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Sustainability
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Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Models
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Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Models

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 4 July 2026 | Viewed by 2722

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shintaro Sengoku

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Guest Editor
Department of Innovation Science, School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, 3-3-6 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023, Japan
Interests: technology management; innovation management; sustainability science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Kazutoshi Sasahara

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Guest Editor
School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Interests: computational social science; social innovation
Prof. Dr. Yuya Kajikawa

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Guest Editor
Institute for Future Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Interests: technology and innovation management; science and innovation policy; sustainability science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability is ascending to the forefront of the global agenda, encompassing an intricate and expansive array of concerns and objectives aimed at forging a sustainable environment and society. Innovation is anticipated to play a seminal role in cultivating a sustainable society and reconciling the conflicts that may arise between disparate goals and stakeholders. Nevertheless, our understanding of sustainability and innovation remains in its infancy, scarcely sufficient to fulfill expectations or bring the vision of a sustainable society to fruition.

This Special Issue is devoted to a comprehensive examination of subjects regarding technology and innovation management within the context of sustainability. Its contents will be extensive, encompassing, though not restricted to, the following:

  • Conceptual propositions regarding technology and innovation as vehicles for sustainability;
  • Systematic critiques and evaluations of technology and innovation in the service of sustainable ends;
  • Methodological approaches to the analysis, conception, and actualization of innovative technology, products/services, and systems, to realize a sustainable society;
  • Practices and illustrative case studies exploring technology and innovation management in the pursuit of sustainability.

We extend an invitation for papers that provide an exhaustive examination of the present state, grounded in credible analysis and tangible evidence, whilst also delineating potential solutions, illuminated by incisive ideas and prospects with deep insights and ethical perspectives. We shall hold in high regard contributions that address specific subjects through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary lenses. Papers employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are equally welcome.

We anticipate that this Special Issue will serve as a distinguished forum, accessible to all who harbour a genuine interest and fervent passion for advancing the cause of a sustainable society through the means of technology and innovation.

Dr. Shintaro Sengoku
Prof. Dr. Kazutoshi Sasahara
Prof. Dr. Yuya Kajikawa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • technology management
  • innovation management
  • entrepreneurship
  • sustainable growth
  • corporate strategy
  • sustainability science

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 862 KB  
Article
How Entrepreneurship Drives Digital Transformation: A Moderated Mediation Model Based on the Attention-Based View
by Jingni Wang and Xu Huang
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1318; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031318 - 28 Jan 2026
Viewed by 435
Abstract
As a key component of sustainable economic development, digital transformation has become a fundamental driver for developing and upgrading the modern economic system. While existing research has identified resources and dynamic capabilities as foundational elements, a critical yet underexplored factor lies in the [...] Read more.
As a key component of sustainable economic development, digital transformation has become a fundamental driver for developing and upgrading the modern economic system. While existing research has identified resources and dynamic capabilities as foundational elements, a critical yet underexplored factor lies in the cognitive foundations that enable firms to strategically direct and leverage these assets. Based on 19,062 observation samples of more than 3000 listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2010 to 2023, this paper constructs a theoretical framework of entrepreneurship, organizational attention and digital transformation from the Attention-Based View, and examines a moderated mediation model of the relationship between entrepreneurship and digital transformation. The results show that entrepreneurship significantly promotes digital transformation; organizational attention to “cooperation orientation” and “future orientation” plays a mediating role in it; and the regional innovation atmosphere positively strengthens the “cooperation orientation” path, facilitating the diffusion of innovative knowledge and technologies within the region. Meanwhile, online media reports negatively regulate the “future orientation” path, reflecting that short-term public pressure may weaken enterprises’ attention to long-term sustainable technology investment. In addition, different dimensions of entrepreneurship have varied effects on digital transformation. Heterogeneity analysis revealed significant variations across ownership type, scale, region, industry competition intensity, and technological intensity. This study expands the theoretical mechanism of entrepreneurship and digital transformation from the perspective of attention allocation, and provides theoretical and empirical foundation for fostering a strategic cognitive orientation and advancing digital transformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Models)
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18 pages, 458 KB  
Article
Organizational Learning, Problem-Solving Competency, and Effectiveness in Online Travel Agencies: The Moderating Role of Digital Empowerment
by Jongwoo Min and Yunho Ji
Sustainability 2026, 18(2), 563; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18020563 - 6 Jan 2026
Viewed by 750
Abstract
This study empirically examines how organizational learning influences problem-solving competency and organizational effectiveness in the context of online travel agencies (OTAs) and tests the moderating role of digital empowerment. Using agency lists registered under Korea’s Tourism Promotion Act, we employed stratified sampling by [...] Read more.
This study empirically examines how organizational learning influences problem-solving competency and organizational effectiveness in the context of online travel agencies (OTAs) and tests the moderating role of digital empowerment. Using agency lists registered under Korea’s Tourism Promotion Act, we employed stratified sampling by region and simple random sampling within strata. Data collection was commissioned by the Tourism/Leisure HRD Council. A survey was carried out from 2 to 19 June 2025; of the 210 questionnaires returned, 204 valid responses were analyzed. Measures were adapted from prior studies on a five-point Likert scale. Analyses conducted in SPSS 27.0 included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), reliability testing (Cronbach’s α), correlation analysis, and simple and hierarchical regressions. The results indicate that (1) organizational learning has a significant positive effect on problem-solving competency (β = 0.541, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.293); (2) organizational learning positively affects organizational effectiveness (β = 0.436, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.190); and (3) problem-solving competency positively influences organizational effectiveness (β = 0.624, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.389). Regarding moderation, digital empowerment did not significantly moderate the organizational learning → problem-solving link but did significantly moderate the organizational learning → organizational effectiveness relationship (p < 0.05), suggesting that digital empowerment enhances the conversion efficiency of learning into performance. Theoretically, this study substantiates the learning–problem-solving–performance mechanism in a service/tourism setting and identifies digital empowerment as a catalytic moderator that strengthens the translation of learning into organizational outcomes. Practically, the findings imply that OTAs can amplify organizational effectiveness by building digital empowerment structures—data-driven decision systems, process automation, and real-time customer-response capabilities—which enable learned knowledge to materialize into performance. Future research should incorporate digital maturity, leadership, customer orientation, and related variables into extended models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Models)
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18 pages, 345 KB  
Article
Influencer Efficacy and the Fan Effect in Green Food Branding: The Mediating Role of Perceived Quality
by Yue Yin, Chunjia Han and Siyu Zhang
Sustainability 2025, 17(24), 11305; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172411305 - 17 Dec 2025
Viewed by 648
Abstract
Social media has become the core channel through which people communicate, and the important role of influencer marketing in creating a fan base for brands is widely recognized. Grounded in Source Credibility, Homophily Theory and Signaling Theory, the purpose of this study is [...] Read more.
Social media has become the core channel through which people communicate, and the important role of influencer marketing in creating a fan base for brands is widely recognized. Grounded in Source Credibility, Homophily Theory and Signaling Theory, the purpose of this study is to investigate how influencer efficacy affects the fan effect of green food brands under digital social media. This paper adopts a quantitative research method. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the Wenjuanxing platform and collected 417 valid responses from consumers who had previously purchased green food based on an influencer’s recommendation. A conceptual model was tested through the structural equation modelling procedure. The results showed that professionalism (β = 0.166, p = 0.011), trustworthiness (β = 0.291, p < 0.001), and similarity (β = 0.267, p < 0.001) had positive effects on perceived quality. Furthermore, perceived quality (β = 0.333, p < 0.001) significantly promoted the formation of the brand fan effect and partially mediated the effects of these characteristics of influencers on the brand fan effect. This study provides new insight into the fan effect of green food brands and also provides a theoretical basis for green food companies to accurately match their brands with suitable influencers, enhance the brand fan effect, and rationally formulate operational strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business Models)
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