PurposeThis paper explores key factors influencing high-performing, sustained
growth, high-tech small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South
Korea.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study is adopted to explore
seventeen founder owner-managers of high-tech SMEs who sustained consistent
employment growth, greater than the industry average, for seven years. Within the
sample, those with higher (10% or over) employment compound annual growth rates
(CAGRs) over this period are also compared to those with lower rates.FindingsThe
study suggests that proactive approaches, such as flexible organization, risk
management, fast decision-making and international market entry, are seen as
important contributing factors to sustained growth. These findings contribute to a
better theoretical and empirical understanding of sustained high-tech SME growth,
in a country with a strong entrepreneurial and internationally competitive
information technology sector. Also, collaboration across the SME was perceived as
making an important contribution to staff development and growth, consistent with
stewardship theory.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is based on
successful high-tech SMEs, so there are limitations in extrapolating results to
other types of firms, sectors or countries.Practical implicationsKey factors
identified in this study can be considered by entrepreneurs seeking to achieve
sustainable business. These also provide improved understanding for policymakers
into the complexity of factors related to sustained and high growth of technology-
based SMEs, which many countries are keen to foster to aid national economic
growth.Originality/valueThe research provides new evidence exploring the diverse
perspectives of founder owner-managers, on the sustained growth and failure in
South Korean high-tech SMEs, and how these have changed since the inception of
their business.

Passaro, R., et al. (2023). "The drivers of eco-innovations in small and medium-
sized enterprises: A systematic literature review and research directions."
Business Strategy and the Environment 32(4): 1432-1450.
The debate on innovations that contributes to the decoupling of economic
growth and environmental degradation or fosters the transition from the brown to
the green economy is becoming increasingly relevant in the academic and business
worlds, fuelling a research stream that is proving very interesting for its
economic, environmental and social implications. Although the debate on the
adoption of environmental innovations is well underway, the discussion on eco-
innovation in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is at a
less developed stage and deserves more attention, especially given the relevance of
these companies in the economic system of several countries. Thus, this study
proposes a systematic literature review of the determinants of eco-innovation in
SMEs and explores the relationships among them by starting from the criticalities
highlighted in the five literature reviews of determinants of eco-innovations in
SMEs that have been recently published. The first step of the research concerns a
detailed description of the selection process of the articles under consideration
and of their characteristics. In the second step, 14 main categories of
determinants are identified. Additionally, in the third step, as result of this
investigation, three basilar research directions and 13 related research questions
emerged. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pedersen, S., et al. (2023). "Navigating value networks to co-create sustainable

business models: An actionable staging approach." Business Strategy and the
Environment 32(1): 240-258.
Sustainable transitions typically require collaboration between multiple
actors in the value chain or value network. Recent research has emphasized mapping
of stakeholders and values as a starting point for identifying opportunities to
realign these relationships, followed by business model experimentation to enable
change. However, a simple mapping exercise does not consider the interplay between
actors' concerns, business models, and interpretations of sustainability. Pedersen
et al. (2022) advocated that aligning concerns is essential to collaborative design
and innovation, and requires continuous negotiation between multiple actors. Here,
we present a microlevel in-depth case study to examine how alignment across central
value chain actors may be facilitated through the staging of numerous negotiations
during the innovation process. Drawing on the staging negotiation spaces co-design
framework, we provide insight into the content of multiple negotiations concerned
with different aspects of sustainability during the development of a more
sustainable laundry service system on the Danish island of Bornholm. Our findings
illustrate how both value chain actors and a third-party intermediary stage
negotiations, and elaborate the framework by attending to the strategic
navigational efforts of network alignment through negotiations. © 2022 The Authors.
Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley &
Sons Ltd.

Peng, Y. and L. Jia (2024). "Impacts of digital transformation on enterprise

innovation resilience: A study from China." South African Journal of Business
Management 55(1).
Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impacts of digital transformation
on enterprise innovation resilience, with a focus on understanding how digital
transformation influences innovation resilience across different stages during the
life cycle of an enterprise. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from
Chinese A-share listed companies from 2012 to 2022. Industries with unique
financial reporting characteristics, special treatment (ST) samples, and samples
with missing data are excluded to obtain a final dataset of 18 304 observations. A
regression model is employed to examine the dual effect of digital transformation
on enterprise innovation resilience. Findings/results: The findings reveal a
significant inverted U-shaped relationship between digital transformation and
enterprise innovation resilience. For companies at different lifecycle stages,
digital transformation significantly enhances innovation resilience during the
growth phase. However, for mature and declining companies, digital transformation
still exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with innovation resilience, albeit
with a relatively lower empowerment effect during the decline phase. Practical
implications: Enterprises are advised to leverage the positive effects of digital
transformation on innovation resilience while avoiding the pitfalls of excessive
digitisation. Flexibility in adapting digital transformation strategies according
to the enterprise lifecycle stage is recommended. Furthermore, enterprises should
prioritise the coordinated development of various factors contributing to
innovation resilience. Originality/value: This study extends the examination of
innovation resilience from macro-industry to micro-enterprise levels and provides
insights into the dynamics of digital transformation effects on innovation
resilience across different lifecycle stages. Additionally, it highlights the
importance of considering multiple pathways through which digital transformation
influences innovation resilience. © 2024. The Authors.

Perotti, F. A., et al. (2024). "Fostering circular economy through open innovation:
Insights from multiple case study." BUSINESS ETHICS THE ENVIRONMENT &
RESPONSIBILITY.
This study represents an empirical, comprehensive investigation of two
different inter-organisational collaborative approaches, offering a novel
perspective on collaborative circular business models in the modern economy. In
this vein, we explore how open innovation strategies foster the implementation of
circular economy practices within a circular supply chain and a circular ecosystem.
In addition, we identify and characterise stakeholders' roles in facilitating the
translation of circular principles into a viable business. An inductive theorising
approach was employed, leveraging an explorative multiple case study methodology.
Data were collected from 13 organisations involved in two collaborative networks,
designed to establish upcycling practices to recover waste from the food and
beverage industry. A critical realist philosophical positioning underpinned
researchers' data collection and analysis. As a result, we outline the nature of
two different collaborative approaches to pursue a regenerative production system
through open innovation strategies: a circular supply chain and a circular
ecosystem architecture. The characterisation of the coordinator and orchestrator of
collaborative circular business models is also highlighted in our findings. In sum,
this study contributes to the literature on circular economy by unveiling the role
of open innovation in fostering circular business development. From a practical
standpoint, it offers insights for managers of sustainability-oriented companies
willing to implement upcycling practices.

Pham, H. Q. and P. K. Vu (2024). "Managing big data and blockchain for enterprise
internationalization process: Mediating role of dynamic accounting system
capability." Management and Marketing 19(1): 113-157.
This study develops and confirms a model that examines the relationship
between Big Data Analytics Capabilities (BDAC), Blockchain Technology (BT), and
Internationalization Process (IP). It also requires various efforts to explore how
Dynamic Accounting Information System Capability (DAISC) mediates the
interconnections between BDAC, BT, and IP. This study focuses on small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam, which are widely recognized as crucial to the
Vietnamese economy. The current research utilized the hypothetico-deductive method.
The proposed model's hypothesized linkages were based on a comprehensive evaluation
of relevant literature and investigations. The statistics database was created
using a paper-and-pencil survey distributed to 612 accountants in SMEs in southern
Vietnam utilizing the convenient and snowball sampling technique. A covariance-
based structural equation modelling approach was used to assess the measurement and
structural models in this research due to its ability to offer a strong foundation
for analyzing intricate linkages within a research framework. The outcome confirmed
the significant and positive relationships between BDAC, BT, and IP. Concurrently,
these relationships were partially influenced by DAISC. The practitioners would
greatly benefit from detailed insights on the findings, as they would provide
guidance on how to identify and take advantage of the growth opportunities afforded
by digital technology. Moreover, the observations could provide policymakers with
new insights on necessary policy measures to support the application of digital
technologies and encourage the implementation of a dynamic accounting information
system, which could result in significant benefits in the future. © 2024 Sciendo.
All rights reserved.

Pham, Q. H. and K. P. Vu (2024). "Insight into how digital forensic accounting and
metaverse circular business model innovation contribute to accelerated
internationalization: evidence from Vietnam-based SMEs." Cogent Business and
Management 11(1).
The current study aims to examine how digitalization forensic accounting
(DFA) demonstrates impact on accelerated internationalization (ACIN) and provides
insights into the function of metaverse circular business model innovation (MCBMI)
in the relationship between DFA and MCBMI. This study took advantage of a
quantitative method and relied on deductive approach. The hypothesized model was
investigated using structural equation modeling, which was rested on mathematical
data collected from a survey circulated to a cross-sectional snowballing sample of
783 accountants in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The data analysis was
conducted using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)
technique with the assistance of SmartPLS 4.0 software. The results analyses
supported a strong relationship between DFA and MCBMI as well as the relationship
MCBMI and ACIN in terms of significance and impact size. Conversely, DFA was
reported to induce an insignificant impact on ACIN. The results further
highlighted the role of MCBMI as a full mediator in the relationship between DFA
and ACIN. The observations of this study would serve as a stable cornerstone to
provide research pointers for follow-up works, in addition to providing scientific
understandings by extending the current boundaries of this research string. From a
practical standpoint, such important insights could enable the formulation of
focused strategies for the implementation of circular business models as well as
policies and regulations relevant to the adoption of metaverse platforms for
boosting ACIN in SMEs. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited,
trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Piller, L. W. (2023). "Designing for circularity: sustainable pathways for

Australian fashion small to medium enterprises." JOURNAL OF FASHION MARKETING AND
MANAGEMENT 27(2): 287-310.
Purpose Australians consume twice the global average of textiles and are
deeply engaged in a linear take/make/waste fashion model. Furthermore the
Australian fashion sector has some unique supply chain complications of
geographical distances, sparse population and fragmentation in processing and
manufacturing. This research aims to examine how Australian fashion small to medium
enterprises (SMEs) are overcoming these challenges to run fashion businesses built
around core principles of product stewardship (PS) and circularity.
Design/methodology/approach SMEs make up 88% of the Australian apparel
manufacturing sector. This qualitative exploratory study included in-depth
interviews with three Australian fashion SMEs engaged in circular design practice,
and a focus group of 10 Western Australian fashion advocates of sustainability.
Analytic coding and analysis of the data developed eight distinct themes. Findings
This study examines the barriers to circular economy (CE) that exist in the
Australian fashion sector, and maps the practice of Australian SMEs with circular
business models in overcoming these barriers. In CE innovation, Australian SMEs may
have an advantage over larger fashion companies with more unwieldy structures.
Employing design-thinking strategies, Australian SMEs with a foundation of PS and
circular purpose are creating new systems of viable closed-loop business models and
design processes. Originality/value The themes from this research contribute to the
limited literature on circular innovation examples that link CE theory with
practice in the fashion sector. The model for circularity maps the practice of
three SMEs built around core principles of PS and circularity in overcoming the
barriers to CE in an Australian context, and may be used as a visual tool in
education and understanding.

Pineda-Escobar, M. A. (2022). "Sustainable innovation and inclusive business

in Latin America." Innovation and Management Review 19(3): 192-207.
Purpose: This exploratory research aims to analyze sustainable innovation in
the context of inclusive business in Latin America. Design/methodology/approach:
The study performs a summative content analysis of 22 inclusive businesses (IBs) of
current Business Call to Action (BCtA) members in Latin America. Codes were created
to identify the modification or introduction of sustainable
products/services/processes. Data were analyzed using NVivo 12. Findings: Results
show a prevalence of Colombian examples within Latin American inclusive business,
and a more significant proportion in the agricultural sector, consistent with
reports found in the literature. The authors found that sustainable innovation
takes place when introducing new products/services/processes that respond to the
needs of the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) population, or modifying existing
processes and services to make them more sustainable. Originality/value: As most
sustainable innovation literature is product-oriented and technically dominated,
these results contribute to the newer works adopting a more comprehensive
conception of innovation, providing empirical evidence at the product, service and
process levels. The results provide insights on how inclusive businesses make
adaptations to improve the sustainability of their supply chains to bring their
products/services within reach of isolated and disadvantaged communities. The
findings also suggest that sustainable product innovation in an inclusive business
goes beyond a cost reduction objective. Tailored design reveals a hybrid
socioeconomic goal with a high degree of local context embeddedness and precise
attention to nascent specialized demand. The results could be of practical use for
organizations that want to operate an inclusive business in BoP markets. © 2022,
Maria Alejandra Pineda-Escobar.

Pinkse, J., et al. (2024). "Unlocking innovation for net zero: constraints,
enablers, and firm-level transition strategies." Industry and Innovation 31(1): 16-
41.
Transition pathways for net zero encompass seemingly insurmountable
innovation challenges for the scaling of less mature technological solutions such
as hydrogen, materials substitution, and electrification as well as societal
challenges to increase the market acceptability of these solutions. In this
article, we present a conceptual framework which provides a firm-level perspective
on net-zero innovation which has four unique characteristics, i.e. it is complex,
systemic, urgent, and directional. The framework shows that the input, process, and
output constraints that incumbent firms face in the net-zero transition can be
tackled through four firm-level innovation levers–i.e. recombinative,
collaborative, integrative, and socio-cognitive capabilities–which, in concert, act
as enablers for firms to address these net-zero constraints. We conclude the
article by outlining the framework’s main insights for firms’ innovation strategies
for net zero and the policy implications. We also propose avenues for future
research on net-zero innovation. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK
Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Pinuer, F. V., et al. (2022). "Environmental sustainability and their factors in

SMEs: A multiple case study of Spain and Chile." Cuadernos de Gestion 22(1): 35-50.
Environmental Sustainability (ES) is a growing concern for society’s
development while identifying companies’ need to define sustainability-based
strategies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have an essential role;
generating more than 60% of employment in Europe and Latin America. Numerous
research exists regarding large companies’ situation on environmental topics, yet
little exists on SMEs at the practical and theoretical levels. Thus, determining
the variables that affect the application of ES is very relevant. This study
analyzes in-depth ES factors and drivers from the SMEs’ perspective, exploring the
variables influencing their implementation in these companies. The methodology
employed is in-depth interviews, applied to a sample of 17 SMEs in Spain and 25
SMEs in Chile. The main findings suggest that Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO),
Customer Orientation (CO), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) influence ES
adoption in both countries, showing similarities in the driving reasons behind
them, but with certain differences in their implementation (affected by
institutional context influences). Furthermore, the level of knowledge affects
decision-making related to the development of high-level environmental practices. ©
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Atribution 4.0
Internacional License

Piwowar-Sulej, K. and Q. Iqbal (2023). "Leadership styles and sustainable

performance: A systematic literature review." Journal of Cleaner Production 382.
The aim of this paper is to synthetize and critically analyze the linkage
between leadership styles and sustainable performance (SP) through application of
the rigor of systematic literature reviews. Bibliometric characterization of
articles indexed in the Scopus database, network analysis and a manual in-depth
review were carried out. The final sample consisted of 47 documents. The most
discussed leadership styles were sustainable leadership and transformational
leadership. The former was mostly linked with general SP, whereas the latter was
linked with environmental performance. In 41 out of the 47 papers, the authors
provided empirical research. Upper echelon theory and resource-based view theory
have been used in most of previous papers. This study synthesizes how leadership
influences SP (directly and indirectly) and reveals that the authors of the
analyzed papers did not establish a consensus regarding their empirical evidence.
The prospects for future research are shown in terms of research topics,
methodology, and variables, as well as, i.a., terminological clarity and a holistic
approach to SP. © 2022 The Author(s)

Piwowar-Sulej, K. and Q. Iqbal (2024). "The nexus of project management approaches

in sustainable development: innovative behaviors as a mechanism in the Polish
financial industry." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGING PROJECTS IN BUSINESS 17(2):
338-359.
PurposeBased on the social exchange theory, the aim of the present study is
to examine the effects, both direct and indirect (through sustainability-oriented
innovative behaviors [SIBs]), of sustainable project leadership (SPL) on
sustainable project performance (SPP). Project management approaches (PMAs)
(traditional, hybrid and agile) were examined as conditional factors in the "SPL-
SIBs" relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs structural equation
modeling based on data collected from 197 software engineering project team members
working in the financial industry in Poland.FindingsThe study revealed that SPL
significantly, positively affected SPP. It also provided evidence for the
significant mediating impact of SIBs in the relationship between SPL and SPP and
the conditional effect of agile and hybrid PMAs on the "SPL-SIBs"
relationship.Originality/valueThe novelty of this work lies in introducing
sustainable leadership into project management research, proposing and testing a
unique and complex research framework, designing valid scales for measuring SPL and
SPP, and suggesting many theoretical and empirical implications.

Plekhanov, D., et al. (2023). "Digital transformation: A review and research

agenda." European Management Journal 41(6): 821-844.
The ongoing and ubiquitous digital transformation challenges the raison
d'être of firms and forces managers to rethink business strategies and operations
and academics to reconsider related theories. To aid these efforts, we conduct a
systematic review of research on firms' digital transformation, generating a
database of 537 peer-reviewed academic articles and analyzing it using a novel
multi-layered framework. The framework separates three layers: an organization's
core activities, its peripheral activities, and its external environment. We find
that firms that have come far in their transformations are more embedded in
platform ecosystems with unclear business boundaries. Relatedly, we identify a
tension between decentralizing versus centralizing power across organizational
layers during a firm's digital transformation and how this dynamic affects
corporate strategies and firms' internal and external boundaries. © 2022 The
Authors

Poponi, S., et al. (2023). "Value optimisation for the agri-food sector: A circular
economy approach." Business Strategy and the Environment 32(6): 2850-2867.
Adopting circular economy principles in the agri-food sector is necessary for
the conversion of the current economic system. However, there are still many gaps
in understanding how the development of circular dynamics within companies can take
shape. This study investigates how circular economy principles and factors
contribute to value optimisation and proposes a critical discussion and reflection
on the economic, social and environmental issues within the agri-food sector supply
chain. Multiple-case analysis was conducted to analyse 10 companies. Circular
economy principles and factors considered were taken from the BS 8001 standard.
Results show two scenarios and three dimensions in which value optimisation takes
place. In addition, collaboration is the key to starting a path of optimisation.
Finally, the study proposes the evaluation of a new indicator that allows one to
act in all different scenarios proposed. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and
The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Portillo-Tarragona, P., et al. (2024). "‘Circular patents’ and dynamic

capabilities: new insights for patenting in a circular economy." Technology
Analysis and Strategic Management 36(7): 1571-1586.
This study investigates the intangible assets related to the circular
economy, defined as ‘circular patents’, that are classified and measured to be
bundled into the innovation capabilities of a firm. The impact of a business’s
capabilities on its level of circular patent activism is empirically analysed in
this study in a theoretical framework of dynamic capabilities. To this end, a model
of the cause-and-effect relationship between the circular patents held by firms and
their capabilities is designed using partial least squares structural equation
modelling (PLS-SEM) and is tested using a sample of 120,406 patents in 2216 Spanish
companies. In this analysis, patents that can foster the sharing economy and the
circular economy in sensu latu are also considered circular patents, in addition to
waste patents and other green patents, offering an enhanced measurement of the
intangible assets related to the circular economy. Based on these results, this
study provides new insight of how accounting can enable or constrain the transition
to a circular economy business model through the measurement and valuation of
related intangible assets and the specific business’ capabilities in an
environmental management framework. © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor &
Francis Group.

Prieto-Sandoval, V., et al. (2023). "Circular Clock Model for Circular Economy
Implementation in Firms: Balance Between Theory and Practice." Journal of
Industrial Engineering and Management 16(2): 186-204.
Purpose: The circular economy is a key issue for any company, city, or
institution. The linear economy model, based on “take, make, use and waste” of
products and resources, has discarded potentially valuable resources and caused
serious contamination problems. In contrast, the circular economy (CE) model is a
strategic paradigm whose purpose is to regenerate and conserve resources through
closed material loops and the sustainable use of energy in its processes.
Therefore, a growing number of companies are applying different tools and
techniques to implement the CE principles to innovate their products, services, and
processes, achieving promising results. Thus, the main objective of this study is
to suggest an implementation model named “Circular clock” based on a set of tools
and techniques which firms may use for implementing CE.
Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents an empirical analysis based on the
triangulation method that includes three different data sources: semi-structured
interviews in Spain, academic literature and books, and non-academic publications
from institutions and consultancy firms. Findings: The most relevant result of this
study is the proposal of a Circular Clock model for circular economy implementation
is based on six fields of action define in the academic literature: take, make,
distribute, use, recover, and industrial symbiosis. Moreover, this study may serve
as guidance in facilitating the strategic adoption of eco-innovation practices in
firms' transition to a CE. Research limitations/implications: The sample of
companies that participated in the triangulation is exploratory; however, this
limitation is overcome by reviewing academic literature and institutional reports.
On the other hand, academics could expand the selection of tools with subsequent
studies. Practical implications: The current study is based on the triangulation
method, which was vital to balance the theory and practice provided by academic
sources, reports, and books. In addition, this study has improved our understanding
of the goals or intentions that may motivate firms to implement the CE and align
them with the suggested set of tools. Consequently, this study is relevant to
support practitioners in selecting a tool based on the goal they want to achieve
towards circular economy implementation. Social implications: This research
suggests several tools; however, each organization could adapt some that it already
knows. Therefore, firms and implementation leaders should customize the circle with
short lines in each case. Moreover, the clock bells represent the deadline
considering that every CE implementation process requires a deadline to ensure its
success in micro-level or firms. Originality/value: The “circular clock” provides a
didactic way for sustainability leaders, consultants, or companies to facilitate
the implementation of the circular economy by choosing the field of action on which
they want to focus and the most appropriate tool according to their strategy,
objective, and budget. Therefore, this model is based on the balance between theory
and practice. © 2023, OmniaScience. All rights reserved.

Provensi, T., et al. (2024). "SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATION IN THE PET INDUSTRY: AN
ANALYSIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ECOLOGICAL MODERNIZATION THEORY." RAE Revista de
Administracao de Empresas 64(3).
This study aims to analyze the sustainability and innovation of practices
adopted by startups in the pet industry, from the perspective of the Ecological
Modernization Theory (EMT). A multiple case study was conducted involving 25
Brazilian startups. Data collected from interviews with owners and managers of
these organizations were evaluated through content analysis. The findings reveal
that the practices of pet industry startups are partially aligned with the EMT.
There is a significant presence of digitization and innovations in processes and
products, as well as initiatives focused on recycling, waste reduction, and
conscious consumption. The absence of public policies and strict regulatory
standards are the main identified barriers that hinder the adoption of a
sustainable strategic vision. The study bridges the EMT with organizational
reality, uncovers opportunities for collaboration in open innovation, and presents
practical actions for advancing sustainability in organizations. © (2024), (SciELO-
Scientific Electronic Library Online). All Rights Reserved.

Purnomo, A., et al. (2024). "Leveraging green innovation and green ambidexterity
for green competitive advantage: The mediating role of green resilient supply
chain." Uncertain Supply Chain Management 12(4): 2683-2698.
To mitigate global environmental impact, the textile industry must integrate
environmental innovation and operational efficiency. This research delves into the
influence of Green Innovation (GIV) and Green Ambidexterity (GAD) on the attainment
of Green Competitive Advantage (GCG), with a specific focus on the crucial role
played by Green Resilient Supply Chain (GRC) that prioritizes sustainability. The
study employs a cross-sectional explanatory survey method, drawing data from 150
textile companies in Indonesia. To comprehend the dynamic relationships between the
variables at hand, the study adopts the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation
Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The findings demonstrate that Green Ambidexterity and
Green Innovation directly enhance Green Competitive Advantage while also indirectly
contributing through the establishment of Green Resilient Supply Chain. These
results affirm that sustainable practices and Green Innovation are pivotal
components of business strategies that align with regulatory and social
expectations and bolster firms' competitive positioning. The implications of this
study offer valuable insights for stakeholders, enabling them to formulate
strategies that incorporate sustainability aspects into their business operations
to achieve optimal outcomes in a fiercely competitive market context. © 2024 by the
authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada.

Purnomo, A., et al. (2024). "How managers’ green transformational leadership

affects green resilient supply chain: The moderating impact of green ambidexterity
and green innovation." Uncertain Supply Chain Management 12(3): 1611-1624.
Upstream textile companies in Indonesia are the most significant contributors
to environmentally hazardous production waste. Green Transformational Leadership
(GTL) is critical to achieving a Green Resilient Supply Chain (GRS) to address
vulnerability to supply chain disruptions while maintaining environmentally
friendly practices. In addition, the mediation of Green Ambidexterity (GAM) and
Green Innovation (GIN) is believed to strengthen the achievement of GRS. In line
with the Indonesian government's policy to protect the environment, this study
examines the direct effect of green transformational leadership variables on a
green resilient supply chain. It evaluates Green Ambidexterity and Green
Innovation's mediating effect on the relationship between GTL and GRS. This study
analyzes the data of 50 production managers of upstream textile companies from 87
respondents collected from the survey. The analysis uses PLS-SEM based on variance
to verify the relationship between variables. The research results indicate that
green transformational leadership significantly influences green resilient supply
chains. It was found that both Green Ambidexterity and Green Innovation
significantly influence the Green Resilient Supply Chain, both directly and through
mediating effects. Therefore, managers should consider implementing a Green
Resilient Supply Chain, Green Ambidexterity, and Green Innovation practices to
improve organizational goals while maintaining a green environment. © 2024 by the
authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada.

Putra, A. H. P. K., et al. (2024). "Deciphering the Green Marketing Puzzle:

Understanding the Interplay of Green Marketing Strategic Orientation, Attitude
towards Green Marketing, Brand Integrity, and Purchase Intention." International
Review of Management and Marketing 14(4): 210-229.
The purpose of this study aims (1) Investigate the role of the item
constructs access to information, labelling and peer pressure, sense of
retribution, and circular economy perception on green individuals feelings; (2)
Evaluate the role of green business orientation and product quality on perceived of
green marketing strategic orientation through the second-order analysis test. As a
design methodology we involved 178 respondents at Starbucks outlets in Makassar
City, Indonesia, with purposive random sampling. The analysis was conducted through
a second-order analysis approach to test the variable constructs and through direct
and indirect testing by involving attitude towards green marketing and brand
integrity as intervening variables. The result of this study shows all items have a
significant role in shaping the perceived of green marketing strategic orientation
and green individuals feelings through the second-order analysis approach. Direct
test showed a positive and significant effect except in the relationship between
perceived of green promotion and innovation and brand integrity. Indirect test
shows that the relationship between perceived of green marketing strategic
orientation, perceived of green promotion and innovation, and purchase intention
with attitude towards green marketing as an intervening variable is not
significant. Similarly, the relationship between green individuals feelings,
purchase intention, brand integrity, and perceived of green promotion and
innovation as intervening variables is also not significant. © 2024, Econjournals.
All rights reserved.

Quintás, M. A., et al. (2023). "Is the hotel industry really committed to the
environment? Answering using the business models framework." Service Business
17(1): 395-428.
This paper conceptualizes Environmental Business Models in the hotel industry
as the result of a balanced emphasis on several initiatives regarding value
proposition, value creation and value capture. It tests how this framework affects
120 Spanish hotel chains by assessing their sustainability reports and websites.
The results show that Environmental Business Models are still poorly developed and
present uneven progress in their components. This may be a sign that managers are
currently using a partial perspective for environmental management with a focus on
value creation initiatives that mainly have a marketing or a cost impact. © 2023,
The Author(s).

Ragulina, J. V., et al. (2021). "Managing the risks of innovative activities

focused on the consumer market: Competitiveness vs. corporate responsibility."
Risks 9(10).
Purpose This paper aims to study the specifics of managing the risks of
innovative activities during the implementation of the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) in entrepreneurship that is focused on the consumer market in
countries with different levels of income. Design/methodology/approach The research
is performed with the help of regression analysis (one-factor and multiple simple
linear regression). Two samples are created for this: (1) countries with high
income and (2) upper middle income and countries with lower middle income,
according to the classification of World Bank GNI per capita in current USD (Atlas
method). Findings It is determined that priorities of the consumer market (demand)
are differentiated among countries with different levels of income. In countries
with high income and upper middle income, corporate social responsibility does not
determine the quality of life. Only competitiveness is a milestone during the
implementation of the SDGs in entrepreneurship activities focused on the consumer
market. In countries with lower middle income, neither corporate responsibility nor
competitiveness is the decisive factor in managing the risks of innovative
activities focused on the consumer market. Originality The originality of this
research consists in a new view of competitiveness and corporate responsibility
from the positions of their influence on the implementation of the SDGs
entrepreneurship focused on the consumer market. Social implications Due to the
practical implementation of the offered recommendations for corporate management of
improving the practice of managing the risks of innovative activities focused on
the consumer market, the Quality of Life Index will grow by 44.95% in countries
with high income and upper middle income and by 98.69% in countries with lower
middle income. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Rauter, R., et al. (2023). "The role of organizational controls to advance

sustainability innovation performance." Technovation 128.
Although improving a company's sustainability innovation performance (SIP)
has become increasingly important, managers still struggle to achieve such
performance at the portfolio level. In our research, we demonstrate that managers
can support SIP with formal controls in the form of clear sustainability-related
innovation goals, program activities, and a mission statement that provides the
guidance and alignment necessary for sustainable innovation. The effect is
strengthened when complemented by social controls that coordinate behavior and
decisions through shared sustainability-related norms and values. However, social
controls have no independent effect on SIP. These findings result from approaching
the challenge of firms in embedding sustainability into their innovation activities
through the lens of organizational control theory. Organizational controls are
implemented to orchestrate complex innovation tasks that go beyond those attained
by using isolated managerial practices. Empirically, we used multi-respondent field
survey data from 114 firms and applied hierarchical ordinary least-squares
regression analysis. The study has limitations and thereby provides opportunities
for future research as it relies on cross sectional data that does not capture
dynamics over time, and the response rate caused by the multi-respondent design
with executives and senior managers. © 2023 The Authors

Razzak, M. R., et al. (2022). "Organizational Meta Capabilities in the Digital

Transformation Era." Foresight and STI Governance 16(4): 24-31.
When migrating to Industry 4.0, organizations face the need to adapt to a new
context characterized by high levels of uncertainty and complexity. The main
driving force in this process are the meta-competencies that ensure high
competitiveness and innovativeness. However, their content, classification levels,
intersections, and development potential under the influence of digitalization are
insufficiently covered by the literature. This article attempts to fill this gap by
analyzing the impact of new technologies on meta-competences. It presents a
conceptual model based on the assumption that the degree of digitalization enhances
the effects of the interaction between the top-level meta-competencies-Foresight,
strategic flexibility, and ambidextrousness. Additional factors, the inclusion of
which in the model will allow for a better study of the nature of the relationship
under consideration, are proposed. © 2022 by the authors.

Reim, W., et al. (2021). "Circular business model implementation: A capability

development case study from the manufacturing industry." Business Strategy and the
Environment 30(6): 2745-2757.
Circular business models (CBMs) have huge potential to deliver economic,
social, and environmental benefits, but CBMs have yet to be implemented widely in
industrial settings. One reason is that they are often presented as one-size-fits-
all solutions, but this is misplaced because product-specific criteria and company
capabilities determine the correct choice and implementation of CBMs. Therefore,
the purpose of this paper is to investigate how CBM selection and capability
development facilitates the implementation of CBMs. For this purpose, we have
adopted a qualitative research approach and undertaken 25 explorative interviews in
three large Swedish manufacturing companies. In this paper, a CBM implementation
framework consisting of two parts has been developed. The first part addresses the
choice of the appropriate CBM based on tactical configurations. The second part
provides a capability development path by explicating underlying routines that need
to be progressively developed in order to move smoothly to more advanced CBMs. ©
2021 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reyes-Rodríguez, J. F., et al. (2023). "Sustainability-oriented innovations and

value creation in SMEs: An illustration in the Colombian context." Problems and
Perspectives in Management 21(3): 777-791.
Unlocking the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises hinges on
grasping the underlying principles driving the development of sustainability-
oriented innovations.It empowers this community of firms to contribute to
sustainability and, at the same time, generate value.In this sense, drawing on the
sustainable value creation model, the purpose of this study is to propose a
framework for sustainability-oriented innovations in small and medium-sized
enterprises by analyzing various strategic approaches.The study employs a
theoretical approach aligning conceptual foundations with sustainability-oriented
innovations.The study utilizes the sustainable value creation model and identifies
four strategies suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises: (i) pollution
prevention, (ii) product stewardship, (iii) clean technology, and (iv) sustainable
vision focused on the base-of-the-pyramid.Further, portfolios of sustainability-
oriented innovations, framed in each of the four strategies and in the context of
small and medium-sized enterprises found in the literature are discussed.To
illustrate each strategy, the analysis of four small and medium-sized enterprises
operating in Colombia is conducted.The findings demonstrate how these strategies,
combined with the implementation of portfolios of sustainability-oriented
innovations, generate value in small and medium-sized enterprises, while promoting
sustainability in the case of the context of an emerging economy.Moreover, the
study suggests that small and medium-sized enterprises can effectively adopt a
strategic orientation toward designing and implementing portfolios of
sustainability-oriented innovations.Ultimately, the study highlights the potential
of small and medium-sized enterprises in developing economies to contribute
strategically to sustainable development, given their unique characteristics. ©
Juan Felipe Reyes-Rodríguez, Orlando E.Contreras-Pacheco, Olga Patricia Chacón
Arias, 2023.

Riandita, A. (2022). "To collaborate and innovate for sustainability: Food

retailers and their external partners." TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
180.
Firms collaborate with various organisations to address social and
environmental issues. The existing literature has discussed such partnerships'
success factors and the opportunities they present, but few studies have provided
an overview of the use of partnerships in the context of firms' sustainability
initiatives. This study investigated such sustainability partnerships, focusing on
partnership mechanisms and choices of partners over time. Data were collected from
12 European retailers in the agri-food sector from 2014 through 2018 and analysed
using content analysis methods. The analysis showed that during this period, the
frequency of partnerships supporting philanthropic endeavours declined. Retailers
simultaneously increased their use of partnerships to engage in sustainability-
oriented innovation. They increasingly partnered with sustainability ventures while
decreasing their partnerships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). These
changes in mechanism and partner choice may reflect a shift in retailers'
objectives from mainly engaging in legitimacy oriented partnerships to exploring
more participation in competence-oriented partnerships.

Ries, L., et al. (2023). "Sustainable smart product-service systems: a causal logic
framework for impact design." Journal of Business Economics 93(4): 667-706.
Digital technologies can elevate product-service systems (PSS) to smart PSS,
which focus on performance rather than ownership and are considered a means for
dematerialization. However, transitioning to smart PSS does not guarantee
sustainability. To understand the impact of smart PSS holistically, we take a two-
pronged approach. First, we use the theory of change to conceptualize the causal
link between sustainable smart PSS and their ultimate impact. We develop a three-
step causal logic framework consisting of design, causation, and impact. Within
this framework, we identify the business model properties of sustainable smart PSS
as design characteristics and categorize the eventual impacts based on the triple
bottom line. We introduce the term multi-causal pathway to describe the causation
processes underlining the possibility of non-linearity and multi-causality. Second,
we conduct a systematic literature review to investigate the mechanisms linking
design and impact. Based on an analysis of 63 publications, we identify 17 specific
mechanisms and group them into four types: information, resource, empowerment, and
adverse mechanisms. Visualizing our results, we develop a morphological box as a
toolkit for managers to develop their own impact-oriented logic model by
identifying and activating the multi-causal pathway that fosters the desired
sustainability effects. Moreover, discussing our framework, we develop research
propositions and managerial questions for impact design. By linking the theory of
change with the business model impact, we contribute toward a conceptual synthesis
for understanding the impact of (sustainable) smart PSS. © 2023, The Author(s).

Ritala, P., et al. (2021). "Value creation and appropriation in economic, social,
and environmental domains: Recognizing and resolving the institutionalized
asymmetries." Journal of Cleaner Production 290.
Value creation and appropriation are much-studied processes in business and
management fields. However, both academia and business practice have traditionally
focused on how value is created and appropriated in the economic context and by
economic actors. This overemphasis on economic logic has created institutionalized
asymmetries in managing the relationship between business, society and ecological
environment. In this paper, we broaden the value creation and appropriation
analysis along two dimensions: (1) the type of economic goods used to create value
(private and club goods, public goods and common goods) and (2) value creation and
appropriation domains (economic, social, and environmental). Building on this
framework, we argue that there are several institutionalized asymmetries in the
relationship between the goods used to create value and the domains in which the
value is eventually appropriated. We point out the system-level tendency of value
over-appropriation in the economic domain over the two other domains as well as
value over-appropriation in the social domain over the environmental domain. We
also discuss how existing organizational practices, such as corporate social
responsibility, shared value creation, and sustainable business models, have
attempted to overcome them, and reflect on the main critiques to these approaches.
Finally, we identify potential business-based solutions to the institutionalized
asymmetries and provide implications to research and practice. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

Rodrigues, M. C. M., et al. (2022). "Intellectual Capital of Technology-Based

Incubators." Administrative Sciences 12(4).
The objective of this work is to evaluate the associations between the
intellectual capital of technology-based incubators in the sustainability of
incubated companies located in Portugal. For this purpose, the methodological
strategy employed was the survey, and to test the hypotheses the Partial Least
Squares Structural Equation Modeling PLS-SEM method was applied from a sample of 82
incubated company managers. The results show that the intellectual capital of the
incubator company has a direct and positive relationship with the innovative
capacity, satisfaction, and sustainability of the incubated company. In turn, the
incubated company’s innovative capacity has a direct and positive impact on
sustainability itself. In addition, both the sustainability of the incubated
company and its levels of satisfaction with the incubated company has a positive
and direct impact on its competitive success. The management implications include
the perception that the greater the effort to improve the human capital, structural
capital, and relational capital of the incubated companies, the better will be the
results achieved in supporting companies, helping start-ups develop sustainably and
competitively in the market. © 2022 by the authors.

Rodriguez, P. A. C., et al. (2023). "Methodologies for characterization,

evaluation, and improvement of logistics in the food supply chain." Acta Logistica
10(2): 175-190.
The food supply chain (FSC) is made up of producers, traders and processors
who bring the product from supply to demand through logistical processes. Food
supply chains require specific methodologies for their current diagnosis,
evaluation and improvement. Logistics in food supply chain requires to be managed
according to its nature. This article identifies the different methodologies
through a systematic literature review of publications from 2005 to 2022, using Web
of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar search engines, in order to establish the
state of the art. As a result of this review, a new taxonomy is proposed and
includes the following methodological groups: management, qualitative,
quantitative, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), statistics, machine learning,
mathematical modelling, discrete simulation, system dynamics and others. The
methodologies of characterization, evaluation and improvement are classified into
two main groups of logistical means and modes. The performance measures most
commonly used in the methodologies by the researchers were also identified. From
the article, discussions, challenges and trends are generated to identify possible
future research and different gaps. © Acta Logistica.

Rodríguez-Espíndola, O., et al. (2022). "The role of circular economy principles

and sustainable-oriented innovation to enhance social, economic and environmental
performance: Evidence from Mexican SMEs." International Journal of Production
Economics 248.
The UN's sustainable development goals underscore engaging supply-chain
stakeholders with environmentally friendly practices. Small- and medium-size
enterprises (SMEs) are key participants in several supply chains, but their
operations often produce a significant environmental impact. Their transition to
sustainable practices is challenging because they operate with constrained
resources, which are mostly invested in pressing activities. Therefore, evidence is
needed that shows the benefits of investing limited resources in sustainable
activities to support decision-making in SMEs. Research has neglected to connect
circular economy and sustainable-oriented innovation whilst accounting for external
factors affecting the implementation of sustainable processes and technology within
SMEs in developing countries. This paper fills that gap by analyzing the impact of
external factors on the implementation of circular economy and technology, and
their influence on sustainable-oriented innovation and sustainable performance.
Responses from 165 Mexican SMEs have been collected and analyzed using structural
equation modeling to test direct and indirect effects between constructs. Findings
reveal that while both governmental support and customer pressure facilitate the
adoption of circular economy, only governmental support contributes directly to
technology implementation. They also highlight the value of circular economy to
support the adoption of sustainable-oriented innovation and to mediate the
relationship between technology implementation and sustainable-oriented innovation.
The overarching finding is that circular economy promoting sustainability-oriented
innovation has a positive impact on financial, environmental, and social
performance. This is a key implication to inform managers in SMEs on the potential
benefits of investing in sustainable solutions. © 2022 The Authors
Rodríguez-González, R. M., et al. (2022). "The effect of green strategies and eco-
innovation on Mexican automotive industry sustainable and financial performance:
Sustainable supply chains as a mediating variable." Corporate Social Responsibility
and Environmental Management 29(4): 779-794.
This work focuses on the study of how green strategies (GBS) and eco-
innovation (EI) contribute to increasing sustainable and financial performance in
the context of the Mexican manufacturing industry, and whether these relationships
are mediated by the practices involved in sustainable supply chains (SSCs). This
analysis is carried out through an empirical study of a sample of 460 companies in
the automotive industry. The results reveal direct positive effects of GBS and EI
on performance both, sustainable and financial. In spite of the key role played by
SSC, this variable only exerts a mediating effect on the sustainable performance.
Nevertheless, although the significant direct effect of sustainable supply chains
on financial performance is not verified, there is an indirect effect of supply
chains on financial performance through their influence on sustainable development.
The findings reveal important implications for managers. They provide rational
arguments (increase in performance) that should motivate companies in the Mexican
automotive industry to incorporate values, standards, and actions focused on
reducing the effects of their activities on the environment. These considerations
will lead to a change in behavior which is better aligned with global environmental
demands. © 2022 The Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental
Management published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rodríguez-Rebés, L., et al. (2024). "The use and drivers of organisational eco-
innovation in European SMEs." Research in International Business and Finance 70.
European SMEs are key contributors to economic growth and contamination.
Driving eco-innovation (EI) within SMEs is crucial for achieving SDG goals, such as
clean energy, economic growth, Industry & Innovation. This study examines the
relationship between eco-innovation and organisational innovation among SMEs in
Europe and differentiates between the determinants for SMEs and large enterprises.
We employ binary logistic regression models with maximum likelihood applied to
Eurostat's CIS database categorised by company size. We analyse 8.094 companies
spanning nine countries, focusing on environmental innovation activities by
innovation type. Innovation in work responsibility and decision-making is the most
conducive form of EI, with a significant effect observed among SMEs higher than
large corporations. There are clear differences in drivers of organisational EI for
SMEs versus large enterprises, revealing that some of the most cited determinants
of EI, such as regulations or energy costs, are not relevant for SMEs. © 2024 The
Authors

Ronalter, L. M., et al. (2023). "ISO management system standards in the light
of corporate sustainability: a bibliometric analysis." TQM Journal 35(9): 256-298.
Purpose: This work aims to present existing management system standards
(MSSs) published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
through a bibliometric analysis, thereby outlining their academic research status
and highlighting their relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well
as to environmental, social and governance (ESG) themes.
Design/methodology/approach: The study firstly retrieves a preliminary set of MSSs
standards from ISO and filters it in accordance with certain exclusion/inclusion
criteria. Secondly, a bibliometric search is performed in the database Scopus.
Thirdly, performance analysis is conducted to quantitatively measure the scientific
output in academia, and science mapping of co-occurrences of keywords is applied to
identify related topics. Thereby, the standards’ relationships to sustainability
are outlined. Eventually, the work discusses future research opportunities.
Findings: The findings reveal that whereas research on MSSs focuses predominantly
on only a few standards by now, there are actually numerous further standards that
address sustainability-relevant topics, which are getting increasing attention
among scholars as measured by the number of publications. Therefore, an action plan
for future research is derived. Moreover, the findings support the argument of
integrating MSSs to cover a broad range of corporate sustainability issues.
Originality/value: The paper connects the concepts of MSSs and sustainability, an
upcoming research branch yet characterized by shortage of academic studies (given
that research continues to focus on a few standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and
ISO 45001). The work therefore opens up the line for more in-detail research on
less known but nevertheless sustainability-relevant ISO MSSs. © 2023, Louis
Maximilian Ronalter, Camila Fabrício Poltronieri and Mateus Cecilio Gerolamo.

Rousselière, D., et al. (2024). "How does the social economy contribute to social
and environmental innovation? Evidence of direct and indirect effects from a
European survey." Research Policy 53(5).
This study represents the first empirical attempt to conduct a cross-country
comparison of social economy (SE) enterprises with other enterprises in the
development of social and environmental innovation. Using data from a European
survey with >16,000 respondents, we estimate a bivariate probit model with
correlated random effects to identify the direct and indirect effects of the SE on
social and environmental innovation. We demonstrate that the primary impact of SE
enterprises on environmental innovation is through their influence on other
enterprises. We also identify the specific levers of innovation in SE and non-SE
enterprises. Our empirical findings are consistent with previous research on the SE
as a laboratory of innovation and a yardstick for transformative change. Our
original findings regarding contextual effects highlights a strong implication
advocating public policies to promote SE for its assumed benefits as well as the
tendency of SE to foster innovation within non-SE enterprises. © 2024 The Authors

Rubio-Andrés, M. and C. Abril (2024). "Sustainability oriented innovation and

organizational values: a cluster analysis." Journal of Technology Transfer 49(1):
1-18.
Purpose: Sustainability is an important priority for CEOs according to a
recent Mckinsey (2021) survey. However, despite growing pressure from capital
investors, employees and consumers, few organizations are satisfied with the
sustainability objectives achieved beyond objectives related to economic savings.
The sustainability challenge is even more difficult for organizations when dealing
with designing their innovation portfolio strategies since the markets´ demands and
competitors´ strategies may contradict organizations’ sustainability objectives and
thus jeopardize their continuity. Some researchers argue that a commitment to
sustainability in organizations is not so much a matter of managerial practice but
rather is rooted in organizational values (Globocnik et al., 2020). Therefore, this
research aims to explore what types of organizational values more effectively
promote sustainability-oriented innovation in organizations. Using as a conceptual
framework the competing values theory (Quinn & Rohrbaugh, 1983), and adding one
dimension, risk aversion, we empirically define some clusters of business
typologies from which we derive patterns of value profiles. We show how these
clusters’ patterns of values relate to the success of a firm’s sustainability-
oriented innovation. Methodology: To make sense of our literature review and ensure
managerial relevance, we surveyed 128 senior managers from different industries and
countries to understand how their perceived organizational values may impact their
firms’ sustainability-oriented innovation success. As a result, we group the
studied organizations into four clusters according to the informed organizational
values, and we assess how the different clusters are more or less prone to succeed
with a sustainability-oriented innovation strategy. Findings: Our results show that
not all organizational values contribute equally to the success of sustainability-
oriented innovation in the market. As a theoretical contribution, we advance
current knowledge about how organizational values may impact sustainability-
oriented innovation success by providing a framework to measure and follow up on
the evolution of necessary organizational values to embrace sustainability-oriented
innovation within an organization. From a managerial perspective, we advance
knowledge on how organizational values should evolve and change to efficiently
deliver more sustainability-oriented innovation. In addition, we describe specific
values that organizations should measure and track and otherwise establish as an
important first step toward implementing sustainability-oriented innovation within
them. Originality: Our research provides original results by expanding current
knowledge on organizational values to better understand which values more
efficiently promote competitive sustainability-oriented innovation in
organizations. We expand the four organizational cultural archetypes of
organizational values to develop a more flexible and actionable framework of five
dimensions by adding an important dimension to the model, risk aversion. Together,
these dimensions generate new insights through a cluster analysis of organizational
differences and inform priorities and courses of actions to undertake. Research
limitations and implications: This research is based on self-report surveys and is
therefore exposed to the expected limitations of the survey research methodology. ©
The Author(s) 2022.

Rubio-Andrés, M., et al. (2022). "Driving innovation management to create shared

value and sustainable growth." REVIEW OF MANAGERIAL SCIENCE 16(7): 2181-2211.
Creating shared value (CSV) is an opportunity for sustainable growth for
small and medium-sized enterprises that entails jointly achieving both social and
business value. Currently there are few practical approaches that underpin the
importance of CSV and that explore which variables have a positive impact on SMEs.
Our paper seeks to shed light on this issue by proposing a measuring and governance
model to assess the benefits of CSV in SMEs, using a sample of Spanish SMEs for the
empirical analysis, and PLS-SEM as the analysis technique. We first highlight
innovation management as a key variable for CSV. It is essential to take innovative
strategic decisions to identify which initiatives generate shared value. Our
findings confirm that innovative business management helps cultural transformation
processes to be implemented with high shared value, which is a source of
opportunities in a global economy and, consequently, lead to sustainable growth.
Secondly, we aim to highlight how innovative firms enhance their reputation, which
in turn has an impact on the creation of social and business value. We also find
that if SMEs emphasise social value, they boost the creation of business value,
with their role as mediators proving to be vital. We present a strategic management
model based on variables such as innovation management, social value and
reputation, due to their impact on business value.

Rubio-Andrés, M., et al. (2023). "Stakeholder pressure and innovation capacity of

SMEs in the COVID-19 pandemic: Mediating and multigroup analysis." TECHNOLOGICAL
FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE 190.
During environmental crises, it has always been particularly interesting to
investigate how companies, specif-ically small-and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs),
find solutions to survive and learn how to act in adverse situa-tions. We conducted
our study during the current coronavirus pandemic to analyse how stakeholder
pressure affects both the innovation capabilities of SMEs and their firm
performance. On the one hand, we examine whether the market and financial
performance are better in the presence of less stakeholder pressure. On the other
hand, we analyse whether SMEs implement internal mechanisms that enhance their
innovation capacity to solve external problems caused by greater stakeholder
pressure, which in turn affects firm performance.Our main findings show that during
the pandemic, stakeholder pressure is related to the innovative capacity of SMEs;
therefore, the higher the pressure, the more important the innovative response of
SMEs. However, with higher pressure, the company's performance would be directly
reduced in the short term, as the conditions set would be more unfavourable.
Innovation capacity also plays a mediating role in preventing poor business per-
formance because of increased stakeholder pressure.Owing to the importance of the
chief executive officer (CEO) in SMEs, we test, through multigroup analysis, the
differences based on the CEO's educational level. For example, commitment to
innovation in SMEs may be more important for managers with higher education.
Finally, our findings show how managers can learn to face new challenges in
unfavourable environments.
Rubio-Andrés, M., et al. (2023). "Stakeholder pressure and innovation capacity of
SMEs in the COVID-19 pandemic: Mediating and multigroup analysis." Technological
Forecasting and Social Change 190.
During environmental crises, it has always been particularly interesting to
investigate how companies, specifically small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs),
find solutions to survive and learn how to act in adverse situations. We conducted
our study during the current coronavirus pandemic to analyse how stakeholder
pressure affects both the innovation capabilities of SMEs and their firm
performance. On the one hand, we examine whether the market and financial
performance are better in the presence of less stakeholder pressure. On the other
hand, we analyse whether SMEs implement internal mechanisms that enhance their
innovation capacity to solve external problems caused by greater stakeholder
pressure, which in turn affects firm performance. Our main findings show that
during the pandemic, stakeholder pressure is related to the innovative capacity of
SMEs; therefore, the higher the pressure, the more important the innovative
response of SMEs. However, with higher pressure, the company's performance would be
directly reduced in the short term, as the conditions set would be more
unfavourable. Innovation capacity also plays a mediating role in preventing poor
business performance because of increased stakeholder pressure. Owing to the
importance of the chief executive officer (CEO) in SMEs, we test, through
multigroup analysis, the differences based on the CEO's educational level. For
example, commitment to innovation in SMEs may be more important for managers with
higher education. Finally, our findings show how managers can learn to face new
challenges in unfavourable environments. © 2023 The Authors

Saha, K., et al. (2021). "Implementing circular economy in the textile and clothing
industry." Business Strategy and the Environment 30(4): 1497-1530.
This research reveals the current state of the circular economy (CE),
challenges and opportunities of implementing CE and interventions that could
facilitate effective implementation of CE in the textile and clothing (TC)
industry. The study uses a survey method within 114 TC companies based in
Bangladesh, Vietnam and India revealing the correlation of CE fields of action
(take, make, distribute, use and recover) with sustainability (economic,
environmental and social) performance. The lack of financial, technological and
human resources along with management's reluctance and end-user's indifference to
sustainability is the biggest challenge for CE implementation. The research further
derives that the TC firms are unable to eradicate the challenges to CE
implementation without a holistic approach that involves the collective effort from
the industry, host government's incentives, their buyers and above all the
conscience of the end-users. Finally, the study reveals that the collaborative
efforts, knowledge sharing in sustainability management across the value chain and
marketisation of the waste recycling, among others, are a few actions the
stakeholders of the TC industry must adopt for implementing CE successfully. © 2021
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Saha, K., et al. (2024). "Sustainable practices in the animal health industry: A
stakeholder-based view." Business Strategy and the Environment 33(4): 3356-3382.
The animal health industry provides treatments and pharmaceuticals for live
animal welfare and it is essential to ensure food security and meet sustainable
development goals (SDGs). Still, its complexity makes it difficult to identify the
driving factors in the adoption of sustainability practices let alone offer
recommendations to foster their implementation, resulting in a comparative lack of
academic research in this area and several gaps in the overall comprehension of the
phenomenon. Building on the stakeholder theoretical framework and adopting multi-
country field research, this article offers both a theoretical and empirical
contribution, highlighting the role of stakeholder perceptions in driving the
adoption of ESI (environmental sustainable initiatives) and emphasising the need
for effective communication, transparency and a consistent educational framework.
Our findings also demonstrate that, by adopting overarching sustainability
approaches such as the ‘One Health’ philosophy, animal health firms can integrate
environmental sustainability initiatives into their operations, embedding the
expectations and priorities of various stakeholders. This holistic approach will
not only promote the well-being of animals and humans but also help protect
ecosystems and ensure the long-term viability of the veterinary pharmaceutical
industry. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Saha, P., et al. (2022). "Unleashing the Potential of the TQM and Industry 4.0 to
Achieve Sustainability Performance in the Context of a Developing Country." Global
Journal of Flexible Systems Management 23(4): 495-513.
Business organizations may be able to improve their Sustainability
Performance (SP) by adopting Total Quality Management (TQM) concepts combined with
Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. This research has developed a model to
investigate the influence of TQM and I4.0 on SP. It also analyzes the mediating
role of TQM in the relationship between I4.0 and SP. A survey was conducted among
240 respondents employed in ready-made garment (RMG) industries in Bangladesh. A
Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique was used to analyze the collected
data. Research findings show that both TQM and I4.0 technologies have a significant
impact on the sustainable growth of the Bangladeshi RMG sector. Moreover, it is
observed that TQM mediates the relationship between I4.0 and SP. The findings show
that TQM helps to explain the relationship between I4.0 and sustainable
performance. This study will provide a guideline for industrial executives on
securing sustainability through the adoption of TQM concepts and I4.0 technologies.
We are not aware of any additional studies that look at the possible link between
TQM, I4.0, and SP, as well as the mediating role of TQM between I4.0 and SP. ©
2022, Crown.

Salamzadeh, A., et al. (2023). "Examining the effect of business model innovation
on crisis management: the mediating role of entrepreneurial capability, resilience
and business performance." Innovation and Management Review 20(2): 132-146.
Purpose: The onset of a crisis demands that businesses respond quickly and
effectively. So, it might be helpful to examine the effect of business model
innovation and how to increase its impact on better crisis management. This study
aims to discuss the aforementioned objectives. Design/methodology/approach: The
present study is applied in terms of aim and a quantitative descriptive survey
regarding the data collection method. The structural equation model with the
partial least squares approach and Smart PLS 3 software was used for the structural
analysis of the questionnaire. Findings: The findings revealed that business model
innovation could lead to better crisis management. In addition, the components of
entrepreneurial capability, resilience and business performance played a mediating
role. Research limitations/implications: Some factors may mediate the effect of
business model innovation on crisis management. Thus, future research can
investigate them and identify their impact. Practical implications: The present
study suggests that managers should re-examine business model processes and make
them innovative to improve crisis management. Originality/value: The present study
examines the factors that affect crisis management with an emphasis on innovation,
assesses the impact of mediating factors in this regard and attempts to provide a
model to facilitate better crisis management. © 2023, Aidin Salamzadeh, Samira
Mortazavi, Morteza Hadizadeh and Vitor Braga.

Salazar, I. S. M., et al. (2023). "Validation of a participant selection method

within a mixed sequential research design for case studies of sustainable supply
chains*." Cuadernos de Administracion 36.
This research addresses the scarcity of literature on participant selection
for the qualitative phase in a mixed Sequential Explanatory Design (DEXPLIS) in the
field of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). The Pathway participant
selection method is applied and validated within DEXPLIS to investigate the
influence of integration with secondary stakeholders on the implementation of
advanced SSCM practices in Colombian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The
Pathway method selects "precise" cases (SMEs) with a greater influence of the
independent variable on the dependent variable. Experts validate and prioritize the
selected cases based on deined criteria. Te results demonstrate the applicability
and relevance of DEXPLIS and Pathway for SSCM studies. © 2023, Pontificia
Universidad Javeriana. All rights reserved.

Salo, H. H., et al. (2020). "Eco-innovation motivations and ecodesign tool

implementation in companies in the Nordic textile and information technology
sectors." Business Strategy and the Environment 29(6): 2654-2667.
The current sustainability challenges and the required systemic
transformation highlight the need for innovations on multiple levels. Ecodesign
integrates environmental aspects into product and process design to reduce
environmental impacts, whereas eco-innovation also concerns nontechnological
solutions. In this paper, we formulate a model that combines eco-innovation targets
ad mechanisms with sustainability maturity, which also concerns stimuli and
barriers faced by companies and ecodesign tools used. The results are based on a
questionnaire sent to 902 textile and information technology (IT) companies (N =
104) in the Nordic countries. The tools that Nordic textile and IT companies use in
particular are life cycle assessment, type I ecolabel, and carbon footprint.
Internal stimuli, especially general willingness, were important for eco-
innovativeness, while legislation and customer demand also pushed companies
forward. Specific no-go barriers were not identified, although increase in costs
was a common barrier. The respondents focus often on technological product
innovations, but rarely on functional innovation, renting of products, and so
forth. This highlights the need to address the availability of the right kind of
tools to support a broader suite of innovation that can drive toward the circular
economy. © 2020 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Salvador, R., et al. (2023). "Explaining sustainability performance and maturity in

SMEs – Learnings from a 100-participant sustainability innovation project." Journal
of Cleaner Production 419.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many economies and
shape the sustainability of both production and consumption. SMEs differ
drastically in their sustainability performance and maturity. The objective of this
paper is to assess what aspects of SMEs' activities, including their links to
stakeholders in their supply chains, explain a company's sustainability
performance. Using a literature-based theoretical framework for assessing SME
sustainability performance and maturity, the study conducts a survey with
participants in a 100-company sustainability innovation project conducted in the
Greater Copenhagen region. The sample of companies reaches across several
industries including construction, hotel/conference, information technology, and
manufacturing. The study analyses survey data using paired sample t-tests and
regression analyses. The results show that the following factors help explain the
sustainability performance and maturity of SMEs in the sample: the degree of
customer involvement in product and process development; engaging, communicating
and partnering with customers; customer segmentation, technology and innovation as
constituent parts in the business strategy; and the amount of time dedicated
specifically to commercial and marketing efforts and process development. The study
shows that devoting time and resources to engage with customers in product and
process development will lead to increased sustainability performance and maturity.
These results contrast with the traditional norm that companies develop as a
reaction to changing customer requirements. The novelty of this study lies in
bringing to light the aspects within the management of SMEs contribute to
explaining their sustainability performance, and thus can be used to guide
improvements. Unveiling this allows SMEs to deploy sustainability-focused action. ©
2023 The Authors
San, O. T., et al. (2022). "GEO and sustainable performance: the moderating role of
GTD and environmental consciousness." JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL 23(7): 38-67.
Purpose Congruent with the world-wide call to combat global warming concerns
and advance intellectual capital (IC), organisations are being pressured to ensure
that IC is managed effectively to encourage green initiatives. In this regard,
green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) is emerged as a relevant IC. GEO is
recognised as a mitigating factor of environmental degradation in the literature.
Although prior literature has observed the nexus between GEO and firm performance,
the role of GEO in leveraging sustainable performance has been limitedly explored.
This study explored the relationship between IC as a GEO and enterprises'
sustainable performance through the moderating roles of environmental consciousness
and green technology dynamism (GTD) in the context of two developing countries
(Pakistan and Malaysia). Design/methodology/approach Data provided by 296
respondents from 264 manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in
Pakistan and Malaysia were analysed through a three-wave research design. AMOS 23
software was used to perform covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-
SEM), while hierarchical regression analysis was applied using the SPSS 25 software
to examine the causal relationships in the model. Findings IC as a GEO
significantly influences sustainable performance, akin to environmental
consciousness and GTD. Besides, GTD has a significant moderating effect between GEO
and financial and environmental performance in Pakistan and Malaysia but not
between GEO and social performance. Environmental consciousness has a significant
moderating role in the impact of GEO on financial performance in Pakistan and
Malaysia, but not on social and environmental performance. Practical implications
The study's findings are useful for managers of Pakistani and Malaysian
manufacturing SMEs to identify ways to encourage GEO to improve sustainable
performance in their firms. The findings suggest that managers should effectively
implement GTD and environmental consciousness to strengthen the GEO and sustainable
performance relationship. Managers can use GEO concretely as a reference for the
companies that intend to support the United Nation SDG-2030 agenda and to find new
business opportunities for the implementation of sustainable development.
Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to
examine the link between GEO and sustainable performance in developing countries
such as Pakistan and Malaysia. Although the influence of various intangible assets
or IC on sustainable performance has been widely examined in the literature, the
role of GEO as IC has been limitedly explored. This study extends the literature by
adding to the knowledge of GEO as a form of firms' IC that enhances boundary
conditions in developing countries.

Sánchez Hernández, M. I. and F. Castilla-Polo (2024). "Exploring Responsible

Research and Innovation in reputable agri-food cooperatives and the link to
international orientation. An exploratory empirical case study in Spain." Journal
of Responsible Innovation 11(1).
This study aims to provide a preliminary estimate of the degree of
implementation of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in agri-food
cooperatives; to that end, it proposes an instrument for measuring RRI as a
reflective construct. A secondary aim is to demonstrate the direct and positive
relationship between RRI and international market orientation. Data were sourced
from 60 managers from the top 100 reputable agri-food cooperatives in Spain. By
conducting a descriptive statistical analysis, exploratory factor analysis,
confirmatory tetrad analysis, and consistent PLS path modelling, it has been
demonstrated that the RRI construct is reflective and unidimensional and has a
direct relationship with the international orientation of cooperatives. While
future research is required to refine the empirical application of RRI indicators
to agri-food cooperatives, they can play a significant role in bridging the divide
between theoretical RRI concepts and the development of pragmatic indicators for
use in business environments. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK
Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Sanguineti, F., et al. (2023). "Technology adoption, global value chains and
sustainability: The case of additive manufacturing." Journal of Cleaner Production
408.
With companies like Adidas paving the way, the adoption of technologies like
additive manufacturing (AM) to manage global value chains in a more sustainable way
is gaining increasing attention from researchers and practitioners alike. However,
despite the potential of AM to revolutionize sustainable GVC management, few
studies have explored this connection in depth. To address this research gap, we
present a systematic literature review examining the current state of the art on
the topic. Through our systematic methodology and comprehensive analysis, we
uncover the potential of AM to transform the sustainable management of GVC and
identify areas for future research. Our findings not only contribute to academic
understanding but also offer a valuable framework for practitioners seeking to
advance sustainable GVC management through the use of AM. © 2023 Elsevier Ltd

Sanni, M. and E. Verdolini (2022). "Eco-innovation and openness: Mapping the growth
trajectories and the knowledge structure of open eco-innovation." Sustainable
Futures 4.
Open innovation runs contrary to the individualistic mentality of traditional
corporate R&D implementation while embracing external cooperation in a complex
world. Our main motivation for the study is to assess and characterize knowledge
structure that represents radical transformation toward accelerating co‐development
of sustainable innovations. Our review points to the role of the open eco-
innovation research landscape as an emerging research domain of potential
contributions to sustainable development. Specifically, in this systematic
analysis, we apply exploratory, bibliometric, and network visualization techniques
to characterize the available knowledge in the field. We trace the growth
trajectory of this emerging literature and map the knowledge base of the open eco-
innovation (OE) research field. We conceptualised four phases of research domain
development and recognised that OE is at the acceleration phase. We emphasized that
a synthetic knowledge base is one of the basic ingredients of an open eco-
innovation model in addition to analytic and symbolic knowledge bases. Finally, we
highlighted what might seem to be budding theoretical perspectives underlining open
eco-innovation. © 2022

Santa-Maria, T., et al. (2022). "How do incumbent firms innovate their business
models for the circular economy? Identifying micro-foundations of dynamic
capabilities." Business Strategy and the Environment 31(4): 1308-1333.
The circular economy is promoted as a contributor to sustainable development;
however, the process of circular business model innovation remains under-explored
to date, hindering its implementation. Dynamic capabilities research provides a
theoretical perspective to explore how incumbent firms can innovate in rapidly
changing environments. An abductive qualitative research is done through an
exploratory multiple case study on 10 incumbents that implemented a circular
business model innovation. We identify 26 practices, aggregated in 12 micro-
foundations of the dynamic capabilities of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring. By
integrating the few empirical studies characterizing dynamic capabilities for
sustainability-oriented business model innovation, we offer a comprehensive
framework of 33 practices. This study proposes that the most relevant practices for
circular business model innovation processes are adopting a lifecycle perspective,
employing sustainability-oriented instruments, ideating sustainable value
propositions, developing a sustainability strategy and culture, and engaging and
coordinating stakeholders in the business ecosystem. We also suggest seven
particularly relevant practices for long-term business model transformations (e.g.,
top management commitment), four for innovations focused on short and medium loops
of the circular economy (e.g., early customer engagement), and four for long loops
(e.g., business ecosystem coordination). This study corroborates and expands recent
research on dynamic capabilities for sustainability-oriented innovation and
provides practitioners with a set of 33 skills, processes, procedures, and
activities to be prioritized to successfully innovate their business models for the
circular economy. © 2021 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Saura, J. R., et al. (2023). "Leveraging SMEs technologies adoption in the Covid-19
pandemic: a case study on Twitter-based user-generated content." Journal of
Technology Transfer 48(5): 1696-1722.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many entrepreneurs and small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) to adapt their business models and business strategies to the
consequences caused by the pandemic. In order to identify the main innovations and
technologies adopted by SMEs in the pandemic, in the present study, we used a
database of 56,941 tweets related to the coronavirus to identify those that
contained the hashtag #SMEs. The final sample was analyzed using several data-
mining techniques such as sentiment analysis, topic modeling and textual analysis.
The theoretical perspectives adopted in the present study were Computer-Aided Text
Analysis, User-Generated Content and Natural Language Processing. The results of
our analysis helped us to identify 15 topics (7 positive: Free support against
Covid-19, Webinars tools, Time Optimizer and efficiency, Business solutions tools,
Advisors tools, Software for process support and Back-up tools; 4 negative:
Government support, Payment systems, Cybersecurity problems and Customers solutions
in Cloud, and and 4 neutral: Social media and e-commerce, Specialized startups
software, CRMs and Finance and Big data analysis tools). The results of the present
study suggest that SMEs have used a variety of digital tools and strategies to
adapt to the changing market conditions brought on by the pandemic, and have been
proactive in adopting new technologies to continue to operate and reach customers
in a connected era. Future research should be directed towards understanding the
long-term effects of these technologies and strategies on entrepreneurial growth
and value creation, as well as the sustainability of SMEs in the new era based on
data-driven decisions. © 2023, The Author(s).

Sawe, F. B., et al. (2021). "Assessing people-driven factors for circular economy
practices in small and medium-sized enterprise supply chains: Business strategies
and environmental perspectives." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 30(7): 2951-
2965.
Globalisation and technological advancements have increased the pressure on
small businesses to increase their productivity and to gain competitive advantages.
That pressure has been placed on the resources available, resulting in increased
environmental degradation as a result of the traditional linear model of make-use-
dispose. Circular economy (CE) practices offer the opportunity for sustainable
production based on the reuse-remanufacture and recycling of resources for small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase their sustainability, resulting in
enhanced performance levels in terms of business strategies and environmental
perspectives. But in academic literature, the role of people-driven factors (PDFs)
in the adoption of CE practices in the supply chains (SCs) of SMEs is limited.
Therefore, to fill this literature gap, this research looks at analysing PDFs for
the implementation of CE in the SMEs in developing countries in two phases. PDFs
are identified from an extensive literature review; a DEMATEL technique is then
employed to understand the significant influence of each factor in the adoption of
CE practices in SCs by dividing them into cause-effect groups. The findings show
that PDFs such as training and knowledge sharing, employee participation,
leadership and management plus strategic alignment are considered to be the most
important significant factors in the adoption. The findings of this study will help
industrial managers to understand the significance of the role of PDFs for
enhancing business strategies; these findings can reduce the negative environmental
impact in the adoption of CE practices in the SCs of SMEs.

Scarpellini, S. (2022). "Social impacts of a circular business model: An approach

from a sustainability accounting and reporting perspective." Corporate Social
Responsibility and Environmental Management 29(3): 646-656.
Although several studies have approached the environmental or economic
impacts derived from the adoption of the circular economy's principles by
businesses, the social dimension of the circular model at the micro-level is
underexplored in the literature. To fill this gap, this study defines and analyses
different categories of social impacts related to a circular business model to
assess and report the holistic dimension of the circular economy at the micro-
level. This paper is eminently reflective, and the methodology is mainly based on a
desk research method. In addition, the results of 137 brief surveys collected in
Spain are summarised to reflect the social metrics of a circular business model
proposed in the literature. This study contributes to the existing knowledge on
circular economy from a sustainability accounting perspective and invites scholars
towards new research topics from the triple bottom line approach of the circular
business model. © 2021 The Author. Corporate Social Responsibility and
Environmental Management published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Scarpellini, S., et al. (2020). "Dynamic capabilities and environmental accounting

for the circular economy in businesses." Sustainability Accounting, Management and
Policy Journal 11(7): 1129-1158.
Purpose: This paper aims to define and measure the environmental capabilities
that are applied when the circular economy (CE) is introduced in businesses.
Founded on the dynamic capabilities theoretical approach, the study analyzes
different environmental competences that firms apply during this process.
Environmental management systems, corporate social responsibility, reporting and
accountability and other environmental accounting practices are studied in the same
analytical framework used to study the environmental capabilities that influence
the circular scope (CS) of firms. This study contributes to bridging the gap
between academic research focused on environmental accounting and that
investigating the introduction of the CE in businesses.
Design/methodology/approach: The results were obtained by using partial least
squares structural equation modeling to analyze the relationship between
environmental capabilities for the CE and the CS achieved by a sample of Spanish
firms with more than 50 employees that expressed interest in the CE, eco-design,
eco-innovation and other environmental issues. Findings: Based on an analysis using
the dynamic capabilities theoretical approach, the results suggest a positive
relationship between the CS of firms, their environmental accounting practices and
their level of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and accountability.
Stakeholders’ pressure – which has a mediating effect on the CS of firms – is also
analyzed, adding new insights to recent studies of this topic at the micro-level.
The authors also explore whether the CS of businesses, which is related to the
degree of their development of capabilities, influences environmental and financial
performance. Practical implications: The new insights obtained in this study can
help overcome the limitations of conventional accounting approaches and
incorporates a much broader scale of environmental information that can be applied
to CE practices. These results also offer insights to practitioners regarding the
internal measurement processes related to the CE and regarding CSR in particular
for small and medium enterprises, because these metrics can be partially applied
depending on the practices introduced in each firm. For policymakers, a better
understanding of the CE’s introduction into businesses will contribute to the
design of policies that can enhance its deployment, for example, by providing tools
that set up regional priorities depending on the CE-related practices adopted by
the firms located in the territory. Social implications: A CE involves the
transformation of a linear economic model into a circular one to reduce dependence
on raw materials and energy and to reduce the environmental impact of production
and consumption. Understanding how to manage the specific competences that
integrate capabilities applied to the CE will allow firms to improve their social
and environmental reporting. In addition, other social implications of this study
relate to improving relationships with consumers and stakeholders and to the
practice of social corporate sustainability. Originality/value: This study goes
beyond previous research on the CE to extend the authors’ knowledge about its
adoption at the micro-level by taking a transversal approach, as its subject spans
the fields of environmental accounting and the CE while addressing both in a
framework of analysis. The analysis of the accounting concerns of the CE in
businesses and the study of concerns related to endogenous environmental
competences are quite original under the theoretical framework of dynamic
capabilities, and this study is a first step in an incipient line of inquiry. ©
2020, Sabina Scarpellini, Luz María Marín-Vinuesa, Alfonso Aranda-Usón and Pila
Portillo-Tarragona.

Scarpellini, S., et al. (2020). "Environmental management capabilities for a

“circular eco-innovation”." Business Strategy and the Environment 29(5): 1850-1864.
At a micro level, eco-innovation marks a transition towards a circular
economy (CE), and standardised routines and controls are being implemented by
businesses to introduce eco-innovative processes and thus a circular business
model. Eco-innovation applied to a circular model implies changes to companies'
environmental management and accounting practices used to manage natural resources.
In this context, this study analyses and measures formal and informal environmental
management systems, such as certification standards and other management and
environmental accounting procedures used in eco-innovation and the CE within the
dynamic capabilities theoretical framework. The study also investigates the cause-
and-effect relationship between firms' “circular eco-innovation” and environmental
capabilities using partial least squares structural equation modelling and tests it
using a sample of Spanish companies. This study offers new knowledge about the
interposition of business eco-innovation and CE-related activities introduced by
firms from the dynamic capabilities perspective. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and
ERP Environment

Schäfer, D., et al. (2024). "The impact of public procurement on financial barriers
to general and green innovation." SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMICS 62(3): 939-959.
This study investigates whether public procurement mitigates or exacerbates
innovative enterprises' financial constraints. We distinguish between general and
environmentally beneficial innovative enterprises. Theory suggests that the
treatment effects of public procurement, particularly when mediated by the demand-
pull effect, may lower a company's funding constraints for innovation. We test this
theory with extended probit models allowing for endogenous treatment and selection.
The findings reveal a significantly positive treatment effect of public procurement
on the probability of facing financial constraints in both areas: general and
environmentally beneficial innovative activities. Thus, the principal implications
of this study are (1) that being an innovating SME exacerbates financial
constraints and (2) that strengthening SMEs' participation in European public
tenders would not contribute to lowering SMEs' financial constraints. On the
contrary, complementary grants or other financial incentives might be necessary to
substantially increase the SMEs' bidding rates in public tenders. Plain English
SummaryPublic procurement incre ases the chance of innovative firms, in particular
SMEs, to face financial constraints. This study investigates whether public
procurement mitigates or exacerbates financial constraints of enterprises with
general or environmentally beneficial innovative activities. The principal
implication is that owning a public procurement contract is no instrument to lower
innovative firms', in particular SMEs', financial constraints. On the contrary,
complementary grants or other financial incentives might be necessary to
substantially increase the SMEs' bidding rates in a public tender.

Schlüter, L., et al. (2023). "Sustainable business model innovation: Design

guidelines for integrating systems thinking principles in tools for early-stage
sustainability assessment." Journal of Cleaner Production 387.
The need to develop sustainable business models, which have a positive effect
on environment and society, has received increasing attention in research and
practice in the last years. Describing the sustainability of these business models,
however, often takes place without robust assessments and without consideration for
the wider system within which they are embedded. Early in the innovation process,
in particular, a lack of quantitative data, time, and competencies presents an
issue. At the same time, Systems Thinking has long been described as necessary for
innovating business models for sustainability, but it has not been made clear how
exactly Systems Thinking can be used early in the innovation process to assess the
sustainability of a business model innovation. This article develops guidelines for
embedding Systems Thinking principles into tools for sustainability assessment for
use in the early stages of sustainable business model (SBM) innovation. It does so
by exemplifying Systems Thinking principles in the context of SBM innovation and
analysing their integration in three selected tools for early-stage sustainability
assessment. The article shows how, by embedding Systems Thinking into tools for the
SBM innovation process, unintended consequences and negative trade-offs can be
reduced and the sustainability of the innovation better understood. Eight design
guidelines are proposed for effectively using Systems Thinking in tools for early-
stage sustainability assessment of SBMs: (1) Define scope of application, (2)
Design for collaboration, (3) Integrate the principles “Interconnections”, (4)
“Causal relations & feedback loops”, and (5) “System change & adaptation”, (6)
Consider sustainability dimensions, (7) Ensure flexibility of integration, and (8)
Ensure compatibility with other assessment tools. © 2023 The Authors

Schmidt, C. V. H., et al. (2021). "Understanding the effect of market orientation

on circular economy practices: The mediating role of closed-loop orientation in
German SMEs." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 30(8): 4171-4187.
The implementation of circular economy (CE) practices is considered a key
driver towards sustainable development of firms. Earlier studies point to the
general strategic approach of market orientation as an antecedent to CE practice
implementation. Still, insights are limited as the mechanisms underlying this
relationship remain unclear. Based on a sample of 121 German small and medium-sized
enterprises (SME), we empirically examine how the strategic approach of closed-loop
orientation mediates the relationship between market orientation and the
implementation of three types of CE practices. Using structural equation modelling,
we find that while market orientation is positively related to all three types of
CE practices, closed-loop orientation mediates these relationships for only two.
Our study extends CE literature by suggesting that market orientation is translated
into closed-loop orientation to spur CE practice implementation. We also offer a
differentiated understanding of CE practice implementation in the context of German
SMEs.

Schöggl, J. P., et al. (2024). "Barriers to sustainable and circular product design
– A theoretical and empirical prioritisation in the European automotive industry."
Journal of Cleaner Production 434.
Despite the increasing availability of tools and methods for sustainable and
circular product design (DfS), their uptake in practice is slow. This is also true
in the automotive industry, where DfS is an important measure for addressing the
industry's negative environmental and social impacts. To facilitate DfS
implementation, this paper uses an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and offers, for
the first time, a classification and prioritisation of the barriers that need to be
overcome when implementing DfS into vehicle development processes. Based on a
systematic literature review and on an expert workshop, the top 15 DfS barrier
factors were derived and divided equally into five groups, following a multi-level
structure. These factors and groups formed the input for a survey-based analytic
hierarchy process with 38 European industry experts. The results show that
strategic issues are the most important barriers, followed by the group of
operational, personal, external, and tool-related barriers. Among the 15 barrier
factors identified, the top five were (1) an unclear link to profitability, (2)
lack of top management support, (3) difficulties in handling trade-offs, (4) high
operational costs, and (5) a lack of integration of DfS into corporate strategy.
The results indicate that while external constraints already exert pressure on
automotive companies, they still face particular challenges when attempting to
integrate sustainability into corporate strategies and in transferring such
strategies to DfS activities at the operational level. The study results may be
used to inform managerial policy and further research. © 2023 The Authors

Schupfer, H. and B. Soppe (2024). "Greening from within: the role of organisational
purpose shift in building internal legitimacy for fossil fuel incumbents' green
innovation." INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION.
Green innovation that reduces harmful emissions and impacts on the natural
environment is crucial in combatting the climate crisis. Yet, incumbents in carbon-
intensive industries struggle with its development due to their lack of
organisational commitment. We investigate how fossil fuel incumbents can overcome
this obstacle and build internal legitimacy for green innovation. Through a
longitudinal case study of a Norwegian oil major over 20 years, we highlight the
important role of organisational purpose shift. We derive a process model of how
fossil fuel incumbents can shift from a goal-based organisational purpose focused
on profitability towards a duty-based purpose connected to sustainability-oriented
values, building internal legitimacy for green innovation. Our study also
demonstrates that organisational purpose shift, when only selectively and gradually
realised, impedes full decarbonisation. We contribute to the literature on
innovation studies by discussing how organisational purpose shift and internal
legitimacy can enhance sustainable innovation in fossil fuel incumbents.

Segarra-Blasco, A., et al. (2024). "Circular economy and public policies: A dynamic
analysis for European SMEs." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 33(4): 3532-
3549.
Previous empirical studies have highlighted the importance of the
institutional framework in fostering a transition towards the circular economy
(CE). Adopting a dynamic approach, which merges three Flash Eurobarometer surveys
conducted in 2015, 2017 and 2021 into a single dataset, we observe the evolution in
the factors determining the adoption of CE practices. Firstly, using factor
analysis, our results indicate two groups of institutional drivers: knowledge and
environmental spillovers. Secondly, applying a multivariate probit model, we
observe that both spillovers have a positive effect on the adoption of the CE.
Finally, we find that the effect of knowledge spillovers remains relatively
constant, while that of environmental spillovers tends to increase. This suggests
that firms are increasingly benefiting from the adoption of circular practices by
their peers. Policymakers should take into account that a more intense knowledge
spillovers and a stronger institutional framework will increase the likelihood of
European small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopting CE practices.

Șerban, R. A., et al. (2023). "FACTORS OF SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVENESS AT COMPANY

LEVEL: A COMPARISON OF FOUR GLOBAL ECONOMIC SECTORS." Journal of Business Economics
and Management 24(3): 449-470.
Built on the premise that a company’s competitiveness is given by its robust
financial performance and the strength of its position on the market, but only
under conditions of sustain-ability, this study aims to investigate the key factors
of company competitiveness while considering sustainability issues. The two
research objectives were: (1) to identify and analyze the key factors of
sustainable competitiveness at company level (2) to find sector-related
discrepancies regarding the identified factors. To achieve them, a horizontal
analysis covering ten financial years (2012–2021) was performed on a sample of
1,449 companies from four global economic sectors (Consumer Cyclicals, Energy,
Health Care, and Technology) – using Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and ANOVA.
Nine factors (both financial and non-financial) were found: liquidity,
profitability, revenue efficiency, inventory management efficiency, ESG
performance, receivables management efficiency, R&D efficiency, book value, and
market value. Of them, ESG performance has emerged as an inde-pendent factor based
on non-financial variables, its introduction into the research model being one of
the study’s novelties. Significant mean differences were found between the nine
factors, depending on the sector, which allowed the ranking of sectors in terms of
sustainable competitiveness, in descending order: Health Care, Technology, Consumer
Cyclicals, and Energy. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas
Technical University.

Sharma, G. and Å. L. Dahlstrand (2023). "Innovations, informality, and the global

south: A thematic analysis of past research and future directions." Technology in
Society 75.
The informal sector of the global south has lately started to gain attention
from innovation and development studies scholars. Studies highlighting the
determinants, barriers, social processes, and institutions that influence
innovations in the informal sector have enriched the discussion on the topic. This
paper analyzes the existing body of knowledge at the intersection of the informal
sector, innovations, and the global south. Seventy-seven academic articles from the
Scopus and Web of Sciences databases have been thematically reviewed, and seven
themes have been identified: 1) innovation potential of the informal sector, 2)
knowledge and learning in the informal sector innovations, 3) technology adoption
in the informal sector, 4) interaction and collaborations with formal sector
entities, 5) innovation dynamics in the informal enterprises, 6) individual
innovators in the informal settings, and 7) gender, innovation, and informality. To
the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt to synthesize the
literature on informal sector innovations in the global south. Hence, the paper is
a crucial contribution to the innovation studies literature. Finally, we provide
future directions to guide further studies in this area. © 2023 The Authors

Sharma, M., et al. (2021). "Accelerating retail supply chain performance against
pandemic disruption: adopting resilient strategies to mitigate the long-term
effects." Journal of Enterprise Information Management 34(6): 1844-1873.
Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted global supply
chains, revealing dreadful gaps and exposing vulnerabilities. Retailers are
challenged to tackle risks and organise themselves to fit into the “new normal”
scenario. This global outbreak has established a volatile environment for supply
chains; it has raised the question of survival in the market, forcing companies to
rethink resilient strategies to be adopted for the post-pandemic situation to
mitigate the long-term effects of this virus. This study explores the priorities
for retail supply chains (RSCs) to align their business operations and strategies
for the post-pandemic world. Design/methodology/approach: This study has utilised
integrated full consistency model (FUCOM) – best–worst method (BWM) for assessment
of RSCs to enhance their business performance irrespective of pandemic disruptions.
The FUCOM has been employed to identify the priorities of determinants enhancing
business performance, whereas RSC strategies are evaluated using the BWM method.
Findings: The current study identifies “Collaboration Efficiency” as the main
criterion for accelerating the performance of RSCs in a dynamic social environment.
Also, the study concludes that “Order Fulfilment” and “Digital RSCs” are the most
appropriate resilient business strategies to mitigate the long-term effects.
Research limitations/implications: Supply-demand balancing is a challenging task at
the moment, but highly significant for the future. The pandemic disruptions have
placed intense pressure on retailers to deliver products as per consumers' changing
behaviours towards the purchase of essentials and other products. Hence, “Order
Fulfilment” and “Digital RSCs” should be adopted for meeting customer requirements
and to ensure sustainability in the post-pandemic business world.
Originality/value: This work sets out a comprehensive framework which will be
helpful for accelerating RSCs performance against pandemic disruption by adopting
resilient strategies to mitigate the long-term effects. © 2021, Emerald Publishing
Limited.

Simms, C. and J. Frishammar (2024). "Technology transfer challenges in asymmetric

alliances between high-technology and low-technology firms." Research Policy 53(3).
 Low-technology firms face an increasingly disruptive innovation landscape as
new legislation and changing market demands force them to dramatically reduce
emission levels to become more sustainable. However, successfully developing and
implementing sustainable technologies frequently presupposes alliances between low-
technology firms (such as process industry companies) and high-tech firms (such as
their specialized technology providers). Such alliances are asymmetric and
problematic because of differences in approaches to learning, knowledge bases,
collaboration routines, and high cognitive distance between high- and low-
technology firms. Against this background, we performed a multiple case study of
six asymmetric alliances operating in the food and food packaging sectors in the
UK. The analysis reveals that technology distance asymmetry, technology integration
complexity, and innovation capability incompatibilities prohibit technology
transfer effectiveness. By mapping these themes across three phases of technology
transfer, we identified a total of nine unique problems that hamper technology
transfer effectiveness and, therefore, risk delaying or distorting the
implementation of novel sustainable technology. The paper provides theoretical
implications for the literature on innovation in LMT firms and for the literature
on sustainability alliances along with practical implications for improving
technology transfer between high-tech and low-tech firms considering climate
change. © 2023

Singh, A., et al. (2023). "Identification and severity assessment of challenges in

the adoption of industry 4.0 in Indian construction industry." Asia Pacific
Management Review 28(3): 299-315.
The current exploratory study identifies the major challenges in the adoption
of Industry 4.0 framework in the Indian construction industry and subsequently
ranks the challenges on the basis of the severity. Based on the extant literature
review and personal interaction with construction management, information
technology (IT) professionals, and academicians, twenty-five challenges were
identified. After validating the challenges, they were ranked from most severe to
least severe using the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on rough
set theory that leans on the indiscernibility relation between the objects. The
study indicates that huge initial investments and costs incurred to mobilize the
internet of things (IoT) enabled framework in the construction firms are the major
obstacles to the adoption of the Industry 4.0 methods. The recruitment of experts
to train the employees and workers is seen as another big hurdle in the
aforementioned objective. It is a challenge to educate and train them on
sophisticated technology that requires a basic understanding of computer
fundamentals and IT-related concepts that is found lacking in the workers employed
at the lower levels. Proper maintenance of sensitive tools and equipment such as
IoT devices is a challenging task due to the nature of the activities taking place
at construction sites. The multi-criteria method of ranking based on Dominance-
based Rough Set Analysis (DRSA) has never been attempted to rank the challenges and
assign a severity score. The study adds novelty to the existing literature in the
domain of multi-criteria ranking by including a tool that is new to this area of
research. © 2022 The Authors

Singh, A. K., et al. (2023). "A strategic roadmap to overcome blockchain technology
barriers for sustainable construction: A deep learning-based dual-stage SEM-ANN
approach." Technological Forecasting and Social Change 194.
The adoption of blockchain technology in the sustainable construction
industry in India is slow. Existing literature in this area has primarily focused
on the potential applications of blockchain technology in construction but little
attention is given to the barriers, impeding its adoption. This study fills this
research gap by identifying the most significant barriers to adopting blockchain
technology for India's sustainable construction industry. The collected data were
analyzed via a two-stage PLS-SEM-artificial-neural-network (ANN) predictive
analytical approach. In total, 722 construction stakeholder surveys were conducted,
and the final model of barriers to adopting blockchain technology for sustainable
construction was statistically validated. This study's findings suggest that
significant organizational, technological, cultural, legal, security and government
barriers limit the adoption of blockchain technology for sustainable construction
in India. These findings also imply that effective legislative processes and
economic incentives are crucial for ensuring blockchain technology integration into
sustainable construction and for efficient implementation of practices. As a
further step, a roadmap is developed to support decision-makers in overcoming these
barriers in the short, medium, and long terms. Finally, multi-tiered strategies
that construction mapping, sustainability, and integration should be adopted to
ensure the successful integration of BT into sustainable construction practices in
India. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Singh, J., et al. (2023). "Drivers, barriers and practices of net zero economy: An
exploratory knowledge based supply chain multi-stakeholder perspective framework."
Operations Management Research 16(3): 1059-1090.
Over the past decade, there has been a constant spotlight on introducing
sustainability in the supply chain (SC). The materialistic human greed for
production and consumption has led to a radically increased level of greenhouse
gases. SC has become its principal contributor. We are addressing this socio-
economic environmental challenge by developing a multi-stakeholder framework and
focusing on a knowledge-based net zero supply chain, as there are no concrete
existing studies that have investigated current state-of-the-art operations in this
relevant field. Therefore, this research has been conducted to investigate the
drivers, barriers and practices through which net zero economy (NZE) can be
attained in a knowledge-based SC. In this regard, the paper conducts an exploratory
systematic review of selected articles from peer-reviewed journals. The findings
indicate that primary stakeholders (i.e. organisations and suppliers) require to
take an active role in bringing about sustainable changes in practice. However,
external perspectives (i.e. government, society, consumers and community) have also
been identified as sources that create challenges as well as have the potential to
aid sustainable industrial practices. Additionally, progress can be enhanced
through proper policies, regulations and a knowledge-based conceptual framework to
pave the way for a sustainable environment. Proper practices for NZE also provide
scope for economic growth through cost-effective production. This paper will be
beneficial for practitioners as well as policy makers on a global scale who aim to
attain NZE for sustainability. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Sinkovics, N., et al. (2021). "The business responsibility matrix: a diagnostic

tool to aid the design of better interventions for achieving the SDGs."
MULTINATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW 29(1): 1-20.
Purpose This paper aims to propose an integrative framework that enables the
mapping of firm activities along two dimensions of responsible business behavior: a
width and a depth dimension. Width includes associative, peripheral, operational
and embedded responsibility. In terms of depth, we identify delinquent, neutral,
nascent, enhanced and advanced levels of responsibility.
Design/methodology/approach The responsibility matrix is developed by drawing on
the literature and the ambition to provide a more nuanced map of a firm's
activities and its contributions toward the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Findings The matrix enables the classification of firm activities into different
functional categories based on how they relate to a firm's business model. Further,
the meaningfulness of each activity can be identified by determining its depth.
Research limitations/implications Mapping all the relevant activities of a
multinational firm onto the responsibility matrix enables managers and policymakers
to identify areas where transformation is most needed. Further, multinational firms
can use the matrix to map the activities of their value chain partners and design
more effective standards and interventions. Practical implications The business
responsibility matrix represents a diagnostic tool that enables the detailed
mapping of firm capabilities and the identification of areas where further capacity
building is necessary and where pockets of excellence exist. Social implications
The responsibility matrix offers a benchmarking tool for progress that can be used
in conjunction with existing guidelines and initiatives such as the United Nations
(UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the UN Global Compact and the
Global Reporting Initiative. Originality/value The responsibility matrix
acknowledges that firms can engage with the SDGs through different types of
activity (width dimension). Simultaneously, it recognizes that activities in the
same category can have varying levels of effectiveness (depth dimension).

Smith, H., et al. (2022). "SMEs engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals:
A power perspective." JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 149: 112-122.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a call to action for
governments, companies and communities to rebalance the relationship between the
economy, the environment and society. Although companies represent a vital partner
in achieving the SDGs, the discussion about the involvement of Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) in such goals is scarce. Drawing upon the 'powercube' approach,
this research investigates what sustainable development means to SMEs, how they
view the SDGs and why they engage - or do not engage - with such goals. Sixteen
face-to-face interviews were conducted within rural and urban locations in the UK.
The results show that although SMEs are interested in sustainable development,
power dynamics impede their understanding and implementation of SDGs guidelines.
This research offers to SME managers actionable insights on SDGs' implementation
strategies and it provides a research agenda on how institutions and stakeholders
can facilitate SMEs adoption of SDGs.

Šneiderienė, A., et al. (2020). "Green growth assessment discourse on evaluation

indices in the european union." Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues 8(2):
360-369.
Investigating green growth is a continuing scientific concern within
academia, governments, and international organizations in recent years. This paper
analyzes the discourse on green growth assessment methods. There are three primary
aims of this study: 1. To identify factors influencing or stimulating green growth.
2. To analyze sets, frameworks, and indices of green growth indicators designed by
international organizations and scientists. 3. To develop the Green Growth
evaluation Index and to validate it on the assessment of green growth status of the
European Union countries. The methodological approach taken in this study is a
mixed methodology based on data analysis, generalization, and index assessment. The
study offers important insights into the discourse on green growth evaluation,
analyzes green growth measurement tools, and provides the Green Growth Index which
can be applied to evaluate green growth in developing and developed countries.
Secondary data have been collected from Eurostat, the World Bank databases, and
UNDP Human Development Reports for the year 2018. The results show that green
growth is uneven in the European countries; the Green Growth Index and all three
pillars vary between countries due to the fact that several countries lag behind
all the indicators included in the Green Growth Index. © Entrepreneurship and
Sustainability Center. All rights reserved.

Sohail, K., et al. (2023). "Developing business incubation process frameworks: A

systematic literature review." Journal of Business Research 162.
The business incubation process has proven increasingly important for
startups, and there are now over 10,000 incubators globally, as well as a
significant body of literature on the incubation process with an array of
discussions on its interventions and outcomes. It is thus now important to
synthesize the available literature on how different frameworks can shape specific
outcomes of the incubation and provide a research agenda for the future. Drawing on
the Context, Intervention, Mechanism, and Outcome (CIMO) framework, we analyze and
synthesize four key literature streams: incubator typology; incubator impact and
stakeholders; resources, capabilities and technology; and knowledge transfer and
incubator performance. The study facilitates a better understanding of the
incubation process and the mechanisms used to shape specific outcomes and
performance. It also discusses future directions of research, and help policymakers
and incubation managers design interventions according to the specific incubator
type and incubation process context. © 2023 The Author(s)

Soluk, J., et al. (2023). "Small steps for the big hit: A dynamic capabilities
perspective on business networks and non-disruptive digital technologies in SMEs."
Technological Forecasting and Social Change 191.
This study explores how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) build on
business networks to develop dynamic capabilities that ultimately foster the
adoption of non-disruptive digital technologies (DT). Multiple mediation analysis
is used to test this relationship, drawing on cross-industry secondary data from
1470 British SMEs. The results reveal that SMEs rely on business networks to
support non-disruptive DT adoption. This relationship is mediated by the parallel
effects of three dynamic capabilities (HR, strategic planning, and marketing
capabilities). However, the results do not hold for each domain-specific dynamic
capability. The mediating effect is particularly driven by marketing capabilities,
while HR capabilities negatively affect DT adoption. These findings highlight the
underlying mechanisms by which SMEs can enhance their adoption of non-disruptive DT
in their daily operations and processes, which have the potential to strengthen
their value proposition. © 2023 The Author(s)

Soni, V., et al. (2023). "Adaptive distributed leadership and circular economy
adoption by emerging SMEs." JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 156.
Extant literature has identified the role of leadership skills in
facilitating circular economy (CE) adoption. However, this claim is underexplored
in the empirical literature. Similarly, examining the nexus in small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) from an emerging market context is limited. We address
these gaps by exploring CE through the adaptive distributed leadership lens and
developing a theoretical model for business innovation. We collected data using
semi-structured interviews with 30 process-intensive SME managers in India. The
findings suggest that distributed leadership facilitates CE adoption. It emphasises
the importance of an environment where power-sharing, delegation, decision-making,
authority-sharing, and a collaborative mindset are permitted. These invariably
develop trust, skill sets and employee confidence, facilitating CE adoption. Our
research offers several theoretical contributions. First, we highlight the
relevance of the human element in CE adoption by emphasising the role of
distributed leadership. We also contribute to the distributed leadership literature
by showing its relevance to understanding significant business transformations such
as adopting CE practices. Furthermore, we provide a model that demonstrates the
conditions necessary to facilitate innovation and a creative organisational
culture. Our study is one of the first to explore the importance of distributed
leadership in facilitating CE practices. The findings provide practical insights
into how CE can be adopted in SMEs, especially in emerging markets.

Spadafora, M. and M. Rapaccini (2024). "Bridging the gap between servitization and
social innovation." Journal of Cleaner Production 452.
This paper explores the social implications of servitization and unveils the
connections between servitization and social innovation. To substantiate these
claims, the research elucidates three core concepts of social innovation, namely
processes, instruments, and outcomes. The processual view of social innovation
examines how societal changes unfold; the instrumental view focuses on tools and
mechanisms driving these changes; and last the outcomes view analyses the resultant
benefits. The paper reviews systematically the literature on the social impacts of
servitization and, based on the mentioned views uses the literature findings to
inductively develop three propositions and demonstrate that servitization can
represent a form of social innovation, thus capable of profoundly reshaping
industrial societies and contributing to progress and people's well-being. In sum,
the paper shows the social implications and benefits related to servitization of
manufacturing firms and suggests the research priorities in this domain for
servitization scholars. © 2024 The Authors

Srisathan, W. A., et al. (2020). "The intervention of organizational sustainability

in the effect of organizational culture on open innovation performance: A case of
thai and chinese SMEs." Cogent Business and Management 7(1).
Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are largely encouraged to take an
open innovation model as a systematic area for R&D to expand networks in science
and technology operation (Sci-Tech), especially in Thailand and China. Our paper
examines the relationship between organizational culture (OC) and open innovation
performance (OIP) of SMEs and the mediating effect of organizational sustainability
(OS). Our investigation of 300 SMEs from different business industries in Thailand
and China reveals that organizational sustainability significantly intervenes in
the interaction of organizational culture and open innovation performance. From the
findings, it is established that organizations should set robust and appropriate
strategies for organizational sustainability to have excellent innovation outputs
in SMEs’ performance. This paper also shows the significant effect of
organizational culture on organizational sustainability in that cultural
characteristics maintain the core business competencies in terms of marketing,
operations, customer orientation, capital management, and monitoring & evaluation
for sustainability. Such elements of organizational sustainability operate in a
significant mediator contribution to SMEs’ performance to manage open innovation.
As a practical contribution, this paper suggests managers realize the crucial
elements of organizational culture, such as leadership, teamwork, and
organizational climate, to improve performance by combining organizational
sustainability in their strategic decisions made during the open innovation
processes. © 2020, © 2020 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed
under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.

Srisathan, W. A., et al. (2023). "Assessing the effectiveness of open innovation

implementation strategies in the promotion of ambidextrous innovation in Thai small
and medium- sized enterprises." JOURNAL OF INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE 8(4).
The adoption of open innovation practices is becoming increasingly important
for SMEs seeking to remain competitive in today's fast-paced business environment.
The aim of this study is to understand the imple-mentation of open innovation
processes by SMEs while highlighting two critical processes: open innovation
implementation (OII) and open ambidextrous innovation practices (OAIP). The study
employes a second-order factor analysis incorporating multigroup structural
invariance analysis to explore the differences in ambidextrous innovation practices
across SME size categories using a sample of 615 SMEs in Thailand. The primary
finding reveals and confirms a statistically significant positive relationship
between the implemen-tation of open innovation and the advancement of ambidextrous
innovation practices. This relationship underlines the importance of embracing open
innovation, as it fosters ambidextrous innovation, thereby enabling fresh
perspectives, accelerating creativity, and facilitating knowledge exchange. Three
categories of MSMEs-microenterprises, small enterprises, and medium-sized
enterprises-are shown to be well posi-tioned for adopting open innovation
strategies, each demonstrating a significant ability to foster open inno-vation
practices. In the study, practical and policy recommendations for business
practitioners and policy-makers are presented, emphasizing the importance of
understanding the organizational, managerial, techno-logical, and contextual
factors that underpin successful open innovation implementation. A novel structural
second-order factor model that deepens our understanding of the complex
relationships between open inno-vation processes is also introduced, offering
valuable insights for academic researchers. In conclusion, this study emphasizes
the importance of SMEs embracing open innovation practices and promoting ambidex-
trous innovation for sustained success and growth, and key strategic takeaways are
proposed based on the empirical item-scale results. & COPY; 2023 The Author(s).
Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. on behalf of Journal of Innovation &
Knowledge. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Staicu, D. (2021). "Characteristics of textile and clothing sector social

entrepreneurs in the transition to the circular economy." Industria Textila 72(1):
81-88.
The limits of the present take-make-waste business model are extremely
visible when examining the textile and clothing industry. The concept of circular
economy gained traction, which has led to the creation of policy actions throughout
the life cycle of a product and at disposal. Transitioning from linear to circular
economy business models requires significant value-chain changes in both production
and consumption patterns. Existing circular business models are paving the way
towards a paradigm shift. However, the literature has not retained much empirical
evidence about these sustainabilityoriented innovators which are invisible and work
in anonymity. This study provides a simple, yet rich and unique overview of the
characteristics of circular economy business models in the textile and clothing
sector in Romania, identified through qualitative analysis performed on the entire
population of sustainability-oriented innovators identified in Romania in the
textile and clothing sector in a previous study done by the same author. The data
was collected using a structured questionnaire with 37 questions connected to four
areas: human resources, legal and fiscal framework, customers and communication,
and materials, tools or technology employed. With a 100% response rate, the real
significance of this paper is that it may have discovered the real contribution of
these agents of change in the circular economy, functional circular business models
which have never been studied before as a population. © 2021 Inst. Nat. Cercetare-
Dezvoltare Text. Pielarie. All rights reserved.

Stalmokaite, I., et al. (2023). "Revival of wind-powered shipping: Comparing the

early-stage innovation process of an incumbent and a newcomer firm." BUSINESS
STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 32(2): 958-975.
Despite the urgency of decarbonising, the shipping sector has demonstrated a
slow-paced response to climate change challenges. Some frontrunner firms are
engaged in sustainability-oriented innovation processes. However, there is limited
knowledge of how such processes emerge and contribute to societal sustainability
transitions and what the role of technology is in companies' (re)orientation
towards sustainable business models. This study contributes to filling these gaps
through a comparative case study of the ongoing innovation process within an
incumbent and a newcomer firm developing wind-powered energy solutions for deep-sea
transportation. The study's findings bear implications for theory and practice.
This paper's combination of a dynamic capabilities approach and a multi-level
perspective from sustainability transitions research is a conceptual novelty,
enabling an understanding of the activities involved in the (re)orientation process
towards sustainable business from a company's perspective, as well as broader
societal and sustainability needs.

Strazzullo, S., et al. (2024). "Industry 4.0 as an Enabler of Open Innovation."

IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 71: 9388-9401.
A growing body of literature surrounds Open Innovation (OI) initiatives and
Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. However, despite the growing interest by
academics, practitioners, and policymakers in both domains, the link between the
two remains underinvestigated from an empirical point of view. This article
addresses this gap in knowledge by leveraging 16 semistructured interviews with
practitioners involved in both the I4.0 context and OI initiatives. This article
provides two main contributions. First, it identifies a series of I4.0 technologies
(e.g., Big Data, advanced manufacturing) enabling OI initiatives (e.g.,
crowdfunding, cocreation). Second, it identifies and examines the benefits and
challenges of adopting such I4.0 technologies. The benefits include improved data
management, reduced time to market, improved production phase, and increased client
satisfaction. The challenges include the lack of capabilities, resistance to
change, and security issues. The exploratory nature of this study triggers exciting
future research opportunities about OI initiatives and I4.0 technologies. © 1988-
2012 IEEE.

Strielkowski, W., et al. (2022). "Dominant trends in intersectoral research on

funding innovation in business companies: A bibliometric analysis approach."
Journal of Innovation and Knowledge 7(4).
Our paper develops theoretical and methodological principles of grounding
assessing the dominant trends in intersectoral academic research related linked to
the main tools and instruments of funding innovations in business companies. We
employ the analytical approach as well as the two-stage bibliometric analysis of
scientific articles published in the past 80 years and indexed in Scopus abstract
and citation database which has been selected for its clarity, coverage, as well as
its scope. In addition, we employ the outcomes of analytical analysis conducted
using with the help of Google Trends tool. This approach described above allowed
allows us to compare the peak periods for the changing the search queries of main
concepts on this problem with the periods of the most significant events in the
innovation sphere and financial policy. Moreover, we apply the VOSViewer software
for identifying the dominant trends in intersectoral research related to funding
innovation of business companies, as well as for finding out which instruments for
the implementation of the financial policy implementation are more relevant for
academics and scholars. Our results from the first stage demonstrate that the
researchers’ focus on funding innovation of business companies and financial
regulation was targeted on such topics as tax, monetary, budget, and investment
instruments. Additionally, our results from the second stage additionally helped us
to determine the dominant trends in intersectoral research connected to each group
of the identified instruments. Thence, our findings contributed to the clustering
of the theory of funding innovation of business companies by structure and main
instruments. These results can be useful for by the multidisciplinary scientists,
entrepreneurs, investors, innovators, as well as other relevant stakeholders and
practitioners in making their everyday decisions on funding innovations in business
companies. © 2022 The Authors

Stubbs, W., et al. (2023). "Sustainable business models in 'lighthouse' small to

medium enterprises." JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION.
Addressing major global environmental and social challenges requires
transformation of the private sector. Small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
constitute 90% of private organisations globally, resulting in calls for research
into the strategic roles SMEs can play in shaping sustainable futures through
adopting sustainable business models (SBMs). The purpose of our study is to
understand the factors that allow SMEs to successfully adopt SBMs. We used an
exploratory qualitative approach drawing on interviews with SMEs implementing SBMs.
Our findings extend contemporary insights by revealing the important role of the
external support ('enabling') environment, and identifying-potentially
transformative-capabilities that can help steer SMEs' transitions to SBMs. These
include persistence, tenacity, flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to
learn and fail. They enable SMEs to successfully operate in times of uncertainty
and rapid changes in the external environment, and respond to new requirements
through changes to their business models.

Su, L. M., et al. (2022). "Blockchain-Driven Optimal Strategies for Supply Chain
Finance Based on a Tripartite Game Model." JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL AND APPLIED
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE RESEARCH 17(4): 1320-1335.
Applying blockchain to supply chain financing is an effective way to solve
the problems of financing difficulties, high financing costs, and slow financing
for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMZEs). Using evolutionary game theory,
this study constructs a tripartite game model and analyzes the influence of
blockchain technology on the evolutionary stability strategies for financial
institutions (FIs), core enterprises (CEs), and SMZEs, in which the default losses
of CEs and SMZEs are assumed to be dynamic. The results of this study are as
follows: (1) When CEs and SMZESs' default losses are lower than some critical
value, they tend to break their promises. (2) When accounts receivable are greater
than some critical value, CEs cannot repay on time because they can make a
relatively large profits from delayed repayment, whereas SMZEs can be constrained
to be trustworthy. Finally, the results using numerical simulation show that both
relatively large default losses and enough large, trustworthy income sources can
make CEs and SMZEs tend to keep their promises; in turn, CEs would be non-paying
and the SMZEs tend to be trustworthy for relatively large accounts receivable. The
results provide theoretical support for realizing healthy and sustainable
development for supply chain finance.

Suchek, N., et al. (2021). "Innovation and the circular economy: A systematic
literature review." Business Strategy and the Environment 30(8): 3686-3702.
The circular economy emerged as an alternative model to the linear system,
which now appears to be reaching its physical limitations. To transition to a
circular economy, companies must not only be aware of but also engage in more
sustainable practices. For such a transition, companies must rethink and innovate
their business models and the ways they propose value to their clients while
simultaneously considering environmental and social facets. This systematic
literature review sought to map out from the company perspective the key topics
interrelated with innovation and the circular economy, describing the internal and
external factors to consider in such transition processes. Key lines of research
were identified, and suggestions for future research and for facilitating movement
toward a circular economy are provided. This work contributes to deepening the
literature by identifying the priority areas concerning the circular economy and
encouraging future research that meets international standards of excellence. ©
2021 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published by ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sukri, N. K. A., et al. (2023). "An Analysis of Eco-Innovation Capabilities among

Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia." Administrative Sciences 13(4).
The objective of this study is to look at how Malaysian small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) are applying eco-innovation capabilities in order to sustain
their business performance. Eco-innovation capabilities are represented in this
study by five different types of practices, with the indication of unexpected
circumstances: eco-product innovation, eco-process innovation, eco-organisational
innovation, eco-marketing innovation, and eco-technology innovation. The
qualitative research approach was used in the study, and the content analysis was
based on in-depth interviews with six top-level managers/owners of Malaysian
manufacturing SMEs. According to the data, more than half of SMEs acquired eco-
innovation capabilities in order to continue their business performance and thrive
in the business sector, while having to confront certain hurdles due to unforeseen
situations. According to the findings, eco-innovation capabilities encourage SMEs
to engage in waste management, recycling or reusing resources, research and
development, sustainable goods that utilize customer requests, and the use of
environment management machines. Thus, the findings of this study may aid the
efforts of government agencies, policymakers, and top-tier manufacturing SMEs in
building an exceptional innovation platform on which SMEs may rely for assistance
and support in preserving their business performance in the future and beyond. ©
2023 by the authors.

Sumrin, S., et al. (2021). "Eco-innovation for environment and waste prevention."
Journal of Business Research 122: 627-639.
Ecological environment and awareness of waste management have pushed firms to
adopt innovation for attaining a competitive advantage. Firms are keen to adopt
eco-innovation packaging, to follow its responsibility towards the environment and
contribute to waste prevention. Regardless of innovative technological advancement,
expanding the number of global supply chains for items has prompted the utilization
of packaging and related waste all along the supply process. Consequently,
packaging causes difficulties and offers opportunities for environment. Innovation
in packaging has been studied as part of product eco-innovation, but mostly at an
anecdotal level. Research calls for studies to examine factors that make eco-
friendly packaging innovation more effective. This paper aims to examine the eco-
innovation of packaging to understand how managerial environmental awareness;
technological capabilities, human capabilities and organizational capabilities
contribute to the implementation of eco-design innovation in packaging and its
impact on waste prevention and brand. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.

Sun, J. J., et al. (2024). "The relationship between intrapreneurial capabilities

and development in high-tech SMEs in China." ASIAN JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
32(1): 160-181.
The deep-seated intersection between intrapreneurial activities and
innovation presents a new paradigm with innovation at its core. This study explores
the relationship between intrapreneurial capabilities and the development of high-
tech small and medium-sized enterprises (HTSMEs) and examines the role and impact
of ambidextrous innovation and knowledge heterogeneity. We employed a questionnaire
survey of 649 HTSMEs in China, and the data are analysed using structural equation
modelling. The results indicate that HTSMEs could achieve sustainable development
by improving their intrapreneurial capabilities, while ambidextrous innovation
plays a mediating role. When knowledge heterogeneity is introduced as a moderating
variable, the results indicate that knowledge heterogeneity has a negative partial
moderating effect on the relationship between intrapreneurial capabilities and
ambidextrous innovation. This study contributes to our understanding of
intrapreneurial capabilities by introducing balanced ambidextrous innovation and
knowledge heterogeneity. Ultimately, the results suggest that HTSMEs should focus
on building intrapreneurial capabilities and balance the needs of ambidextrous
innovation as a path to achieving sustainable development. However, firms need to
control the effect of internal knowledge heterogeneity in the innovation process.

Suriani, S., et al. (2024). "Driving cost efficiency through operational excellence
and sustainability of SMEs in Barru Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia."
International Journal of Management and Sustainability 13(2): 448-464.
This research aims to analyze the factors that influence the cost efficiency
and operational excellence of SMEs in Barru Regency, South Sulawesi. This research
also aims to examine the direct and indirect influence of the cost efficiency and
operational excellence on increasing SME productivity. Formulate a model for cost
efficiency, acceleration, and sustainability of SMEs in Barru Regency. This
research uses a qualitative-quantitative concurrent triangulation approach. Data
was collected through observation, in-depth interviews, surveys, and documentation
involving 219 respondents, and quantitative data was analyzed using SMART PLS. The
research results show that the factors that influence cost efficiency and
operational excellence in SMEs are technology, quality improvement, operational
resilience and continuity, and operational targets. Reviewing raw material costs
and direct labor costs for SMEs can achieve cost efficiency. Cost efficiency will
increase the competitive advantage of SMEs. Apart from that, there is a direct
influence of 63.8% and an indirect influence of 84.8% on cost efficiency and
operational excellence on the sustainability of SMEs, indirectly increasing
productivity in aspects of product quality, production continuity, and operational
targets will accelerate SMEs in Barru Regency. The study concluded that cost
efficiency drives SMEs acceleration by fostering operational excellence, which in
turn promotes SME sustainability. © 2024 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved.

Suryantini, N. P. S., et al. (2023). "THE SUSTAINABLE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF SMES

TOWARDS INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL: THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND STRATEGIC
FLEXIBILITY." Intellectual Economics 17(1): 30-56.
Purpose: This study examines sustainable competitive advantage in the SME
sector, which consists of three determinant factors: business performance, open
innovation, and intellectual capital. It also extends the accepted procedure to
include the effects of technology adoption and strategic flexibility.
Design/methodology/approach: The target sample consisted of 210 export SMEs in
Bali, Indonesia. This study employs a self-administered questionnaire distributed
to managers and key employees, with 630 surveys successfully collected and PLS-SEM
used to analyze the data. Findings: This study corroborates the notion that
intellectual capital is crucial in building sustainable competitive advantage.
Further, these results also highlight the roles of technology adoption and
strategic flexibility as strategic factors that reinforce intellectual capital and
indirectly affect sustainable competitive advantage. The results of this study
present an insightful understanding to theorists and managers regarding how the
sustainable competitive advantage of SMEs faces global competition.
Originality/value: This paper is the first study to integrate technology adoption
and strategic flexibility to enhance a sustainable competitive advantage-based
performance model in the SME sector. Research limitations/implications: The primary
limitation involves the data collected from SMEs in Indonesia. Given the difference
in SME managers’ attitudes and behaviors, the findings of this study are most
likely not able to be generalized. Practical implications: SME managers are
required to offer employees opportunities to transmit their knowledge into great
ideas. Consequently, managers are to innovate constantly, using relationships to
obtain knowledge, creating unique knowledge for the organization, and meeting
market expectations. © 2023 Mykolo Romerio Universitetas. All rights reserved.

Svensson-Hoglund, S., et al. (2021). "Barriers, enablers and market governance: A

review of the policy landscape for repair of consumer electronics in the EU and the
U.S." Journal of Cleaner Production 288.
Many strategies have been proposed to support the transition to a Circular
Economy (CE). In most cases, circular design and product life-extension practices
specify repair as an essential element. In both the EU and the U.S., policymakers
are attempting to increase the amount of repairs made, through the introduction of
recent EU Ecodesign regulation changes and proposed US Right to Repair legislation.
This review explores the current policy landscape for repair services by first
outlining legal and market barriers to stakeholder participation in repair
activities, and which stakeholders are affected. The review reveals a wide range of
fundamental obstacles to both supply and demand of repair, including Intellectual
Property, Consumer, Contract, Tax and Chemical laws, along with issues of design,
consumer perceptions and markets. Subsequently, the current and proposed policy
solutions to address barriers and increase repair activities are reviewed. A
comparative assessment of the EU and the U.S. is followed by a discussion on the
current repair market governance structure, which is found to be primarily
centralized (i.e. repair services concentrated with manufacturers), with possible
implications for upscaling repair. New policy proposals challenge this governance.
Introducing the concept of a Repair Society Framework as a market transformation
tool, we comprehensively discuss the current state of repair and provide an outlook
for research and policy in this area. © 2020 The Authors

Tandon, A., et al. (2024). "Challenges in sustainability transitions in B2B firms

and the role of corporate entrepreneurship in responding to crises created by the
pandemic." Industrial Marketing Management 118: 93-109.
The global emphasis on promulgating sustainable business operations has made
it imperative for B2B firms to transition toward sustainability, but these firms'
efforts seem to have been affected unduly by the COVID-19 pandemic. There is little
understanding of sustainability transition-related challenges that firms may have,
or are continuing to face, in the wake of the “new normal” business environment
created by the pandemic-related disruptions and these firms' responses thereof. We
address this gap by investigating the role of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) as a
panacea for such challenges, driven by past indications on CE's viability as a
strategy for promoting transitions toward sustainability. Using a longitudinal
qualitative research design, we collected data via Prolific Academic from 53
participants based in multiple countries through open-ended essays over two months.
Analyzing the data following the Gioia method, we find three main challenges
affecting B2B firms' sustainability transitions: (a) knowledge management, (b)
stakeholder support, and (c) resource constraints. Five CE and strategic choice-
related factors are found to vitally facilitate sustainability transitions and
assist firm employees in overcoming the identified challenges. The findings
highlight important implications for B2B organizations, emphasizing the need to
integrate entrepreneurial activities with sustainability initiatives and prompting
further research on resource optimization, knowledge dissemination, and stakeholder
education to enhance sustainability awareness. © 2024 The Authors

Taneja, S., et al. (2024). "Is FinTech Implementation a Strategic Step for
Sustainability in Today's Changing Landscape? An Empirical Investigation." IEEE
Transactions on Engineering Management 71: 7553-7565.
In today's changing landscape, digitalization and sustainability are the core
drivers for financial services industry transformation. While both concepts have
been researched in recent years, their intersection, often conceived as 'FinTech,'
remains underdetermined. The literature in this domain has emerged recently and is
characterized by a specific focus on isolated aspects of FinTech and does not
provide a comprehensive perspective on the topic yet. To fill this gap, this
article explores linkages between process-related indicators and sustainable
performance outcomes resulting from FinTech implementation. This article analyzed
the interplay of technology-organization-environment based FinTech framework
including sustainable technology orientation (STO), efficiency, environmental
performance, and organizational value creation (VC), through in-depth interviews
and a structural model. The comprehensive framework was tested using 303 survey
responses. The findings indicate the relative significance of proposed linkages of
the process-related indicators and the variables, namely STO, efficiency, and
environmental performance, leading to VC. The article contributes to the ongoing
debate on environmental sustainability through sustainable operations management
and VC using cutting-edge technologies. The managers can draw upon the findings to
improve their understanding of the factors for creating value through improved and
STO, efficiency, and environmental performance of FinTech applications. © 1988-2012
IEEE.

Tariq, A., et al. (2024). "Interlinking networking capabilities, knowledge worker

productivity, and digital innovation: a critical nexus for sustainable performance
in small and medium enterprises." JOURNAL OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 28(11): 179-198.
PurposeAs sustainable performance has a central role in the small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) performance literature, this study aims to examine the influence
of networking capabilities in enhancing sustainable performance through knowledge
workers' productivity and digital innovation. It also examines the sequential
mediating role of knowledge workers' productivity and digital innovation on
networking capabilities and SMEs' sustainable performance
relationship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 308 knowledge
workers in the information technology sector and analyzed using the Hayes Process
Macro bootstrapping method to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsResults indicate
that knowledge workers' productivity and digital innovation individually and
sequentially mediate the relationship between networking capabilities and SME's
sustainable (economic and environmental) performance, surprisingly, they do not act
as a mediator between networking capability and SME's social performance. SMEs
should prioritize investments in the professional development of their knowledge
workers through training and skill enhancement programs. This investment equips
knowledge workers with the tools to effectively use the knowledge and resources
acquired through networking. Thus, knowledge workers may improve performance by
using these resources to tackle challenges.Research
limitations/implicationsAlthough this research focused on this specific context, it
is prudent to acknowledge that additional factors may also exert influence on
sustainable performance within SMEs, factors that managers may consider when making
decisions. Methodologically, the cross-sectional design of this research poses a
potential limitation, as it does not allow for the complete elimination of
endogeneity concerns. However, it is worth noting that scholars have endorsed the
use of cross-sectional data in cases where management researchers aim to expand
beyond well-documented and longitudinal data sets.Practical implicationsThis
research offers practical recommendations for SMEs to improve their sustainable
performance through networking. SMEs should seek partnerships with complementary
knowledge to improve operations and for other performance-oriented
benefits.Originality/valueThis study adds significantly to the literature on
sustainable SME performance by studying the interdependent effects of networking
capabilities. It also represents the individual and sequential mediation mechanism
that links networking capabilities to SME success through knowledge worker
productivity and digital innovation.

Testa, S., et al. (2022). "Sustainability-oriented innovation in the agri-food

system: Current issues and the road ahead." TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL
CHANGE 179.
The agri-food system features prominently in discussions about sustainable
development because of its broad economic, social, and environmental impacts. To
examine how the agri-food system is responding - and can respond - to the grand
challenges of sustainability, we position this Special Issue (SI) within the stream
of sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) literature, and in relation to the
much-cited framework provided by Adams et al. (2016). This introductory article
contains an overview of the selected papers, described by using the above-mentioned
framework and by highlighting the contributions that these articles bring to fill
current knowledge gaps in the field. Such knowledge gaps have been identified by
investigating SOI links to sustain-ability and circular economy concepts and by
studying how SOI relates to development in the agri-food system. The contributions
to this SI explore different facets of the research agenda we have laid out and
covers the range of SOI proposed by Adams et al. To help the field move forward, we
finally identify a few areas as the most relevant for future research.

Testa, S., et al. (2024). "The role of electronic waste management solutions and
message framing in influencing consumer behaviours: Exploring the crowdfunding
context." Business Strategy and the Environment 33(2): 917-929.
Electronics waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing category of hazardous
solid waste in the world. While the generation of e-waste has recently attracted
the attention of a number of researchers, currently, there is little awareness on
its management, monitoring, and control among the consumers of crowdfunding
platforms. This is surprising because the supporters (backers) of crowdfunding are
usually considered as disruptive innovators by other stakeholders. In this light,
this research explores the role of e-waste management solutions and the formulation
of “message framing” in influencing consumer behaviours in crowdfunding contexts.
To do this, this study involves an in-depth investigation of fund-raising campaigns
focused on e-waste, which were promoted between 2009 and 2020, through
Kickstarter's reward-based crowdfunding platform. The results show that
environmentally sustainable projects focused on waste reduction and pollution
prevention are generating increased funds and triggering the interest of a number
of crowd investors who are willing to finance such laudable initiatives. At the
same time, the findings suggest that the fundraisers' elaborate framing messages on
environmental protection and on the preservation of the natural eco-systems can
increase the likelihood of the success of their crowdfunding projects. This
contribution contributes to both environmental management and to the crowdfunding
literature. In conclusion, it offers practical implications for sustainable
entrepreneurs who may resort to crowdfunding platforms to raise finance to decrease
the accumulation of e-waste from the planet, as well as for other stakeholders
including governments, policymakers, and public agencies. © 2023 ERP Environment
and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Thetlek, R., et al. (2024). "INNOVATION MANAGEMENT AND IMPACT ON SOCIAL ECONOMY: A
PERSPECTIVE OF COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY." Journal of Governance
and Regulation 13(1 Special Issue): 264-276.
Today’s economic, social, political, technological, and environmental changes
pose numerous challenges. Organisations that fail to adapt and reflect their
organisational culture struggle to meet objectives and survive. Successful
organisations must embrace innovation (Dah et al., 2022). Community enterprises
(CEs), also referred to as social enterprises, possess a distinct advantage when it
comes to tackling socio-economic problems in marginalised communities. The
significance of CEs in addressing social challenges and delivering inventive, long-
lasting, and impactful social solutions is steadily increasing (Ngatse-Ipangui &
Dassah, 2019). This study explains innovation management and the effect of CEs on
the social economy in Nan, Thailand. Through qualitative research, eight key
informants were interviewed to assess the influence of CEs in Nan, Thailand. Data
analysis involved content analysis and NVivo software. The findings revealed that
innovation management allows CEs to develop new ideas and procedures efficiently,
enhancing productivity, profitability, and flexibility. CEs contribute to economic
growth, inclusion, and societal well-being, particularly in the digital age. They
generate jobs, offer innovative services and products, promote sustainability, and
inspire hope for the future. Governments, administrations, and organisations should
support CEs striving to improve the social economy, as these initiatives benefit
both the community and society as a whole. © 2024 The Authors.

Thomson, L., et al. (2022). "A maturity framework for autonomous solutions in
manufacturing firms: The interplay of technology, ecosystem, and business model."
INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND MANAGEMENT JOURNAL 18(1): 125-152.
Significant advancements within the fields of digitalization,
electrification, and automation have enabled the development, testing, and
implementation of increasingly advanced autonomous solutions. Current examples of
industrial automation promise significant economic and sustainability-oriented
benefits for industrial customers. Yet, implemented autonomous solutions have
rarely advanced beyond 'islands of autonomy'. Although enabling initial
improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, they have not led
to the systemic process improvements that fully integrated site-wide solutions can
achieve. It is becoming increasingly clear that the major challenges in this shift
extend beyond technology to focus on business transformation and ecosystem
relationships. Yet, extant research offers few insights into these domains. There
is a need to develop a business-focused maturity framework for autonomous solutions
to contribute to a predominantly technical discourse and support equipment actors
and their wider ecosystems in commercializing autonomous solutions. Thus, the
purpose of this paper is to investigate how industrial equipment manufacturers can
align the development of technology, business models and ecosystem relationships
for the advancement of autonomous solutions. We build on case studies that include
32 interviews from four industrial equipment manufacturers and their extended
ecosystems of customers and partners. We capture our findings in a three-level
maturity framework for industrial autonomous solutions. This framework unwraps the
attributes of each level from the perspectives of technical system development,
ecosystem configuration, and business model design and is complemented by three
overarching principles for the successful commercialization of autonomous
solutions.

Tingbani, I., et al. (2023). "Environmental Tax, SME Financing Constraint, and
Innovation: Evidence From OECD Countries." IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management 70(3): 1006-1025.
This article examines the impact of an environmental tax on small and medium
enterprise (SME) innovation and how SME financing constraint moderates this
relationship. Given the paucity of research on the implications of financing
constraints on SMEs' green innovative activities, the article adopts cross-country
panel data to investigate the impact of environmental tax on SME's innovative
activities across 24 OECD countries for the period 2000-2019. Results from our
article indicate that an increase in environmental tax leads to a decrease in SME
innovation. Furthermore, we also find that financing constraint positively
moderates the relationship between environmental tax and SME innovation. Our
findings shed new light on the theoretical and practical implications of financing
constraints on SMEs' green innovative activities. Managerial Relevance Statement:
This article aims to create awareness amongst managers of the implication of
environmental tax on SMEs financing constraints, thereby requiring managerial
decisions and strategies to avoid attracting environmental taxes to help them
innovate. Thus, the results of this article will assist SMEs managers in responding
to the impact of environmental taxes by pursuing policies that mitigate the impact
of environmental taxes. Besides, evidence of how SMEs. financing constraint
moderates the relationship between environmental tax and SMEs. innovation has been
provided in this article to guide managers. © 1988-2012 IEEE.

Tolentino-Zondervan, F. and L. DiVito (2024). "Sustainability performance of Dutch

firms and the role of digitalization: The case of textile and apparel industry."
Journal of Cleaner Production 459.
The textiles and apparel industry is a major contributor to economic
development while at the same time being one of the most polluting industries due
to its lengthy supply chain and resource intensive production operations. To
address these sustainability challenges, digitalization is seen as one of the
potential solutions. Using the lens of sustainability and digitalization in Supply
Chain Management (SCM), this paper analyses the sustainability and digitalization
status of Dutch textile and apparel firms. We used a mixed methodology of
quantitative text mining of 94 Dutch textile and apparel firms as well as
qualitative thematic and coding analysis of experts’ views and opinions on
sustainability and digitalization in the Dutch textiles and apparel industry.
Quantitative analysis of website data shows that Dutch textile and apparel firms
predominantly communicate the environmental, to a lesser extent social, and least
of all economic sustainability factors. Keyword analysis also shows that the use of
technological keyword indicators is less prominent, while certain technologies such
as IoT, sensors and blockchain correlate mostly to environmental sustainability
factors. Moreover, qualitative analysis reveals that to address sustainability via
digitalization, it is important to link sustainability goals to Key Performance
Indicators, which requires data for traceability. We recommend firms to: (1) re-
evaluate their business models and assess the extent traceability can be
incorporated in their sustainability strategy; (2) enhance stakeholder
collaboration within and outside the supply chain to utilize traceability; and (3)
proactively use traceability information to improve transparency and accountability
to meet legal requirements and address greenwashing. This study contributes to
literature by showing the importance of traceability for (a) linking sustainability
and digitalization in SCM, b) achieving the ultimate goals of transparency and
accountability, and c) predicting demand and supply to address overproduction and
waste in the textiles and apparel sector. © 2024 The Authors

Torrent-Sellens, J., et al. (2023). "Boosting environmental management: The

mediating role of Industry 4.0 between environmental assets and economic and social
firm performance." Business Strategy and the Environment 32(1): 753-768.
The adoption of new innovative ecosystems linked to Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in
industrial firms has created new opportunities for performance. In this study, we
investigate whether I4.0 can reinforce environmental asset management in achieving
firm economic and social performance. We intend to contrast the existence of I4.0-
based reward mechanisms for being green. Using a panel of 1028 Spanish industrial
firms in 2009–2016 period and a partial least squares structural equation modelling
econometric methodology, the research has obtained two main results. First, the
management of environmental assets generates positive effects on the economic and
social performance of the industrial firm. Second, research findings confirm the
mediating role of I4.0, which ends up reinforcing the relationship between
environmental assets and the economic and social firm performance. The results
obtained highlight the importance of complementary relationships between digital
and environmental transformation to promote firm performance. Implications for firm
strategy and business models are also discussed. © 2022 The Authors. Business
Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons
Ltd.

Toxopeus, H., et al. (2021). "How can firms access bank finance for circular
business model innovation?" BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 30(6): 2773-2795.
Access to bank finance has emerged as a key challenge for firms engaged in
circular business model innovation (circular BMI), both in practice and in the
academic literature. Through interviews, focus groups and archival documents, we
document the experience of firms accessing finance for circular BMI and assess bank
willingness to lend to firms that engage in circular BMI. Our findings offer
potential strategies for firms who look for external (bank) finance to realise
circular BMI. Using a case study-based theory-refining approach, we identify three
core strategies that firms can use to obtain bank finance for circular BMI. First,
firms can signal future cash flow expectations by aiming to secure customer
contracts and preorders. Second, relationship building with banks, suppliers and
customers improves the banks' risk perception of firms. Third, firms can design
standardised, long-lasting circular assets that can serve as bank collateral,
especially once secondary markets develop, overcoming the difficulty of lending
based on innovative, firm-specific assets.

Trevisan, C. and M. Formentini (2024). "Digital Technologies for Food Loss and
Waste Prevention and Reduction in Agri-Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature
Review and Research Agenda." IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 71: 12326-
12345.
Despite the benefits resulting from the use of Industry 4.0 technologies in
the agri-food sector, the adoption of digital technologies for preventing and/or
reducing food loss and waste (FLW) across the agri-food supply chain is still under
investigation. In fact, enhancing and optimizing agri-food supply chain operations
through digital technologies would just represent a partial effort if FLW
prevention and reduction are not effectively addressed. Although companies are
starting to adopt digital technologies for eliminating FLW from their operations,
the implementation process and the achieved results are generally presented at a
superficial level and practical guidance is still missing. This systematic
literature review contributes to theory by developing a framework analyzing the
state-of-the-art of adoption of each Industry 4.0 technology across the agri-food
supply chain, and providing a research agenda structured around the main themes of
research design, digital technologies, contextual differences, governance, and
sustainability. Eventually, the study also informs managers in the agri-food
industry about the potential implementation of digital technologies for preventing
and reducing FLW in across the agri-food supply chain. © 1988-2012 IEEE.

Trischler, J., et al. (2020). "A service ecosystem perspective on the diffusion of
sustainability-oriented user innovations." JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 116: 552-
560.
This article conceptualizes the diffusion of user innovations from a service
ecosystem perspective. With the focus on sustainable innovations, the service
ecosystem is evaluated, along with other systemic innovation concepts, as a
possible theoretical basis for explaining the first adoption and diffusion of user
innovations. It is proposed that an ecosystem perspective contributes three
assumptions that help to better understand the (non)diffusion of sustainability-
oriented user innovations: (1) innovation diffusion is a mull-level and -actor
phenomenon; (2) an actor-to-actor orientation integrates user innovators into the
ecosystem; (3) the service perspective defines innovation diffusion as an evolving
co-created process. The assumptions are translated into policy implications and
future research requirements for moving towards an innovation infrastructure that
considers the role and contribution of users in sustainable innovation.

Troise, C., et al. (2023). "How Can SMEs Use Crowdfunding Platforms to
Internationalize? The Role of Equity and Reward Crowdfunding." Management
International Review 63(1): 117-159.
Despite the exponential growth of crowdfunding in recent years, research on
the role it plays in business internationalization is still embryonal. Building on
the Resource Based View (RBV) and Knowledge Based View (KBV), this study explores
how SMEs can use equity crowdfunding (ECF) and reward crowdfunding (RCF) to
internationalize and the related potential limitations. Using an inductive
qualitative research design, based on multiple case studies of Italian SMEs, our
study showed that ECF and RCF models help SMEs in acquiring the financial resources
needed to internationalize and, at the same time, offer significant added value to
their internationalization. Our findings support the idea that ECF and RCF play a
key role in helping companies to overcome their resource limitations in regard to
internationalization, not only in terms of the provision of financial resources
but, above all, by compensating for any lack of knowledge on aspects relevant to
the internationalization process. Furthermore, our results show the limitations of
SMEs use of crowdfunding in order to internationalize (i.e., a lack of ad hoc e-
commerce policies in relation to equity crowdfunding and to the regulation of the
pre-ordering mechanism in the reward model). This paper concludes by discussing the
theoretical and managerial contributions to the international business domain, and
highlighting fruitful avenues for future studies. © 2022, The Author(s), under
exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Troise, C., et al. (2023). "Small and medium enterprises and sustainable business
models: Exploring enabling factors for adoption." JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT &
ORGANIZATION.
An increasing number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are focusing on
sustainable development and on embracing sustainable business models (SBMs).
Despite the growing interest of academics and practitioners in SBMs, and the
benefits for stakeholders, there is limited knowledge regarding the factors
enabling SME transition toward SBMs, leading them to integrate sustainable
principles in their BMs. This study explores the enabling factors for SBM adoption
by SMEs and provides an improved understanding of this recent phenomenon.
Understanding what factors enable adoption of SBMs is crucial for both SMEs and
policymakers. The research uses an inductive qualitative research design approach
focused on multiple case studies. The findings reveal that both internal and
external factors play a key role in enabling SME transition toward SBM adoption.
The internal factors that emerged include openness, change of mindset, problemistic
search, social exchange, and resource valorization, while external factors included
markets change, technological innovation, stakeholders' influences, policy and
institutions.

Tuni, A., et al. (2024). "Risks in circular business models innovation: A cross-
industrial case study for composite materials." Business Strategy and the
Environment 33(4): 2771-2787.
Circular business models (CBMs) are key enablers to implement circular
economy (CE), yet they entail risks, which often discourage organisations. This
work aims to explore the main risk factors perceived by the manufacturing industry
in transitioning to CBMs to enable the development of appropriate risk management
strategies. A cross-industrial multiple-case study research design was used to
explore risk factors across seven organisations planning the transition to CBMs for
composite-based products and involving three different CBM types—‘Circular
Supplies’, ‘Product Life Extension’ and ‘Hybrid’. Results evidenced that risks are
multi-disciplinary but are not equally perceived across different CBM types.
Customers' perceptions of CE products, economic cycle and take-back systems were
prevalent across all CBMs. Supply and technological risks were prioritised for
‘Circular Supplies’ CBM, whereas political and regulatory risks for ‘Product Life
Extension’ CBM. This research contributes to the CE field by evaluating and
prioritising the perceived risk factors in transitioning to CBMs and first
disaggregating such risk factors according to CBM types. Critical risk patterns
identified across different industries and CBM types enable mitigating actions to
be prioritised. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment published
by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tuni, A., et al. (2023). "Risk assessment for circular business models: A fuzzy
Delphi study application for composite materials." Journal of Cleaner Production
389.
Circular economy (CE) implementation requires the transition from linear
business models (BMs) to circular ones, with related uncertainties and multi-
disciplinary risks, which often discourage organisations. However, there is still a
lack of understanding of risks associated with this process. This work thus aims to
identify, classify and prioritise key risk factors for innovative circular BMs in
order to enable the development of appropriate risk management strategies. A fuzzy
Delphi method was tailored to assess the risk factors obtained from the literature
and was applied to the industrial case of composite materials. 24 major risk
factors for innovative circular BMs were identified and classified into six
categories. The probability and impact of the risk factors were evaluated by
experts and the risk factors were then ranked by calculating their risk scores. The
resultant major risks appeared to be related to the external context in which
organisations operate. Among those risks, the greatest were those generated by
take-back systems and low customers’ acceptance of CE products. This research is
the first to address risks for circularity in a structured way and contributes to
the field of CE by providing an extensive list and classification of risk factors
for innovative circular BMs as they are perceived by industry, acting as a
reference for academics and practitioners. Furthermore, it provides the first
evaluation and prioritisation of risk factors within the CE domain, highlighting
critical risks within the specific industrial context of composite materials and
suggesting action priorities for the establishment of circular BMs. © 2023 The
Authors

Tura, N. and M. Laukkanen (2023). "Toward a sustainable sharing economy with

business model innovations in the clothing industry." R & D MANAGEMENT.
The sharing economy provides an interesting playground in which to innovate
business models with the aim of creating sustainable value. Despite the growing
interest in the topic, the relationship between sharing economy business models and
sustainability is still largely unknown. In this study, the focus is on examining
how to increase the utilization of unused or underutilized assets through business
models to create sustainable value. Based on the comprehensive analysis of
sustainability-oriented companies in the Finnish clothing industry, 11 business
model (BM) types with different internal development and cooperation levels were
identified, guiding the development of BMs toward sharing. By applying a
contingency theory, we identified different contingency factors interacting with BM
components and affecting the potential of these BMs to increase the sustainable use
of resources and move toward increased sustainable value creation. This new
understanding contributes especially to the call to study BM innovations in
contingent situations, and highlights the importance of considering the context
while analyzing the sustainable value creation potential of sharing economy BMs.

Türkeș, M. C. (2024). "Driving Success: Unveiling the Synergy of E-Marketing,

Sustainability, and Technology Orientation in Online SME." Journal of Theoretical
and Applied Electronic Commerce Research 19(2): 1411-1441.
In Romania, the pandemic and post-pandemic effects, coupled with the nearly
80% increase in internet service penetration, have led to an extraordinary
acceleration of e-commerce activity. Rising rents and operational costs, heightened
financial challenges, and the improved quality and accessibility of internet
connectivity have prompted some Romanian SMEs to sell their products and services
online or through other online communication networks. In this context, it becomes
essential to conduct marketing research to identify factors that could stimulate
business performance. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of e-
marketing orientation, sustainability orientation, and technology orientation on
the performance of online SMEs in Romania. Hypothesis testing and validation of the
proposed construct model were conducted using structural equation modeling with
partial least squares (SEM-PLS) and multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA). The research
results have indicated that all three independent variables have positive and
significant effects on online SMEs’ business performance. Finally, the study
suggests that SME managers should focus on integrating these three variables and on
selling products and services both nationally and internationally through the
internet if they aim for long-term business performance growth. © 2024 by the
author.

Uddin, M. B. (2022). "The effect of strategic commitment and supply chain

collaboration on operational and innovation performance." IIMB Management Review
34(4): 364-377.
This study focuses on the interaction between strategic commitment (SC),
supply chain collaboration (SCC), operational performance (OP), and innovation
performance (IP). Structural equation modelling was applied to test data collected
through a self-controlled questionnaire survey. Results show that SC has a
substantial direct influence on SCC, and direct and indirect influence on OP and
IP, respectively. SCC has a direct impact on IP and an indirect effect on OP. IP
has a substantial direct influence on OP. These results would be useful to managers
in building relations with their partners to enhance OP and IP, and in ensuring
supply chain effectiveness. © 2023

Ul-Durar, S., et al. (2023). "Integrating knowledge management and orientation

dynamics for organization transition from eco-innovation to circular economy."
JOURNAL OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT 27(8): 2217-2248.
Purpose - This study focuses on establishing relations with some important
but underestimated elements of knowledge dynamics and firm orientations to
characterize organizational circular economy activities through eco-innovation
(EIN). The advent of the circular economy (CE) in this post-pandemic era has
brought unpredictable sustainable challenges for the manufacturing industries. This
research paper aims to bring more clarity to the extant literature on the
relationship between environmental innovation (EI) and CE.
Design/methodology/approach - In this study, a systematic literature review
methodology was used to research the determinants of EI in the knowledge
environment that drives the implementation of a CE. Findings - This paper proposes
a framework that articulates organizational learning and orientation dynamics and
offers a new set of internal knowledge resources for a corporate CE. It is found
that change toward CE requires connection with EI. However, successful CE growth
largely depends on leveraging knowledge resources and orientation dynamics
(stakeholder orientation, sustainability orientation, organization learning
orientation and entrepreneurial orientation). CE techniques are still in their
early phases of adoption and their implementation is still in its development.
Circular knowledge economy (CKE) has the potential to be a useful alternative to
achieving thriving CE to achieve sustainability in local and global businesses
operations. Practical implications - This study helps companies to understand the
organizational learning and different orientation dynamics for achieving CE
principles. The research findings imply that EI is critical in establishing a
sustainable transition toward CE through organizational learning and orientation
dynamics and has garnered significant attention from academics, public policymakers
and practitioners. The proposed framework can guide managers to develop sustainable
policies related to the CE. This research recognizes that firm-level CKE is
important in shaping how knowledge resources relate to CE within transition
management literature.Originality/value - This paper abridges the knowledge gap in
identifying key drivers and presents the current eminence, challenges and
prognostications of sustainable EI parameters in the changing climate of CE. This
study builds a framework that combines insights from different viewpoints and
disciplines and extends one's understanding of the relationship between EI and CE.
From a theoretical perspective, this study explains the knowledge management
complexity links between EI and CE. It builds a theoretical bridge between EI and
CE to illustrate how firms transition toward CE following the recommendations.
Thus, researchers should continue to support their research with appropriate
theories that have the potential to explain EI and CE relationship phenomena, with
a particular emphasis on some promising but underutilized theories such as
organizational learning, dynamic capabilities and stakeholder theories.

Ullah, Z., et al. (2021). "Corporate social responsibility strategy, sustainable

product attributes, and export performance." Corporate Social Responsibility and
Environmental Management 28(6): 1840-1853.
The current article is one of the first studies to address the role of
corporate social responsibility strategy (CSRS) in the development of performance-
oriented sustainable product attributes (SPA) mix in manufacturing firms. We
specifically analyze whether the extent of SPA development by the firm's CSRS
matches SPA contribution in export performance or do firms need to adapt CSRS to
develop a performance-oriented SPA mix. The empirical analysis uses a panel dataset
of 433 manufacturing firms from the United States during 2002–2017. The findings
reveal the difference between SPA's outcome (contribution) and SPA development in
firms. Further analysis of disaggregated SPA explains the reasoning behind this
difference because the firm's CSRS' emphasis on developing distinct attributes of
SPA tends to mismatch the proportionate contribution of distinct attributes of SPA
in export performance. Our study contributes to SPA, CSRS, and export performance
literature by establishing the differences in performance contribution and
development of aggregated and disaggregated SPA in manufacturing firms. © 2021 The
Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published by
ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ünal, E. and V. K. Sinha (2023). "Sustainability trade-offs in the circular

economy: A maturity-based framework." Business Strategy and the Environment 32(7):
4662-4682.
The theoretical and practical understanding of sustainability implementation
has been changing in depth and scope. In particular, circular economy paradigms
(e.g., Cradle to Cradle or “C2C” practices) have enabled firms to rethink their
resource management behavior, resulting in distinct trade-off patterns among
different sustainability dimensions. Furthermore, while many established firms
remain reactive and market-oriented in their sustainability implementations,
sustainability-rooted firms proactively integrate sustainability practices into
their core business. The prior literature on sustainability trade-offs has unduly
focused more on established firms that predominantly indulge in market-oriented
decisions and trade-offs between profit and sustainability, lacking insights into
the approaches adopted by sustainability-rooted firms and trade-offs among the
different dimensions of sustainability. We performed a mixed-methods study to
address this gap and illustrated the rationale and dynamics of trade-offs among
five sustainability dimensions (i.e., material health, material reutilization,
renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness). We primarily focused on
firms in the United States and the European Union since they are the leading areas
in terms of circular economy adoption. We explained the pattern of sustainability
trade-offs and associated them with a three-stage maturity framework, namely, low-
hanging fruits, exploratory, and resource and time intensive. We contributed to the
theory by depicting the influence of resource allocation and sustainability
maturity level on trade-offs among the five dimensions of sustainability.
Practitioners can leverage our framework to better understand their sustainability
transformation and make more informed decisions for attaining higher levels of
sustainability with more impact. © 2023 The Authors. Business Strategy and The
Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Valdez-Juárez, L. E., et al. (2024). "Digital transformation and innovation,
dynamic capabilities to strengthen the financial performance of Mexican SMEs: a
sustainable approach." Cogent Business and Management 11(1).
The main purpose of the research is to analyze the effect that digital
transformation has on technological and non-technological innovation as key factors
that increase financial performance in SMEs. The study focuses on a sample of 4121
SMEs from the services, trade and manufacturing sectors, located in Mexico. The
data was collected through an online questionnaire addressed to the SMEs manager
through the LimeSurvey platform. The field work will be carried out from January to
July 2022. The PLS-SEM statistical technique was used to test the hypotheses of the
proposed theoretical model. The data show that digital transformation plays an
important role in a more decisive way in technological innovation and non-
technological innovation; In addition, it is also proven that innovation in its two
modalities has significant effects on the financial performance results of Mexican
SMEs. However, we have found that digital transformation has a small effect on the
financial performance of these companies. On the other hand, the study shows that
the sustainability strategy plays the role of a moderating variable, positively
affecting technological innovation and non-technological innovation. Furthermore,
the study explains that the male gender is the one that has had the best results in
innovation and financial performance. The study contributes to the development of
the theory of dynamic capabilities supported by the innovation model (DUI and STI).
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis
Group.

Valero-Gil, J., et al. (2024). "Navigating toward the promised land of

digitalization and sustainability convergence." Technological Forecasting and
Social Change 202.
In recent years, companies have updated their strategic goals, adding the
goal of digitalization to the already commonly accepted goal of sustainability. The
convergence between these two strategic goals, digitalization, and sustainability
(D–S) convergence, is the complete and conjoint attention to both strategic goals.
This paper analyzes this phenomenon in depth by studying the implementation of
sustainable and digital measures in companies. In doing so, we categorize firms'
strategies from less to more D–S convergence, analyzing the factors that promote
the full attention to both strategic goals, emphasizing those that enhance the
mentioned D–S convergence. The findings from the analysis of a sample of >16,000
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide reveal that companies that
devote more effort to business growth, innovation, exports and that perceive the
environment as favorable are more likely to achieve full D–S convergence. © 2024
The Authors

van Erp, T., et al. (2024). "Industry 5.0: A new strategy framework for
sustainability management and beyond." Journal of Cleaner Production 461.
Industry 5.0 (I5.0) can be described as the integration of sustainability,
resilience, and human-centricity into industrial value creation. A novel framework
for shaping a manufacturing strategy for the future Industry 5.0 paradigm is
proposed. The I5.0 strategy framework consists of two main elements: (1) a process
model and (2) a system model. The process model is based on the Design and
Operations (DesOps) methodology while the system model discusses a fluid physical
system as well as a fluid cyber system as relevant components of an I5.0
manufacturing system-of-systems. The research intends to contribute to the academic
and industrial discussion towards forming a more practical guideline for managing
the emerging I5.0 approaches and related technologies and to enable manufacturing
companies to improve and maintain their competitiveness in a future I5.0
environment. Additionally, the authors aim to expand the knowledge foremost in the
research field of strategy design and implementation by providing a decision-
support framework for facilitating sustainable, resilient, and human-centric value
creation. © 2024 The Authors
Veleva, V. (2021). "The role of entrepreneurs in advancing sustainable lifestyles:
Challenges, impacts, and future opportunities." Journal of Cleaner Production 283.
This paper examines the role of entrepreneurs in advancing sustainable
lifestyles (SLs) to address climate change and social inequity. It is based on
empirical study of eight U.S.-based sustainable entrepreneurs, focused on reducing
material consumption. While business has a key role to play, many large companies
are unwilling to promote SLs as this is contrary to their current business models
which are focused on growing consumption and sales. This presents an opportunity
for entrepreneurial companies with innovative business models who are passionate
about sustainability and social impact, and better positioned to take risks and
innovate. The research examined emerging business models for advancing SLs, key
success factors and challenges reported by the entrepreneurs, the social and
environmental impacts of their actions, and the future opportunities for scaling up
such practices. The study found that entrepreneurs are well positioned to address
simultaneously environmental and social issues, however, they lack resources to
effectively measure these impacts to demonstrate an overall positive benefit and
strengthen their value proposition. Promoting green attributes alone is not enough
to change the behavior of most consumers. It is critically important to emphasize
other benefits such as a product/service quality, time or cost savings, or social
impact. Social media, formal and informal sustainability networks, IT,
sustainability policies, and consumer awareness are key to developing viable
business models and competitive strategies that are difficult to replicate. The
study found that sustainable entrepreneurs often face “costly” sustainability
actions and lack the power to change „the rules of the game“; for this they need to
collaborate with other key stakeholders, including NGOs, policy makers, and
progressive companies. Based on the research findings the author proposes a new
framework for the role of sustainable entrepreneurs as civic and political actors
who not only offer innovative products and services, but help educate and influence
key stakeholders, develop informal sustainability ecosystem, and thus create
momentum for policy changes. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Vendrell-Herrero, F., et al. (2023). "Open and social: portraying the resilient,
social and competitive, upcoming enterprise." Journal of Enterprise Information
Management 36(1): 45-69.
Purpose: This article seeks to characterize and assess a new type of
resilient, socially conscious and competitive enterprise that simultaneously
encompasses open and social innovation – aligning both business and social outcomes
– and which will gain increasing importance in post-pandemic competitiveness.
Design/methodology/approach: A mixed method approach based on sequential deductive
triangulation analysis (QUAN/qual) is used. First, data gathered from the Chilean
innovation survey is used to quantify the percentage of firms implementing open and
social innovation simultaneously, and to assess their relative performance in
relation to other types of innovative firms. Second, a qualitative multiple-case
study analysis reveals the perceptions of senior managers regarding the
applicability of this approach in terms of building resilience and strengthening
future competitiveness in line with sustainable development goals. Findings: Social
innovation is a relatively rare event (7.2% of firms in the sample). While social
innovation occurs equally in monopolistic and perfectly competitive industries, the
authors’ findings suggest that in order to adopt social and open innovation
effectively, firms need to set entry barriers such as economies of scale. On the
other hand, open innovation is a more common event (15.4% of firms in the sample),
which correlates closely with absolute and relative performance indicators.
Moreover, the results suggest that open innovation enables a greater understanding
of societal needs, thus making social innovation more effective. Research
limitations/implications: Theoretical developments coupled with descriptive and
qualitative evidence reveal the innovative capabilities that up-and-coming
enterprises may possess. The findings suggest that at times of far-reaching
technological, social and political change, enterprises should share some of their
knowledge and resources with wider society. Only then will more equal, resilient
and cohesive societies be built. Originality/value: This article combines two
seemingly unrelated literature streams (open and social innovation) in order to
elucidate the enterprise of tomorrow, which will be capable of achieving
sustainable development whilst reaching high levels of competitiveness. © 2022,
Emerald Publishing Limited.

Venturelli, A., et al. (2022). "A dynamic framework for sustainable open innovation
in the food industry." British Food Journal 124(6): 1895-1911.
Purpose: This study aims to take a holistic perspective to investigate how
open innovation supports sustainability and the contribution to the Unite Nations
(UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: The study
is based on an in-depth single case study of Andriani SpA, a leading Italian
company in the food industry. The case is built by triangulating data from direct
observations, documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews. Findings: The
findings show an organization that has developed its competitive advantage by
adopting open innovation to embed sustainability in its strategy and business
model. The case study complements the understanding of how open innovation can
effectively drive strategic renewal and innovation activities to address
sustainability objectives in the food industry. Originality/value: This study
contributes to theoretical development by offering new and insightful explanations
of firms' strategic behaviour and coevolution toward sustainability via open
innovation. It provides practitioners, policymakers, researchers and students with
reflections and inspiration about how open innovation may be deployed to support a
holistic strategic renewal aimed at sustainability objectives, such as the SDGs, in
the food industry. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Verhulst, E., et al. (2024). "Editorial: Sustainability in Entrepreneurship and

Small-and Medium-Sized Enterprises." Management Revue 35(1): 1-9.

Vernier, M. F., et al. (2022). "Factors Influencing Profitability in Eco-design:

Lessons from European and Canadian Firms." Journal of Innovation Economics and
Management 39(3): 141-172.
Eco-design is a response to the collective desire to engage in sustainable
development combining innovation, environment, and profitability and participates
in the development of products that serve circular economy. While some authors
attempt to provide evidence on the link between eco-design and profitability, very
few analyze the drivers of profitability in this case. To reduce this gap, we try
to identify factors influencing profitability for eco-designed products. Through
direct collaboration with professional organizations, we conduct an original phone
survey with European and Canadian firms adopting eco-design. We perform an
econometric analysis using a robust order probit regression. The results prove that
regulation and market motivations are important factors to achieve superior
financial performance. Moreover, firms using rigorous eco-design tools increase the
probability to improve their financial performance. We demonstrate that in Europe
the motivations and characteristics of eco-design have significant effects on
profitability, in Canada only the latter is influential. © 2022 De Boeck Supérieur.
All rights reserved.

Veronica, S., et al. (2020). "Do stakeholder capabilities promote sustainable

business innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises? Evidence from Italy."
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 119: 131-141.
Sustainable innovation and its management have become fundamental forces for
change in business and society. Paradoxically, little attention has been given to
how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manage sustainable innovation in the
current knowledge-intensive context. By studying 80 SMEs from the high-tech
manufacturing sector in Italy, this research has found that, when combined with
stakeholder engagement, sustainable innovation management becomes a pivotal
phenomenon for new and established SMEs. Stakeholders proved instrumental in
generating the sense of environmental responsibility in SMEs. As a pioneer
combination of stakeholder theory and innovation management theory, our research
found that stakeholder-related capabilities, both tangible and intangible,
influence the firm's orientation towards sustainable innovation, its environmental
responsibility and related capabilities. Our research assists the sustainability,
adaptation, innovation and growth orientation of SMEs in a knowledge-intensive
environment by recommending that, in their relationship with stakeholders, SMEs
become more open to co-create, share and reuse environmental knowledge.

Viale, L., et al. (2022). "Eco-innovation in the upstream supply chain: re-thinking
the involvement of purchasing managers." Supply Chain Management 27(2): 250-264.
Purpose: In a context of ecological transition, this study aims to explore
and understand what fosters the participation of purchasing departments and
identify the drivers and difficulties encountered during the development of eco-
innovation within firms. Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopt a
qualitative methodology that provides tools to study complex phenomena. In-depth
interviews with highly knowledgeable respondents from multi-sectoral organisations
enable us to explore the eco-innovation process within firms. Findings: From the
perspectives of resource-based theory and stakeholder theory, the study contributes
to the literature by investigating firms’ internal resources and exploring further
dimensions based on sustainable supply chain management and purchasing. Internal
stakeholders (e.g. purchasing agents) and external stakeholders (e.g. suppliers)
were identified with regard to the business eco-innovation activities of focal
companies in relation to upstream stakeholders. The authors examine this complex
phenomenon by raising certain intra- and inter-organisational factors, as well as
more individual aspects, such as the sensitivity of the purchasing manager to
ecological transition. Purchasing agents are involved in increasing the propensity
of organisations to eco-innovate and, as internal stakeholders, appear to be
influential in eco-innovation. Research limitations/implications: Given the nascent
state of eco-innovation practice and accessibility to primary data about ongoing
efforts, this research could not consider all possible drivers. Practical
implications: This study presents an opportunity for purchasing managers to
understand challenges more comprehensively to add value within the eco-innovation
process. The results highlight recommendations for how best to undertake eco-
innovation in upstream supply chains. Originality/value: The study provides new
insights into the constituent resources needed for purchasing participation during
eco-innovation to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. This paper is an
initial attempt at research in the area. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Vieira Nunhes, T., et al. (2022). "Guidelines to build the bridge between
sustainability and integrated management systems: A way to increase stakeholder
engagement toward sustainable development." Corporate Social Responsibility and
Environmental Management 29(5): 1617-1635.
The balanced development and management of sustainability demands the
alignment of Corporate Sustainability (CS) strategy with management systems so that
sustainability can be effectively inserted into all organizational levels and thus
promote stakeholder engagement. Therefore, to support the development of CS, the
structure, processes, indicators, and instructions of Integrated Management System
(IMS) can be used. This study aims to propose guidelines for the alignment of CS
and IMS, based on the cross analysis of seven case studies. This objective was
achieved through the identification of elements that can positively or negatively
impact the alignment of CS with the IMS, which served as the basis for proposing
the guidelines to build a bridge for CS development from the IMS. This work brought
as a scientific contribution the upgrade of the block of knowledge on the
contributions between IMS and CS, bringing some validation of knowledge from
scientific articles in the real context of industrial companies, and additions and
refinements to the state of the art on the subject. In addition, the applied
contribution of the results stands out, which will provide managers with a
framework to intervene in organizations with structural modifications that will
make them greener, socially appropriate and more profitable, thus promoting the
achievement of the global goals of sustainable development proposed in Agenda 2030.
© 2022 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

von Delft, S. and Y. Zhao (2021). "Business models in process industries: Emerging
trends and future research." Technovation 105.
This article reviews the literature on business models in process industries.
The review reveals that the business model concept has gained an increasing amount
of attention in process-industrial research, but it also shows that the literature
exhibits a lack of construct clarity and that it is developing in different
domains, depending on the perspectives scholars have taken to study business models
in process industries. Specifically, while innovation management scholars have
explored the relationship between technological innovations and business models as
well as the process and outcomes of business model innovation, scholars from the
domain of production management have focused on value chain (re)configurations and
taken a system-based perspective to consider boundary-spanning exchanges with key
stakeholders in the design of business models. However, despite variance in the
perspectives, the review further shows that works in these divergent domains point
to a family of emerging themes and to common ideas that have not been explored
together. This allows us to identify the particularities of business models in
process industries and develop a definition of process-industrial business models,
which extends prior business model literature into the process industry context.
Furthermore, we synthesize these connections to develop an agenda for future,
cross-disciplinary research on business models in process industries that assists
cumulative theorizing and subsequent empirical progress. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

von Kolpinski, C., et al. (2023). "The impact of internal company dynamics on
sustainable circular business development: Insights from circular startups."
Business Strategy and the Environment 32(4): 1931-1950.
The circular economy is commonly acknowledged as a solution to ecological
problems such as resource depletion and waste emissions. New economic opportunities
emerge by transitioning from a linear to a circular economy and innovative business
models are needed to translate these opportunities into business reality. In recent
years, researchers have investigated a variety of approaches to circular business
models, but few studies have been conducted associating internal company dynamics
with sustainable circular business approaches. Consequently, the purpose of this
study is to investigate the internal dynamics of young and small-scale companies in
Germany that adopt a sustainable circular business model. This study focuses on
internal barriers, enablers, competences and drivers to sustainable circular
business model implementation. A case-based research design was applied, drawing on
semi-structured interviews with 12 founders of businesses and organisations with a
sustainable circular business model. The study develops four strategies to overcome
barriers to sustainable circular business model adoption in young and small-scale
companies: (1) human-centeredness in all activities affected by circular business
model adoption, (2) high commitment for circularity on the managerial level, (3)
requirement of special skills and competences and (4) consideration of cultural
aspects inside and outside the company. Further empirical research about
established and international incumbents with a sustainable circular business model
is needed to be able to compare the internal dynamics of big and small companies in
international contexts. © 2022 The Authors. Business Strategy and The Environment
published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Wang, H., et al. (2022). "Unconventional path dependence: How adopting product
take-back and recycling systems contributes to future eco-innovations." Journal of
Business Research 142: 707-717.
Eco-innovation (EI) allows organizations to achieve environmental and
economic gains but the conditions for successful EI to occur are unclear. This
paper proposes that firms can improve their EI performance by adopting circular
economy (CE) systems and technologies, such as product take-back and recycling. We
thus explore an unconventional, systems- and technology-driven path dependence
dynamic leading to higher EI performance because of prior CE commitments (instead
of managerial initiatives directly aimed at fostering EI). An analysis of 724 firms
shows that the adoption of such technologies and systems puts firms on a
sustainability path: firms benefit from making further changes to improve the
functioning of these systems, which in turn create the conditions and capabilities
for future EIs. Environmental supply chain policies thus mediate the relationship
as the firm adopting take-back and recycling needs to involve outside partners in
their administration. Neither environmental management systems nor data protection
policies act as mediators. This is the first quantitative study that considers
take-back and recycling and EI scores with a cross-national-cross-sectorial sample
size. The results indicate that firms should see the introduction of CE systems and
technologies as an opportunity for EI. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.

Wang, N., et al. (2024). "Big data analytics capability and social innovation: the
mediating role of knowledge exploration and exploitation." Humanities and Social
Sciences Communications 11(1).
While many organizations have successfully leveraged big data analytics
capabilities to improve their performance, our understanding is limited on whether
and how big data analytics capabilities affect social innovation in organizations.
Based on the organizational information processing theory and the organizational
learning theory, this study aims to investigate how big data analytics capabilities
support social innovation, and how knowledge ambidexterity mediates this
relationship. A total of 354 high-tech companies in China, this study shows that
big data analytics management, big data analytics technology, and big data
analytics personnel capabilities all have positive effects on social innovation. In
addition, both knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation play a mediating
role in this process. Furthermore, a polynomial regression and response surface
analysis shows that social innovation increases when knowledge exploration and
knowledge exploitation are highly consistent but declines when knowledge
exploration and knowledge exploitation are inconsistent. This study not only
provides new perspectives for understanding how big data analytics capabilities
contribute to social innovation, complementing the existing literature on big data
analytics capabilities and social innovation, but also provides important practical
guidance on how organizations can develop big data analytics capabilities to
improve social innovation and solve social problems in the digital age. © The
Author(s) 2024.

Watson, R., et al. (2024). "Engagement logics: How partners for sustainability-
oriented innovation manage differences between organizational logics." JOURNAL OF
PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT.
Innovation partnerships frequently experience tensions due to differences in
partners' organizational logics. The literature recommends that partners adopt
collaborative, empathetic mindsets but even so, tensions can threaten outcomes and
partnership continuation. Difficulties can be exacerbated when firms engage
stakeholder organizations in sustainability-oriented innovation projects, where
each partner is seeking their own combination of social, environmental, and
economic objectives. This study explores strategic responses to these differences
in logics through eight case studies of sustainability-oriented innovation
engagements between a focal business and an external organization. The key finding
is that partners can respond to their differing logics by shaping a new "engagement
logic" that guides members of both (or all) organizations. A logic frame with four
value-related dimensions-value salience, instrumentality, temporality, and
language-allows a subtly idiosyncratic engagement logic to be created that is
acceptable to both parties. This classification of ingredients of a logic frame
forms a wider contribution to the institutional-logics literature. A complementary
range of logic practices is identified, covering logic emergence, logic enactment,
and boundary defining. The engagement logic aids the partnership by contributing to
four partnership-level generative outcomes: partnership commitment, capability
integration, scope flexibility, and system orientation. A notable finding is the
presence of a logic boundary, specified in work, time, and space, enabling the
engagement logic to co-exist with organizational logics; a research direction is
whether this boundary also exists in logics at organizational and field levels. The
study shows partnerships to be a new context within which novel logics can emerge,
contributing to an understanding of how logics evolve. How do partnerships for
sustainable innovation manage differences between their world-views? Many
successful collaborations go beyond the common advice to empathise with each other:
they define a joint "engagement logic" that applies to both parties, including a
set of common values, as well a range of practices that embed these joint values in
the partnership's work. image

Wei, W. Y., et al. (2024). "Why co-working spaces in an analogical environment

exhibit different recovery abilities under the COVID-19 shock? Evidence from
China." JOURNAL OF INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE 9(3).
Although co-working spaces have attracted significant attention as a type of
platform organisation in the sharing economy, little is known about why some spaces
faced with an analogical environment demonstrate obvious differences in recovery
abilities after sudden shocks, such as the one caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To
understand this novel phenomenon, we collected data from the Chengdu high-tech zone
and employed grounded theory and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA)
to identify the possible causal configurations for high levels of resilience in
small and medium-sized platform organisations. Our findings reveal that (1) there
are five antecedent configurations that multi-morphologically lead to the same
outcome; (2) compared with other antecedent conditions, networking ability and
diverse value co-creation with customers play more important roles in the formation
of a high level of co-working spaces' resilience; (3) under certain circumstances,
a substitutional relationship exists between industrial experience and
communication ability; and (4) when the endogenous factors of organisations (e.g.
their abilities and resources) coincide with complex external environments,
organisational resilience is expressed. In this manner, our study contributes to
the organisational resilience literature and research on co-working spaces. Some
practical suggestions for the sustainable development of co-working spaces are also
provided. (c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. on behalf of
Journal of Innovation & Knowledge.

Westman, L., et al. (2023). "Market transformations as collaborative change:

Institutional co-evolution through small business entrepreneurship." BUSINESS
STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 32(2): 936-957.
Entrepreneurship may be one entry point to trigger transformations toward
sustainability. Yet, there is limited knowledge on the ability of small- and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to play a role in transformation processes, beyond
the initial stages of niche innovation. Building on data collected through 125
interviews in Toronto, Vancouver and London, we examine perceived contributions of
SME-led sustainable entrepreneurship to market transformations. Our data show that
sustainable entrepreneurs face significant constraints in individually exercising
influence over mass markets, as they encounter social forces that generate
resistance to change. However, SMEs are able to act collaboratively to shape
transformation processes. We propose three mechanisms of institutional co-evolution
that capture these contributions: network learning, collective norm-construction
and collaborative advocacy.

Wrålsen, B., et al. (2021). "Circular business models for lithium-ion batteries -
Stakeholders, barriers, and drivers." Journal of Cleaner Production 317.
Business models for the circular economy, or circular business models, is a
growing field of research applied in various industries. Global sustainability
trends, such as electrification of the transport sector and increased energy
consumption from renewable sources, have led to rapid growth in the number of
batteries produced, especially lithium-ion based batteries. Sustainable lifetime
management, including end-of-life, needs development to avoid social and
environmental harm and potentially to recapture economic value as the use of these
batteries increases. Current research primarily focuses on technical and economic
issues based on recycling and the second use of batteries rather than circular
business models. This study's purpose is to explore the circular business models,
drivers, barriers, and stakeholders required to enable value recapturing. The
Delphi panel method was applied to communicate with battery experts from various
disciplines. The study's findings reveal that the favored circular business model
includes several circular strategies. According to the expert panel, the most
critical driver is national and international regulations and policies; the most
critical barrier is financial viability; the most critical stakeholders are
governments and vehicle manufacturers. © 2021 The Authors

Xiao, H., et al. (2023). "Modelling the significance of strategic orientation on

green innovation: mediation of green dynamic capabilities." Humanities and Social
Sciences Communications 10(1).
The increasing recognition of environmental concerns has prompted both
nations and corporations to adopt green innovation as a significant strategy for
addressing environmental risks and promoting sustainable development. To excel in
this pursuit, companies must cultivate green dynamic capabilities, infusing
environmental considerations into their strategic decision-making processes. The
purpose of this study is to investigate the association between strategic
orientation components and green dynamic capabilities, as well as their impact on
green product and process innovation, in medium-to-large-sized manufacturing firms
in China. Employing a quantitative methodology, an online cross-sectional research
design was used to gather 582 valid responses through a structured questionnaire.
Results indicated a positive association between learning orientation and green
dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, green dynamic capability was found to mediate
the relationship between learning orientation and green product and process
innovation. However, no significant relationship was observed between green
entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, internationalisation orientation,
and green dynamic capabilities. By conducting multi-group analysis and studying the
context of Chinese manufacturing firms, this research contributes new insights into
the relationship between resource-based theory constructs and green innovation,
including the integration of green dynamic capabilities. The results emphasise the
significance of adopting a learning mindset, developing green dynamic capabilities,
and fostering green innovation. These findings offer useful insights for the
Chinese manufacturing industry, enabling it to strengthen its competencies in green
innovation. © 2023, The Author(s).

Yang, J. and R. Liu (2022). "Can Private Enterprises Improve Their Technological
Innovation by Joining the Military Business? Evidence from China." Engineering
Economics 33(5): 540-553.
Military-civilian integration is an effective way to promote the development
of defence engineering, but existing studies have not given a clear answer whether
the participation of private enterprises in military business is conducive to
promoting technological innovation of enterprises. In this study, A-shared listed
companies in China from 2001 to 2018 were sampled, and the influence of their
participation in military business on technological innovation was investigated
using a multi-period difference-in-difference (DID) method. Results show that: (1)
by joining the military business, private enterprises can significantly strengthen
their R&D inputs and substantive innovation, thus promoting their technological
innovation. (2) The participation of enterprises in military business acts upon
substantive innovation outputs and further affects their technological innovation
through R&D input intensity. (3) Participation in military business exerts a
stronger positive promoting effect on enterprises in regions with a high
marketization level than in regions with a low marketization degree. By joining the
military business, SMEs are driven to enlarge their R&D inputs, while large
enterprises can enhance their innovation outputs. The policy implications of the
obtained conclusions indicate that it requires to be strengthened for private
enterprises participating in military business to help reduce their technological
innovation risks and improve the construction level of defence engineering
projects. © 2022, Kauno Technologijos Universitetas. All rights reserved.

Yang, Y. and Y. Jiang (2023). "Does suppliers’ slack influence the relationship
between buyers’ environmental orientation and green innovation?" Journal of
Business Research 157.
Although researchers have analysed how environmental strategy affects firm
competitiveness, they have often overlooked the potential influence at the supply
chain level. Building on the resource-based view and the behavioural theory of the
firm, this study examines the effect of buyers’ environmental orientation on their
green innovation and the influencing role of suppliers’ critical slack resources
(i.e., inventory slack, capacity slack, and technology slack). A panel data
regression method is used to analyse data on 689 buyer–supplier dyads from Chinese
listed manufacturing firms over the period 2008–2019. Our findings suggest that
buyers’ environmental orientation is positively related to their green innovation.
Suppliers’ capacity slack and technology slack positively moderate this
relationship, whereas inventory slack does not. This study contributes to the
growing literature on environmental management and supply chain management, and has
significant implications for managers. © 2022 The Authors

Yeboah, A. Y. O., et al. (2022). "A strategic framework for developing sustainable
value propositions." Problems and Perspectives in Management 20(4): 407-421.
The discussion on firms' sustainability performance has resulted in business
organizations becoming more conscious of sustainability issues and implementing
strategies to ensure sustainable value propositions. The purpose of this study is
to explore strategies that firms could use to develop sustainable value
propositions. Through an extensive literature review, the study proposed a
conceptual framework and further developed hypotheses suggesting that the
strategies such as stakeholder involvement, flexible decision- making, and social
and environmental values could influence sustainable value propositions. The
hypotheses were tested through quantitative research analysis using data collected
from owners/managers in 143 SMEs in the coastal areas of Ghana. The data supported
almost all the hypotheses, namely H1, H2, and H5-H8 with T-values and P-values of >
1.96 and < 0.05, respectively. This finding indicates that all three core
antecedents of sustainable value propositions contributed 78 percent of variations
in the model. However, contrary to expectations, the result also showed that
shareholder orientation and employee orientation with T-values and P-values of <
1.96 and > 0.05, respectively, did not support sustainable value propositions
resulting in rejecting H3 and H4. Despite this outcome, the study concludes that
all three strategies are relevant and valuable to firms in developing sustainable
value propositions. © Adwoa Yeboaa Owusu Yeboah, Abdul Bashiru Jibril, Petr Novak,
2022.

Yi, Y. L. and P. Demirel (2023). "The impact of sustainability-oriented dynamic

capabilities on firm growth: Investigating the green supply chain management and
green political capabilities." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 32(8): 5873-
5888.
Building on the dynamic capabilities literature and natural-resource-based
view, the paper examines whether firms can attain sales growth through a range of
sustainability-oriented dynamic capabilities including (1) internal green supply
chain management capabilities, (2) external green supply chain management
capabilities and (3) green political capabilities. Based on a dataset of 277 public
US firms between 2010 and 2020, a panel quantile model of firm growth showcases
that while internal green supply chain capabilities and green political
capabilities affect firms' growth performance positively, external green supply
chain capabilities are associated with slower growth. Importantly, the results
indicate that the positive growth effects of green political capabilities are
short-lived, while those of internal green supply chain capabilities are long-
lived. The study contributes to the sustainability-oriented dynamic capabilities
literature by showing that different capabilities have different implications for
firm growth depending on the firm's base performance and the time periods under
consideration.

Yousafzai, M. T., et al. (2020). "Sustainability of waste picker sustainopreneurs

in Pakistan's informal solid waste management system for cleaner production."
Journal of Cleaner Production 267.
This study aims to advocate for the acknowledgment of the services of
invisible hands that do pro-environmental work, despite living in post-conflict
trauma themselves. These “accidental sustainopreneurs” earn a living while helping
societies become more sustainable. Their work for both upstream manufacturers and
downstream consumers serves as a stepping stone toward the introduction of cleaner
production across waste value chains in developing countries. They have positive
effects on multiple recycling sectors, and their transition to formal, integrated
solid waste management is the objective of this study. Inductive qualitative
research design is employed to examine how these entrepreneurial agents work in
unpredicted ways to create value for society while being stigmatized by focusing
specifically on the case of waste picker sustainopreneurs registered with the Water
and Sanitation Services in Pakistan (WSSP). The findings of this study suggested
that a whopping 99% majority of such workers pretend as if none of their kind
exist, possess dual identities, and are stigmatized due to refugee backgrounds.
Using the social construction of stigma lens, their identities have been
stigmatized amidst their burden of complementing the work of local MSWM
authorities. In addition, the findings regarding unpredictable weather patterns,
lack of assets, seasonal shocks, uncertain policies, rules of business, and the
exploitative subletting of waster picker jurisdictions are reported. This study
provides a more thorough understanding of their self-organized work context, an
understanding of policies, and the higher survival skills and immunity levels of
these workers, even in the absence of safety equipment and measures. This study
demonstrates how self-organizing, low-tech, informal solutions can act as a
foundation toward cleaner productions and environmental sustainability. © 2020
Elsevier Ltd

Yugai, L. Y., et al. (2023). "ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENT OF PRODUCT QUALITY AS A

MANIFESTATION OF INDUSTRY 4.0 BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR
COMPETITIVENESS." Proceedings on Engineering Sciences 5(S2): 399-414.
The research aims to examine the environmental component of product quality
as a manifestation of Industry 4.0 business sustainability and its implications for
competitiveness. This research is based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
methodology on the international experience of 63 countries in 2023 using IMD and
UN statistics. The authors analyze the interdependence of sustainability and
competitiveness of Industry 4.0 business, showing that improving the environmental
component of product quality as a manifestation of sustainability of Industry 4.0
business contributes to its competitiveness. The global business disparity of
Industry 4.0 is reimagined from a sustainability and competitiveness perspective.
The authors reveal the prospect of reducing global inequality by increasing the
sustainability and competitiveness of Industry 4.0 businesses in developing
countries. The main conclusion of this research is that improving the environmental
component of the product quality of Industry 4.0 business products simultaneously
improves sustainability and competitiveness, making the environmental component the
key to consistent quality management and overcoming global inequalities – the
digital and sustainability gaps. The theoretical significance of the research
results lies in the fact that they clarified the cause-and-effect relationships of
quality management in the business of Industry 4.0, formed a more complete
understanding of management information systems in the field of business quality of
Industry 4.0, and highlighted the systemic interdependence of competitiveness as
the main component of product quality and additional environmental component as a
manifestation of the sustainability of Industry 4.0 business. The practical
significance of the author’s findings and recommendations is that they will ensure
the reduction of global inequality by increasing the sustainability and
competitiveness of Industry 4.0 business in developing countries. © 2023 Published
by Faculty of Engineering.

Zahoor, N. and A. M. Gerged (2021). "Relational capital, environmental knowledge

integration, and environmental performance of small and medium enterprises in
emerging markets." BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT 30(8): 3789-3803.
Although several prior studies have examined associations between firm social
capital and environmental sustainability, the links between relational resources
(i.e., relational capital and ties strength), environmental knowledge integration,
and environmental performance have yet to be well established at the micro-level.
This study, therefore, aims to determine (1) how environmental knowledge
integration serves as a mediating mechanism for the relationship between relational
capital and environmental performance and (2) how this impact differs at different
levels of ties strength. A quantitative approach has been adopted to examine the
main hypotheses using a structural equation model (SEM) technique. Two groups of
actors were surveyed, including chief executive officers (CEOs) and financial
officers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates. In total, 216 survey responses were gathered, suggesting a response
rate of 73.22%. Our findings suggest that environmental knowledge integration is a
vital mediating mechanism for the relationship between relational capital and SMEs'
environmental performance. Also, we find that ties strength moderates the indirect
effect of relational capital on SMEs' environmental performance via environmental
knowledge integration. Our empirical evidence provides recommendations for SMEs'
managers and policymakers to promote environmental sustainability in the emerging
market context.

Zahoor, N., et al. (2024). "Grand challenges and emerging market small and medium
enterprises: The role of strategic agility and gender diversity." JOURNAL OF
PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT 41(2): 473-500.
This paper examines the role played by strategic agility and gender diversity
in enabling the creation of value for grand challenges (VCGCs) by small and medium-
sized enterprises originating from emerging markets (ESMEs). ESMEs face significant
challenges due to the dynamic environments in which they operate and the limited
support they receive from formal institutions. In such contexts, strategic agility
enables ESMEs to drive VCGCs through responsible collaborative innovation. We
further argue that gender diversity is an important boundary condition that
influences the effect of strategic agility on VCGCs via responsible collaborative
innovation. Utilizing 228 survey responses from ESMEs originating from the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), our findings shed light on the vital role played by strategic
agility in enhancing ESMEs' VCGCs. Specifically, our findings indicate that
responsible collaborative innovation acts as an important mediating mechanism
between strategic agility and VCGCs. In addition, gender diversity emerges as an
important moderating factor in that, in the presence of more heterogeneous senior
management teams, the effect of strategic agility on VCGCs through the mediating
mechanism of responsible collaborative innovation is higher. These findings
contribute to the literature on dynamic capabilities, upper echelons, and grand
challenges by providing important insights into the mechanisms and boundary
conditions of VCGCs in the context of emerging market firms.

Zahoor, N., et al. (2023). "The micro-foundations of digitally transforming SMEs:

How digital literacy and technology interact with managerial attributes." Journal
of Business Research 159.
Research often illustrates the importance of digital transformation for small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly during external disruptions.
However, little attention has been devoted to how SMEs’ digital transformation
occurs. Employing a micro-foundations perspective, this study investigates the
effect of managers’ digital literacy (MDL) on SMEs’ digital transformation. We test
a moderated mediation model using survey data from 158 SMEs operating in the United
Arab Emirates. Our findings suggest that MDL impacts digital transformation through
the usage of digital technologies. Moreover, the relationship between MDL and the
usage of digital technologies is further moderated by managerial attributes (i.e.,
gender, education, and age). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
© 2023 The Author(s)

Zetzsche, D. A. and L. Anker-Sorensen (2022). "Regulating Sustainable Finance in

the Dark." EUROPEAN BUSINESS ORGANIZATION LAW REVIEW 23(1): 47-85.
Analyzing the revised EU Sustainable Finance Strategy disclosed in two steps
in April and July 2021, we identify as core issues of any sustainability-oriented
financial regulation a lack of data on profitability of sustainable investments, a
lack of broadly acknowledged theoretical insights (typically laid down in standard
models) into the co-relation and causation of sustainability factors with financial
data, and a lack of a consistent application of recently adopted rules and
standards. The three factors together are now hindering a rational, calculated
approach to allocating funds with a view to sustainability which we usually
associate with 'finance'. These deficiencies will be addressed once (1) the EU's
sustainability taxonomy is implemented by most issuers of financial products, (2)
several years of taxonomy-based reporting by issuers and originators of financial
products is made available, and (3) these data have been used for validating
emerging new sustainable finance benchmarks and models for investment and risk
management. Until that day (which we expect to be at least 5 years from now),
relying on Roberta Romano's famous adage, regulators seeking to further
sustainability by legal means, effectively 'regulate in the dark.' In order to
avoid undesirable and unforeseeable effects of regulation, we argue against any
regulation addressing capital requirements, mandating sustainability risk modelling
or the inclusion of sustainability factors in investment or remuneration policies.
Adopting such rules in the current premature state risks that Europe will not be
able to rely on the capital markets to finance the sustainability transformation as
planned. Instead, regulators should focus on enhancing expertise on the side of
intermediaries and supervisors alike. In particular, regulators should introduce
smart regulation tools, such as sandboxes, innovation hubs, and waiver programmes
benefiting early adopters of sustainable finance modelling/models, utilizing
approaches developed in other fields of experimental financial regulation (in
particular Fintech and RegTech).

Zhang, B. and J. Mohammad (2024). "The effects of sustainability innovation and

supply chain resilience on sustainability performance: Evidence from China’s cold
chain logistics industry." Cogent Business and Management 11(1).
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of sustainability
innovation and supply chain resilience on sustainability performance and to predict
the interrelationship between economic, environmental, and social performances.
Using a cross-sectional quantitative study, an online survey was conducted among
the Chinese cold chain logistics companies, and 204 valid responses were collected.
Data analysis was conducted using the partial least squares structural equation
modelling approach. The results indicated that sustainability innovation and supply
chain resilience positively affect three pillars of sustainability performance.
Within sustainability performance, economic performance has a significant positive
correlation with environmental and social performances, while environmental
performance has no effect on social performance. The findings made constructive
contributions. Theoretically, this study contributes to dynamic capability theory
by predicting the direct impact of sustainability innovation and supply chain
resilience on sustainability performance in a model that is relatively new in the
literature. In addition, this study examines the relationship between economic,
environmental, and social performances in a unique context (i.e. the cold chain
logistics industry). Practically, this study will guide practitioners in developing
innovative and resilient strategies committed to business sustainability and urge
policymakers to develop policies such as subsidies, regulation, and training
programmes to promote innovation and collaboration in this industry. © 2024 The
Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Zhang, Z. (2024). "Exploring the green edge: the role of market orientation and
knowledge management in achieving competitive advantage through creativity."
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 11(1).
This study examines the interconnectedness between Green Market Orientation
(GMO) and Green Knowledge Management (GKM) in connection to Green Competitive
Advantage (GCA) within Chinese green businesses. This research also focuses on the
mediating influence of Green Creativity (GC). Drawing on the Knowledge-Based View
(KBV), we examine how GMOs and GKM improve enterprises’ green creativity and
subsequent green competitive advantage. Using a comprehensive survey of 325
environmentally conscious Chinese companies and an advanced PLS-SEM analysis, our
findings offer several important insights. Our findings reveal that GMOs
substantially affect both GC and GCA, highlighting their crucial role in fostering
a company’s innovative green capabilities and competitive position. Concurrently,
GKM positively affects GC and GCA, emphasizing the importance of effectively using
and leveraging green knowledge within businesses. Furthermore, we observe the
mediating role of GC in the relationships between GMO and GCA, as well as GKM and
GCA. This finding underscores the need to promote GC to maximize the advantages of
market orientation and knowledge management in attaining a green competitive
advantage. These results not only add to the existing KBV theoretical framework,
but they also have important implications for managers because they show how
important it is to fully incorporate green practices into an organization’s
strategy in order to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. © The Author(s)
2024.

Zheng, L. and K. Iatridis (2022). "Friends or foes? A systematic literature review

and meta-analysis of the relationship between eco-innovation and firm performance."
Business Strategy and the Environment 31(4): 1838-1855.
Eco-innovation has gained currency as an effective means of addressing
corporate environmental impacts. Yet the literature is inconclusive as to how
different types of eco-innovation influence different types of firm performance.
This is problematic, as practitioners and policymakers will not embrace eco-
innovation unless there is clear evidence that through its implementation companies
can achieve returns, not only on their environmental performance but also on their
economic, social and operational performance. This paper aims to improve our
understanding of this relationship by conducting a meta-analysis and drawing on a
much broader sample than previous meta-analytic efforts in this field. The paper
analyses 569 effects based on 160 studies and more than 124,000 firms ((Formula
presented.)). Our results provide solid evidence of the positive impact eco-
innovation has on all types of firm performance but also highlight types of eco-
innovation that do not contribute to this relationship and the role moderators play
in explaining discrepancies found in the literature. © 2022 The Authors. Business
Strategy and The Environment published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons
Ltd.

Zhong, Z. Z. and E. Y. Zhao (2024). "Collaborative Driving Mode of Sustainable

Marketing and Supply Chain Management Supported by Metaverse Technology." IEEE
Transactions on Engineering Management 71: 1642-1654.
In this article, we aim to explore the relationship between sustainable
marketing and supply chain management (SCM) under the background of metaverse
technology to realize the sustainable development of enterprises. First, this study
deeply studies the influence of metaverse technology on sustainable marketing
strategy from the theoretical level. Second, it deeply discusses the integration of
digital transformation and sustainable development in SCM. Finally, this study
implements a collaborative driving model of sustainable marketing and SCM supported
by metaverse. By designing and analyzing the questionnaire on the sustainable
performance of enterprises, it is found that SCM, cooperation with customers,
investment recovery, sustainable marketing, R&D and design, production, and
manufacturing have a significant positive influence on the sustainable performance
of enterprises (p<0.01). In addition, the distribution and retail in sustainable
marketing negatively impact the sustainable performance of enterprises, and the
standardization coefficient is -0.225 (p<0.05). These research results emphasize
the importance of sustainable marketing and SCM, which jointly promote enterprises
to achieve sustainable performance, and ultimately provide valuable practical
guidance for building a sustainable digital economy and contribute to collaborative
optimization in enterprise engineering. © 1988-2012 IEEE.

Zhou, X., et al. (2024). "The impact of digital traceability on sustainability

performance: investigating the roles of sustainability-oriented innovation and
supply chain learning." Supply Chain Management 29(3): 497-522.
Purpose: Food sustainability is a world-acknowledged issue that requires
urgent integrated solutions at multi-levels. This study aims to explore how food
firms can improve their sustainability performance through digital traceability
practices, considering the mediating effect of sustainability-oriented innovation
(SOI) and the moderating effect of supply chain learning (SCL) for the food supply
chain therein. Design/methodology/approach: Hierarchical regression with a
moderated mediation model is used to test the proposed hypotheses with a sample of
359 food firms from four provinces in China. Findings: Digital traceability has a
significant positive impact on the three pillars of sustainability performances
among food firms. SOI (product innovation, process innovation and organisational
innovation) mediates the relationship between digital traceability and
sustainability performance. SCL plays moderating roles in the linkage between
digital traceability and both product and process innovation, respectively.
Originality/value: This paper contributes as one of the first studies to develop
digital traceability practices and their sustainability-related improvements for
Chinese food firms; it extends studies on supply chain traceability to a typical
emerging market. This finding can support food sustainability practice in terms of
where and how to invest in sustainability innovation and how to improve economic,
environmental and social performance. © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Zhou, X. Y., et al. (2024). "The impact of digital traceability on sustainability

performance: investigating the roles of sustainability-oriented innovation and
supply chain learning." SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL 29(3):
497-522.
PurposeFood sustainability is a world-acknowledged issue that requires urgent
integrated solutions at multi-levels. This study aims to explore how food firms can
improve their sustainability performance through digital traceability practices,
considering the mediating effect of sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) and
the moderating effect of supply chain learning (SCL) for the food supply chain
therein.Design/methodology/approachHierarchical regression with a moderated
mediation model is used to test the proposed hypotheses with a sample of 359 food
firms from four provinces in China.FindingsDigital traceability has a significant
positive impact on the three pillars of sustainability performances among food
firms. SOI (product innovation, process innovation and organisational innovation)
mediates the relationship between digital traceability and sustainability
performance. SCL plays moderating roles in the linkage between digital traceability
and both product and process innovation, respectively.Originality/valueThis paper
contributes as one of the first studies to develop digital traceability practices
and their sustainability-related improvements for Chinese food firms; it extends
studies on supply chain traceability to a typical emerging market. This finding can
support food sustainability practice in terms of where and how to invest in
sustainability innovation and how to improve economic, environmental and social
performance.

Zioło, M., et al. (2023). "Theoretical framework of sustainable value creation by

companies. What do we know so far?" Corporate Social Responsibility and
Environmental Management 30(5): 2344-2361.
In conditions of limited natural resources, growing social awareness, and ESG
risk, sustainability and the pressure to be sustainable are gaining importance.
Legislative requirements, good practices and recommendations as well as the
stakeholders themselves expect from market participants, especially from the
enterprise sector, that they will incorporate sustainability in their activities.
Enterprises undertake adaptation activities towards sustainability by creating
sustainable value based on their business models. The article aims to systematize
the state of knowledge on how companies create sustainable value. Research results
in this area are dispersed, and more studies discussing this topic comprehensively
are needed. The article fills the gap in research by reviewing the existing studies
on creating sustainable value. The analysis of publications was based on the
academic databases of Elsevier Scopus and Web-of-Science. 101 publications were
reviewed, and 31 categorization variables related to the area of research and
issues addressed in scientific publications were created. Using a multidimensional
correspondence analysis, three homogeneous clusters of publications were obtained:
group I refers to articles concerning enterprises of various sizes (micro, small,
SME, and start-up); group II includes publications on Asia and Australia, which
appeared in 2020 or later; group III concerns articles related to the research of
large production companies in developed European countries. The result shows that
companies build sustainable value in various ways, influenced by company's location
and size. Among the dominant patterns of incorporating sustainable value, the
following are indicated: building a sustainable supply chain, innovations, building
relationships with stakeholders and consumers, sharing economy. © 2023 The Authors.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published by ERP
Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Zvarikova, K., et al. (2024). "MODEL OF SUSTAINABILITY OF SMEs IN V4 COUNTRIES."

Journal of Business Economics and Management 25(2): 226-245.
The research’s objective was to develop a thorough model of the viability of
SMEs in the V4 countries based on predetermined variables. The following factors
were defined: human resources management, business ethics, corporate social
responsibility, company dig-italisation, environmental considerations, financial
management, and sustainability of SMEs. The model was developed on the solid
empirical research carried out in the Visegrad Four countries in June 2022 by the
renowned external agency MNFORCE using a sample of 1,398 respondents and the
“Computer Assisted Web Interviewing” technique. According to the re-search, the
developed complex model of SMEs’ sustainability depending on the listed criteria is
statistically significant. Each investigated factor has a favourable impact on
SMEs’ sustaina-bility. The study’s findings supported the notion that the
environmental aspects of the business have the strongest positive impact on the
long-term sustainability of SMEs. The study’s findings indicate that the management
of human resources, finances, and the degree of dig-italisation of SMEs
significantly influence the viability of businesses. The findings provide an
important platform for managers responsible for the sustainability of the SME
segment at the worldwide level (International council for small business), national
level (particularly for V4 nations), as well as institutions supporting SMEs and
SME owners. © 2024 The Author(s).