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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 22195

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maria-Eleni K. Agoraki

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Guest Editor

Department of Accounting and Finance, University of the Peloponnese, Antikalamos, 24100 Kalamata, Greece
Interests: sustainability; corporate governance; sustainable economic development; strategic enterprise management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In an ever-changing global environment, the relationship between Strategic Enterprise Management (SEM) and sustainability is intricate and multifaceted. Strategic Enterprise Management seeks to effectively link performance and strategic objectives, while sustainability can optimize and harmonize the goals of multiple stakeholders. Various SEM efforts have emphasized that operational decision making is fully focused on delivering strategic objectives that can offer a sustainable, more efficient, and cost-effective competitive advantage. Balancing resource consumption, technological innovation and economic development is challenging, especially as global sustainability issues such as climate change provoke global debate. Complex conditions that involve increased agency conflicts require a systemic framework for enterprise development that can efficiently deal with the interconnections of multiple and diversified elements of both internal and external environments.

Sustainable development is a multidimensional process, and several components should be considered when making investment decisions, including human development (education and health), social and economic development (environmental facilities, infrastructure, and economic growth), environmental development (natural resources and environmental quality), and social aspects and governance (ESG principles). Various main factors are essential for advancing sustainable development, including, among others, natural and human resources, managerial and production organization, technological innovations, social and political factors, financial development and funding, legislative frameworks, corporate social responsibility, and corporate governance. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consider several factors to achieve sustainable development, such as social equality, inclusion, human rights, reduced poverty, improved education, and protection of the environment.

Further investigation into the specific challenges and opportunities of different countries and regions, industries and company sizes, governance structures, policy approaches, and resource endowments could enlighten us on the relationship between economic growth and sustainability outcomes. The complex interplay and interconnections between the elements of SEM and Sustainable Economic Development require further research to bridge the gap between different fields of study. Understanding how strategic enterprise management promotes sustainability may inform policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders interested in creating sustainable economic growth strategies, innovative solutions and initiatives that boost long-term development.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of Sustainability, entitled “Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development”. This Special Issue will publish a selection of high-quality papers that address various fields of interest, with the aim to contribute to the current body of research.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

the impact of Sustainable Economic Development;
sustainability and innovation;
sustainable value creation;
Strategic Enterprise Management and sustainability;
Strategic Enterprise Management and digital technology;
Sustainable Economic Development and artificial intelligence;
Sustainable Development Goals and corporate governance;
environment, social and governance principles (ESGs);
sustainable finance;
sustainability of strategic management practices and efficiency;
market effectiveness, sustainability of strategic management and stakeholder-oriented reporting;
Strategic Enterprise Management and a competitive advantage.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Maria-Eleni K. Agoraki
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

strategic enterprise management
sustainable economic development
sustainability
innovation
entrepreneurship
corporate governance
performance
strategy model
efficiency

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing Determinants’ Priorities of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for ICT Start-Ups in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Path Toward Sustainable Development

by Jonghyun Lee and Jisong Kim

Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2044; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052044 - 27 Feb 2025

Viewed by 932

Abstract

Despite the growing global interest in African entrepreneurial ecosystems and increased attention from international organizations and governments, the research on the sustainability of Sub-Saharan African entrepreneurial ecosystems remains limited. This study aims to qualitatively examine the major determinants and priorities within the ICT start-up ecosystems of Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, where these ecosystems are expanding but still under-researched. Based on the prior research, questions were designed using a priori codes. A total of 15 participants were interviewed, including five stakeholders from the start-up ecosystems in Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. The results of the interviews were analyzed through a thematic analysis. While the Sub-Saharan African ICT start-up ecosystem is often viewed as a single, homogeneous entity, this study identified 10 sub-categories derived from the top-five parent categories in each country. This offers valuable insights into the ICT start-up ecosystems of Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. This research provides both academic and practical value by analyzing the unique prioritization of determinants within the ICT start-up ecosystems of Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, each recognized as a leading ecosystem in the region. This is particularly relevant in the context of various entrepreneurship programs expanding across Africa highlighting significant implications for increasing sustainable development cooperation and investment efforts across the continent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

24 pages, 2073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors in the Development of Family Businesses in the SME Sector: Analysis and Assessment of Their Importance in Strategic Enterprise Management

by Barbara Siuta-Tokarska, Małgorzata Kowalik and Justyna Juchniewicz

Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 1821; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051821 - 21 Feb 2025

Viewed by 630

Abstract

Research background: Modern enterprises operate in conditions of very dynamic changes, where the increasing complexity of the environment affects their ability to achieve their assumed organizational goals. These goals are extremely important in the context of the current functioning of the enterprise, as well as in moving towards sustainable economic development. Functioning in this era of unpredictability and turbulence is a significant challenge not only in the context of the current activities of business entities, but especially for their development. An important element in the aspect of development is the ability to recognize and identify development factors that may directly and/or indirectly affect the results of the activities or projects that are undertaken. In this context, undertaking research on development factors during the COVID-19 pandemic (referred to in the literature as a time of crisis in global economies) seems to be fully justified, and the adoption of comparative periods, i.e., before and during the pandemic, has cognitive value. This value also refers to the possibility of recognizing the conditions needed for the strategic management of the enterprise in the context of a transformation towards sustainable development goals. The authors of the study point to the research gap related to the lack of in-depth and multifaceted research on the factors in the development of family businesses in the SME sector. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the paper is to analyze and assess the development factors of family businesses in the SME sector in Poland during two periods, namely 2018–2019 (two years before the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2020–2021 (two years in the COVID-19 pandemic period). Methods: To achieve this aim, a comparative analysis of the performance of family businesses in the SME sector was carried out based on the author’s own data. These data were obtained through surveys (CAPI method) carried out among micro-, small-, and medium-sized family enterprises in the Masovian Voivodeship in Poland, taking into account the two research periods indicated above. Statistical methods were also used in the data analysis. The average values of the assessments of the importance of groups of development factors for the development of the enterprise were analyzed using an analysis of variance with repeated measures in a mixed model, because the average assessments were determined on an interval scale. Tests of between-subject effects made it possible to compare enterprises of different sizes, and tests of within-subject effects and tests of interactive effects made it possible to compare two time perspectives. Findings and value added: The findings of this study contribute to the literature on family businesses in the SME sector and the factors in their development. The implementation of this publication contributed to filling the revealed research gap, as well as solving the formulated research problem, along with verifying the research hypotheses formulated in the work. Based on the research conducted, the main determinants of development in family enterprises in the SME sector were identified, taking into account both individual factors and groups of factors. The conducted research allowed us to show the similarities and differences both between the individual size classes of these enterprises and between the research periods. The added value of the empirical research conducted refers to the identification of factors for the development of family enterprises in the SME sector, their comparison in terms of the size classes of these entities, and the comparison of their importance in economically and socially diverse research periods, i.e., before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It should be emphasized that while the literature on the subject presents research in this area in relation to family enterprises in general, research on these family units belonging to the SME sector, along with their division into size classes, is much less common. The implementation of the research is, therefore, an important contribution to the development of the broadly understood science of the development of family enterprises, showing the importance of groups of factors in their development in light of the changing conditions of the modern economy in the individual size classes of these entities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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18 pages, 2361 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Industrial Sufficiency: A Conceptual Methodological Framework

by Paul Schmidhäuser, Max Inhofer, Annika Buchholz, Franziska Mais and Robert Miehe

Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 11121; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411121 - 18 Dec 2024

Viewed by 716

Abstract

Implementing sustainability strategies is essential for the future viability of companies. While companies have been focusing intensively on the operationalization of efficiency and consistency for quite some time, sufficiency approaches are rare. As a result, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of the concept, its inherent potential, as well as a lack of basic implementation concepts for strategies, management systems, and product and process development. Based on a literature review using Scopus and Web of Science according to the PRISMA approach, this paper develops a definition for the concept of industrial sufficiency and presents three general industrial sufficiency strategies (frugality, longevity, and specificity) regarding three distinct business determinants (product, production, and business model). The investigation shows that not only can there be overlaps between the three general sustainability strategies (efficiency, consistency, and sufficiency) but that individual measures are also mutually dependent at different levels. In addition, significant conflicts of objectives for implementation in industrial practice are revealed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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19 pages, 4055 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping Circular Economy in Portuguese SMEs

by Rui Jorge Carreira, José Vasconcelos Ferreira and Ana Luísa Ramos

Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 7009; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167009 - 15 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1472

Abstract

The transition from a linear to a circular economy is an increasingly popular solution to the dual problems of scarcity of virgin resources at the point of extraction and the exponential growth of waste at the point of disposal. The linear economy adheres to a model wherein natural resources are extracted, transformed into products, utilized, and ultimately discarded as waste. In contrast, the circular economy is designed to promote sustainability. This is achieved by reducing the use of raw materials, waste, reuse, recycling, and recovery of materials at the end of the useful life of products. The result is a closed and regenerative cycle that preserves natural resources and minimizes environmental impacts. The manner in which each country and company responds to this reality is markedly disparate. This research endeavors to ascertain the strategies employed by Portuguese SMEs in addressing this challenge. A review of the literature was conducted to ascertain what has been published on this subject. However, the results of this review indicate that the existing literature does not fully address the intended topic. The articles identified in the literature review only partially address this issue, focus on other geographical regions, or in some cases, are dedicated to specific business sectors. In light of the dearth of research on this topic, we turned to the Portuguese context, employing the Grounded Theory methodology to conduct semi-structured interviews with 34 SMEs. Upon analysis of the results, it became evident that the circular economy is not yet a prerequisite for consumer choice. Portuguese legislation does not facilitate the implementation of the circular economy, consumers are not yet engaged with the issue itself, companies face challenges in communicating their practices, and there is a perceived lack of credibility by consumers. Additionally, the cost–benefit ratio is not always favorable for such practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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20 pages, 726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How to Leverage Digital Sustainability Orientation to Promote Environmentally Sustainable Practices of Manufacturing Enterprises in China

by Jinshan Zhang and Man Liu

Sustainability 2024, 16(12), 5112; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125112 - 16 Jun 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2166

Abstract

The promotion of high-quality, environmentally sustainable practices in enterprises in the digital age has become an important topic in business and academic circles. In this study, by employing a perspective combining digital orientation (DO) and sustainability commitment orientation (SCO), the concept of digital sustainability orientation (DSO) is presented, and digital green capability (DGC) is introduced as the mediating variable. Moreover, the driving mechanism model of corporate environmental sustainability practice (ESP) is constructed, and the moderating role of environmental scanning (ES) is taken into consideration. Using two sets of research data from 353 manufacturing enterprises in China, the empirical test results show that DSO has a significant role in improving ESP, and DGC is important in mediating between DSO and ESP. ES acts as a moderating variable between DSO and DGC and further moderates the mediating role of DGC between DSO and EPS; that is, the stronger the ES, the more significant the mediating effect of DGC. The conclusion of this study broadens the application scope of strategic orientation theory in the study of digital sustainability and has theoretical and practical implications for exploring the development of DGC and the dynamic mechanism of ESP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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22 pages, 469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pioneering Sustainability: Insights from the Integrative Role of Knowledge Management Processes and Technological Innovation

by Dimitrios A. Georgakellos, Konstantina K. Agoraki and Andreas E. Fousteris

Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4296; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104296 - 20 May 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1717

Abstract

This paper examines the quantitative relationship between knowledge management and technological innovation and their influence on sustainable development. Organizations have increasingly focused on knowledge management processes, recognizing their importance for maintaining competitiveness and sustainability. The purpose of our study was to shed light on the impact of knowledge management processes on a firm’s sustainability and innovation. Specifically, we investigated the relationship between knowledge acquisition, knowledge storage, knowledge transfer, and knowledge application and their effects on product/service innovation, process innovation, radical innovation, and incremental innovation. Using data from 272 questionnaires completed by top managers from companies operating in Greece, we provide strong evidence of a positive relationship between knowledge acquisition, storage, and application on product innovation whereas knowledge acquisition, storage, and transfer have a statistically significant effect on process innovation. Furthermore, we found a strong positive relationship between knowledge transfer and radical innovation. Finally, all four knowledge management processes have a strong positive impact on incremental innovation. The strength of these statistically significant results is reinforced by the magnitude of the corresponding estimated coefficients. The robustness of our results was further confirmed through the estimation of a Structural Equation Model (SEM) with the application of the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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15 pages, 423 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cultural Values as Catalysts of Technological Innovation for a Sustainable Future

by Konstantina K. Agoraki, Georgios A. Deirmentzoglou and Christos Triantopoulos

Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 2064; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052064 - 1 Mar 2024

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4168

Abstract

Innovation is a key element for companies that aim to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. Recently, a great number of academics and practitioners have focused on the role of cultural values to provide further incentives to firms to invest more in innovation that will give them a market edge. The purpose of this paper is to provide further insights into the relationship between cultural values and innovation. Primary data were collected from top managers in medium- and large-sized enterprises to determine how cultural values affect four types of technological innovation. The results indicate that two cultural values have a significant influence on firms’ innovative practices. Collectivism and uncertainty avoidance have a significant negative impact on radical, process and product innovation. Thus, we argue that managers who emphasize their personal ambitions and are comfortable with ambiguity are more likely to achieve innovation in their organization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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Review

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15 pages, 902 KiB

Open AccessReview

Business Sustainability and Its Effect on Performance Measures: A Comprehensive Analysis

by Raquel Pérez Estébanez and Francisco Javier Sevillano Martín

Sustainability 2025, 17(1), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010297 - 3 Jan 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4774

Abstract

In recent years, businesses have faced growing pressures from stakeholders, including investors, customers, and regulators, to adopt sustainable practices. These pressures stem from the global focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and their association with risk management and corporate resilience. As a result, understanding the connection between sustainability and performance indicators, such as return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA), is crucial to determine whether sustainable practices positively influence financial outcomes or primarily serve to address external expectations. This study seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence by employing a rigorous methodological approach—Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)—to assess the impact of sustainability practices on key performance measures. The inclusion of a diverse range of industries from the US and Europe enhances the relevance of the findings, as it facilitates their generalization across developed economies where sustainability initiatives are highly prioritized. Our results are consistent with prior research demonstrating a positive relationship between sustainability and financial performance, particularly in high-development contexts over a medium-term period. These findings carry important implications for managers and policymakers, emphasizing that sustainability is not a compromise but a catalyst for economic and financial profitability. This study contributes to the literature by illustrating how sustainability can simultaneously advance ethical objectives and enhance financial performance, establishing it as a critical area of focus for both academics and practitioners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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Other

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19 pages, 1126 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Business Management for Sustainability

by John Ikerd

Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3714; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093714 - 29 Apr 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4332

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to address a fundamental flaw in prominent approaches to managing businesses for sustainability. Current management strategies fail to recognize the fundamental differences between economic, social, and moral or ethical values. Economic values are instrumental, individual, and impersonal. Social values are reciprocal, communal, and personal. Moral values are altruistic, spiritual, and universal. These are not arbitrary definitions but expressions of basic differences among the three types of value. These differences reveal the fundamental flaws in attempts to assign economic value or objectively quantify the social and ecological costs and benefits of economic enterprises. The transactional, social, and moral economies are defined in ways that avoid compromising the differences in values. In addition, a natural hierarchy exists among nature, society, and economy that requires a corresponding hierarchy of moral, social, and economic values in managing sustainable organizations. The strategies, motives, and metrics that have dominated sustainable business management for the past several decades, and the related research and educational programs that support them, fail to reflect differences among economic, social, and moral values that are critical to sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Enterprise Management and Sustainable Economic Development)

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