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Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation

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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: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 20554

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mohsin Shahzad

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Guest Editor

School of Economics and Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Interests: sustainable development; corporate social responsibility; green innovation; circular economy; knowledge management

Dr. Abaid Ullah Zafar

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Guest Editor

Shenzhen-Audencia Business School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: sustainable consumption; sustainable development; social commerce; social media marketing; digital celebrities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Considering the mounting pressure from various stakeholders and the growing awareness concerning the current pandemic situation, organizations have placed green and sustainable production strategies among their top priorities. These strategies are rooted in the successful implementation of the circular economy (CE), a critical element in promoting sustainable development. Sustainable development is operationalized by three overlapping dimensions: environmental, economic, and social sustainability, with human welfare and well-being at its core. The concept of CE has recently gained prominence in addressing sustainability issues. It is a green production process or regenerative natural resource system as stipulated in sustainable development goals. The literature highlights the industries’ struggles to balance their catastrophic production impacts on human welfare and the cost–benefits analysis. Traditionally, it was argued that investment in community welfare might lead to an extra financial burden, inefficiency, and production losses. On the other hand, these investments could be a source of competitiveness and sustainable development. Therefore, future investigations are necessary to explore the link between sustainable production and circular economy through the lens of social sustainability, such as human rights, community welfare, technological advancement, environmental laws and enforcement, social development, public involvement, participation, and satisfaction that can hamper business operations and growth.

Due to the closure of industry activities during COVID-19 lockdowns, people have seen and posted blue skies pictures on social media, meaning that the lockdown improved the air quality worldwide. However, we cannot minimize or halt industrial activities, though we can promote sustainable production strategies to implement a CE. The CE represents a profound transformational opportunity that serves the current global community and the next generation. These transformations are likely to stimulate economic activity in product innovation, remanufacturing, and refurbishment, resulting in job creation. On the other hand, organizations must now question their ability to flex and adapt, innovate, and develop novel business models that capitalize on market trends. It has been observed that sustainable development greatly depends on how an organization manages its implicit and explicit resources at multiple levels of its functionality. An organizational transition toward CE is vital to achieving sustainable development goals, and critical for the sustainable future of all stakeholders. However, customers' understanding and decisions are necessary to encourage the production of products entrenched in CE. The United Nations has emphasized the importance of individual’s decisions to ensure the accomplishment of sustainable development. Scholars have started to realize the importance of CE in the last few years; nevertheless, more research is needed to establish the antecedents, consequences, and contingencies of green and sustainable production strategies for CE by taking various organizational cultures, structures, designs, and other stakeholders’, such as consumers’, decisions into account for the welfare of the whole of society.

Novel findings regarding this research topic would highlight the merits and demerits of CE implementation from organizational and consumer perspectives, suggesting implications for top leadership and governance bodies for enhancing community welfare. Specifically, this research topic encourages compiling advanced research concerning the relationship between various dimensions of sustainability, focusing more on social sustainability and CE. For this Special Issue, we welcome quantitative or qualitative original research articles, case studies, and systematic literature reviews from around the world.

This Special Issue welcomes research topic including, but not limited to, the following areas:

Identifying the critical role of stakeholders in the implementation of the circular economy;
Socio-economic development and its consequences on the circular economy;
Community well-being and social sustainability for global businesses;
Role of institutional and regulatory bodies for the circular economy;
Role of technological advancement for social sustainability and satisfaction;
Adoption of novel technology to reduce technology complexity and anxiety;
Importance of contemporary technologies in augmenting circular economy awareness;
Workforce productivity and its impact on business excellence;
Consumer mindfulness regarding circular economy;
Future of circular economy in the era of post-COVID-19;
Interaction of sustainable consumption and circular strategies;
Role of circular economy in shaping consumer decisions;
Narrative of socio-ecological development;
Identifying the importance of green product labelling in the circular economy.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mohsin Shahzad
Dr. Abaid Ullah Zafar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

circular economy
green strategies
social sustainability
sustainable consumption
social well-being

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 520 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Untangling the Potential of Sustainable Online Information Sources in Shaping Visitors’ Intentions

by Salamatu Bellah Conteh, Moiz Malik, Mohsin Shahzad and Sana Shahid

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14192; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914192 - 26 Sep 2023

Viewed by 617

Abstract

Tourism has gained enormous attention, and every country is determined to attract more visitors. Concerned stakeholders are trying to promote their country’s image and that of their tourist destinations. Travelers attain information from different sustainable sources, and these different sustainable sources might be critical in shaping the perceived image of a country. Not enough research has been conducted with respect to investigating the association between these perceived images and sustainable information sources regarding any country. Hence, this study tries to fill this research gap by integrating country and destination image, outbound travel motivation, and information sources to obtain relevant information. Considering the above-mentioned context, data were gathered from a survey completed by respondents who had visited a developing country, i.e., Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized to examine the validity of the data of 205 potential visitors. Our findings show that a country’s image has a significant favorable influence on destination image. Destination and country image favorably impact travelers’ intentions to visit a certain destination, though this is also partially mediated by outbound travel motivation. Furthermore, the critical role of sustainable information sources in shaping country and destination image is highlighted in this paper. The proposed model offers novel insights into the literature and can be used to assist in the design of appropriate marketing strategies for the tourism sector by incorporating perceived image, outbound travel motivation, and information sources. This research offers pertinent recommendations to enhance tourism. Though we feel our research makes a pertinent contribution to the literature, in the future, other researchers may test the proposed model by integrating the data from other Chinese cities to gain more insights. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

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23 pages, 929 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transforming Supply Chains: Powering Circular Economy with Analytics, Integration and Flexibility Using Dual Theory and Deep Learning with PLS-SEM-ANN Analysis

by Muhammad Noman Shafique, Ammar Rashid, Sook Fern Yeo and Umar Adeel

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11979; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511979 - 03 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1584

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals and circular economy are two critical aspects of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They both seek to reduce the waste of natural resources and enhance society’s social, economic, and environmental goals. This study aims to identify, develop, test, and verify the significant antecedents that affect the adoption of supply chain analytics and its consequences for achieving the circular economy. We have divided the conceptual framework into two parts. In the first part, the relationship among data integration and scalability, organizational readiness, and policies and regulations as Technological–Organizational–Environmental factors as antecedents in adopting supply chain analytics. In the second part, the dynamic capabilities view grounded the relationship among supply chain analytics, supply chain integration, and sustainable supply chain flexibility effect directly and indirectly on the circular economy. Data have been collected using the survey method from 231 respondents from the manufacturing industry in Pakistan. Data have been analyzed using (i) partial least square structure equation modeling (ii) and artificial neural network approaches. The empirical findings proved that antecedents (data integrity and scalability, organizational readiness, and policy and regulation) and consequences (supply chain integration and sustainable supply chain flexibility) of supply chain analytics adoption would improve the circular economy performance. Additionally, artificial neural networks have supported these relationships. The adoption of supply chain analytics will enable organizations to supply chain integration. Additionally, organizations with more integration and analytics in their operations tend to have more flexibility and a circular economy. Moreover, organizations and society will obtain social, economic, and environmental benefits and reduce wastage and negative environmental impacts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

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20 pages, 900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do Women on Board Reduce a Firm’s Risks to Ensure Sustainable Performance during a Crisis?

by Rubeena Tashfeen, Irfan Saleem, Muhammad Ashfaq, Umara Noreen and Muhammad Shafiq

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11145; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411145 - 17 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 882

Abstract

The research applies the Upper Echelons Theory and the Lehman Sisters Hypothesis to explain how women board members use investment, financial, and liquidity techniques to reduce risk and increase a firm’s value. An original dataset of listed US companies is analyzed to show how women strategists contribute to value creation and mitigate stock volatility and bankruptcy. A simultaneous equations approach captures the interplay between a company’s use of debt and financial derivatives. According to this research, organizations that employ derivative instruments benefit more from having women in advisory roles because women encourage proactive risk management and develop effective risk control measures. The research implies that businesses should actively promote gender equality on their boards rather than merely recognizing the need for diversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

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22 pages, 1893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Chinese Regimes of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative in the Transformation of Its Energy Diplomacy: Quest for Economic Sustainability

by Arfan Mahmood, Mehran Idris Khan, Shahid Ali, Zaheer Abbas and Nouman Khan

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16997; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416997 - 19 Dec 2022

Viewed by 2536

Abstract

This paper offers a critical analysis of how the new regimes in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China complement its energy diplomacy to ensure economic sustainability driven by an uninterrupted supply of overseas energy. Recognising the centrality of energy in its foreign policy, China’s initiative in the AIIB and the BRI to complement its energy diplomacy is a subject of immense significance requiring extensive research. The present study investigates whether the transformations in China’s energy diplomacy caused primarily by these new regimes in the AIIB and the BRI are a step toward economic internationalisation or consistency of its years-old mercantilist practices. It adopts a well-defined analytical methodology by utilising the “case-based” approach of John Gerring. This article argues that the new global institutions of China successfully complement the country’s energy diplomacy, and its energy diplomacy towards Central Asia is predominantly neo-mercantilist. However, it shows a strong inclination to facilitate economic interdependence towards regions that carry some strategic weight in China’s national interests. In contrast, countries enriched in energy resources but isolated, with little strategic worth, are put under sheer dependency on China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

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18 pages, 1679 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Online Shopping and Travel Behaviour: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

by Mostafa Ghodsi, Mahdad Pourmadadkar, Ali Ardestani, Seyednaser Ghadamgahi and Hao Yang

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13474; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013474 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1650

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant alterations in people’s social and economic behaviour. This paper aims to study the pandemic’s influence on online shopping and travel behaviour and discover how these phenomena are related. To this end, eight variables were identified that describe socio-demographic status, COVID-19 variables, online shopping variables, and travel behaviour. The structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was adopted to analyse the relationships between these variables. A conceptual model was formed by devising hypothetical relationships, and then the validity and reliability of the model were evaluated using SEM tools. Among the 19 theoretical relationships, 17 were verified. It was found that socio-demographic status directly affects the COVID-19 variables, influencing online shopping variables. As a result, it was inferred that during the pandemic, people’s daily travel habits had been affected by their inclinations toward online shopping, and the more people are aware of COVID-19 and feel responsible about the pandemic, the more they are persuaded to shop online rather than in-person shopping. Policymakers can use the findings of this study to change the public’s travel and shopping behaviour to tackle the pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

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17 pages, 500 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Micro-Level CSR as a New Organizational Value for Social Sustainability Formation: A Study of Healthcare Sector in GCC Region

by Esra AlDhaen

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12256; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912256 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1597

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the research work is to investigate whether micro-level corporate social responsibility (MCSR) plays a positive role in forming and promoting organizational social sustainability (SOS). It further investigates how each of the four dimensions of MCSR are linked with organizational social sustainability. Additionally, the study aims at studying MSCR and SOS within a context where such kinds of studies are scant. Methodology: A quantitative, cross sectional, and explanatory design was used to conduct the study. A sample 516 respondents were drawn from five hospitals in Bahrain through random sampling technique, and 441 questionnaires complete from all aspects were included for analysis. Different reliability and validity tests were carried out to check the goodness of the data. Inferential statistics, including regression analysis, were applied to test the hypotheses. Findings: Data analysis showed a significant relationship between micro-level CSR and organizational social sustainability. Ethical dimensions of MCSR proved to be the most dominant influencer of SOS, followed by environmental dimension of MCSR. However, the relationships of philanthropic and economic MCSR with SOS were statistically significant, but the intensity of relationships was weak. Originality: It is the seminal work in terms of investigating the relationship between MSCR and SOS which, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, has not been investigated before. Testing the relationship of each dimension of MCSR with SOS is another original value, in addition to the existing body of literature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

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12 pages, 242 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Philosophical Thought of Confucius and Mencius, and the Concept of the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind

by Uzma Khan, Huili Wang, Zhongliang Cui, Abida Begum, Abdullah Mohamed and Heesup Han

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 9854; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14169854 - 10 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4201

Abstract

The Community of a Shared Future for Mankind seeks to mitigate the world’s current challenges, and to create a more sustainable future through better global governance. Some of the philosophical arguments of the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind, and its foundations, which this article traces, are grounded in the philosophical teachings of Confucius and Mencius. The five pillars of Confucianism are benevolence (Ren), righteousness (Yi), propriety (Li), wisdom (Zhi) and fidelity (Xin). The five pillars have their equivalents in the philosophy of the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind: benevolence has its equivalents in multilateral and bilateral agreements; righteousness shows justice; propriety’s equivalents are international standards and regulations; wisdom is the problem-solving dialogues; and trustworthiness is equated to international organizations that safeguard global integrity. The Confucian principle of harmony is congruent with the objective of the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind, of creating a world of harmony, peace and cooperation. The Golden Rule has been observed in the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind, through its insistence on reciprocal bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Mencius’ philosophical contribution to the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind is in his theory of human nature, where humaneness is seen as developmental—as would be the community built by the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind. Mencius’ principle of governance is congruent with the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind’s insistence on responsible governance. These congruences and similarities, between the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind and the philosophies of Confucius and Mencius, point to the foundations for the Community of a Shared Future for Mankind. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

22 pages, 368 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Going Deeper into the S of ESG: A Relational Approach to the Definition of Social Responsibility

by Leonardo Becchetti, Emanuele Bobbio, Federico Prizia and Lorenzo Semplici

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9668; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159668 - 05 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6155

Abstract

ESG frameworks have progressively become central in economic and policy choices. This is why it is of utmost importance to build a shared and accepted framework to define what we really mean by ESG overcoming the “minimalist” Do Not Significantly Harm (DNSH) principle and moving toward the full achievement of the more ambitious substantial contribution (SC) principle, oriented to the maximization of the social and environmental impact of value creation. To move forward in this direction, our work proposes a relational approach for the assessment of ESG factors focusing in particular on the social pillar. Our conceptual and theoretical proposal argues that, in order to increase the value of that pillar, it is necessary to assess both the internal and external relationships of the firm from an impact perspective, improving at the same time the multidimensional well-being of workers and the capacity to create sustainable development in the local community. The main factors companies should consider to achieve these goals are related to the domains of sense of community, empowerment, good practices of mutual aid and degree of participation at individual, team, organization, and territorial levels that can trigger gift giving, reciprocity and trust, overcoming standard social dilemmas and producing superadditive outcomes together with high social and environmental impact. Starting from these elements, this work proposes a set of indicators and metrics, based on an original methodology to measure and assess the commitment of a firm to increasing social factors. This methodology is particularly suitable for SMEs and start-up companies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Sustainability and Circular Economy Agenda through the Lens of Stakeholders and Technological Innovation)

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