sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Sustainable Development Goals: Effective Leadership and Resource-Constraint Innovation

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 December 2022) | Viewed by 16985

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for China–India–Pakistan Studies, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Interests: sustainable HRM; frugal innovation; humane entrepreneurship

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Labor, Capital and Innovation, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, 53-345 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: sustainable HRM; training and development; project management

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
Interests: sustainable development; entrepreneurship; SMEs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change, extreme poverty, scarce resources, cultural conflicts, political instability, human migration-based disruption, and globalization are some of the most controversial issues currently being discussed by academicians and practitioners (Caffaro et al., 2019; Iqbal et al., 2021b; Kantabutra and Punnakitikashem, 2020). To address such challenges, a universal set of goals, targets, and indicators, namely Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was introduced by the United Nations. These SDGs are used for widespread economic progress, elimination of global poverty, encouragement of social trust among diverse stakeholders, and protection of the environment (Holden et al., 2017). Innovation plays an important role in promoting sustainable development (e.g., creating jobs, generating income, and alleviating poverty) in both emerging economies and the developed world. Constraint-based innovations, including frugal approaches, sustainable innovation, eco-innovation, and disruptive innovation, have attracted increasing interest across disciplines due to their potential to promote sustainable development, while meeting Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) needs (von Janda et al., 2020). However, the academic literature to date has resulted in overlapping terminology, lacks a robust theoretical basis and includes few sector-specific studies. Past studies have claimed that leaders might adopt innovation as strategy to cope with environmental challenges. According to Burawat, (2019) and Iqbal et al., (2021a), there is need to spur effective leadership in the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Different concepts of leadership such as transformational leadership, servant leadership, responsible leadership, and sustainable leadership have been explored in the context of their contribution to sustainable development; in more detail, these concepts have been explored in regard to organizational sustainable performance. Sustainable performance evaluates an organization’s ability to meet the needs and expectations of customers and other stakeholders in the long-term, balanced by effective management organization, by organization staff awareness, by learning and applying appropriate improvements, and by innovation (Stanciu et al., 2014). A dearth of conceptual and empirical research on the substantial impact of leadership from the perspective of sustainability already exists.

Moreover, environmental, and organisational outcomes tend to vary with reference to perception, interpretation and response of leadership to diverse internal and external factors such as technological advancement, customer preferences, globalisation, the changing nature of the workforce, and competition (Hou et al., 2019). Therefore, it is important to examine the potential conditional factors which might impact effective leadership from the perspective of sustainable development.

In light of this, the present Special Issue aims to present new, emerging trends and research concepts concerning the application of effective leadership, innovation, employee behaviour, and highly approved climate policies in the field of organizational sustainable development. We invite all authors involved in the analysis of such trends and challenges to participate in this Special Issue.

References:

Burawat, P. (2019). The relationships among transformational leadership, sustainable leadership, lean manufacturing and sustainability performance in Thai SMEs manufacturing industry. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 36(6), 1014–1036.

Caffaro, F., Roccato, M., Micheletti Cremasco, M., & Cavallo, E. (2019). An ergonomic approach to sustainable development: The role of information environment and social-psychological variables in the adoption of agri-environmental innovations. Sustainable Development, 27(6), 1049–1062. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1956

Holden, E., Linnerud, K., & Banister, D. (2017). The imperatives of sustainable development. Sustainable Development, 25(3), 213–226.

Hou, B., Hong, J., Zhu, K., & Zhou, Y. (2019). Paternalistic leadership and innovation: the moderating effect of environmental dynamism. European Journal of Innovation Management, 22(3), 562–582.

Iqbal, Q., Ahmad, N. H., & Li, Y. (2021a). Sustainable Leadership in Frontier Asia Region: Managerial Discretion and Environmental Innovation. In Sustainability (Vol. 13, Issue 9). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095002

Iqbal, Q., Ahmad, N. H., & Li, Z. (2021b). Frugal based innovation model for sustainable development: Technological and market turbulence. Leadership & Organization Development Journal. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-06-2020-0256

Kantabutra, S., & Punnakitikashem, P. (2020). Exploring the process toward corporate sustainability at a Thai SME. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(21), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219204

Stanciu, A.-C., Constandache, M., & Condrea, E. (2014). Concerns about the Sustainable Performance of Firm in the Context of Quality Management Systems Implementation. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 131, 340–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.127

von Janda, S., Kuester, S., Schuhmacher, M. C., & Shainesh, G. (2020). What frugal products are and why they matter: A cross-national multi-method study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118977

Dr. Qaisar Iqbal
Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej
Prof. Dr. Noor Hazlina Ahmad
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 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

  • climate challenges
  • sustainable HRM
  • effective leadership
  • inclusive leadership
  • frugal innovation
  • responsible innovation
  • inclusive growth
  • triple bottom line

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

22 pages, 1756 KiB  
Article
Shaping Frugal Innovation Processes, and Ensuring Security and Sustainable Development of Enterprises in the Environment
by Jacek Woźniak and Wioletta Sylwia Wereda
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3165; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043165 - 9 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2411
Abstract
This article discusses the importance of 28 different activities—aimed at shaping innovative processes, e.g., connected with costs and efficiency, employment, production waste, cooperation with external entities, innovation policy and regulations, social acceptance, as well as value management—in ensuring the security and sustainable development [...] Read more.
This article discusses the importance of 28 different activities—aimed at shaping innovative processes, e.g., connected with costs and efficiency, employment, production waste, cooperation with external entities, innovation policy and regulations, social acceptance, as well as value management—in ensuring the security and sustainable development of enterprises in the environment. The objective of the study is to estimate the level of the importance of specific factors/activities related to shaping the frugal innovation processes in ensuring the security and sustainable development of enterprises, as well as the identification of the main groups of these factors/activities, and the comparison of enterprises in terms of the importance of these factors/activities in ensuring security and sustainable development. The study used both an inductive and a deductive approach. It used the cluster analysis (k-mean method), the analysis of descriptive statistics, and the following statistical tests: Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for one sample, Kruskal–Wallis test for independent samples, and U Mann–Whitney test for independent samples. In the study, four basic components were identified, which were used for subsequent quantitative verification of six research hypotheses. The study included 200 large enterprises from the most innovative sectors in Poland. The study showed that factors/activities related to the implementation of frugal innovation processes are of moderately high importance in ensuring the security and sustainable development of enterprises in the environment, as well as innovative enterprises that are dominated by entities characterized by the high importance of all factors/activities related to the implementation of frugal innovation processes in ensuring their safety and sustainable development in the environment. Furthermore, there are no statistically significant differences between enterprises in the importance of factors/activities related to the implementation of frugal innovation processes in ensuring the security and sustainability of these enterprises in the environment in the case of entities with different: lengths of service (i.e., the age of the enterprise), scale of operation, average annual turnovers, as well as profile of operation (i.e., the sector). Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 504 KiB  
Article
The Role of Participatory Leadership and Employee Innovative Behavior on SMEs’ Endurance
by Ghadah Alarifi and Nawal Abdalla Adam
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2740; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032740 - 2 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5359
Abstract
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have struggled to survive during the COVID-19 crisis. The factors that contributed to their survival during the period deserve to be investigated. Drawing on social-exchange theory, this study aims to explore the mediating effect of participative leadership on [...] Read more.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have struggled to survive during the COVID-19 crisis. The factors that contributed to their survival during the period deserve to be investigated. Drawing on social-exchange theory, this study aims to explore the mediating effect of participative leadership on the relationship between employee work innovative behavior (EWIB) and the survival of SMEs after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 390 managers randomly selected from 114 medium-sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the hypothesized relationships between the research variables. The results of the study indicate a significant and positive association between EWIB and participatory leadership. There is a positive and important effect of both participatory leadership and EWIB on the endurance of SMEs. Participatory leadership had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between EWIB and the SMEs’ endurance during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The study sheds light on the importance of the innovative behavior of the workers and the participatory leadership for the survival and continuity of SMEs in times of crisis similar to COVID-19. The study’s findings provide suggestions for SMEs’ managers regarding adopting a participatory leadership style to develop employees’ innovative behavior and ensure the enterprise’s endurance. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 919 KiB  
Article
Ethical Leadership, Bricolage, and Eco-Innovation in the Chinese Manufacturing Industry: A Multi-Theory Perspective
by Wei Xuecheng and Qaisar Iqbal
Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7070; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127070 - 9 Jun 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3395
Abstract
The integrated correlations of ethical leadership, environmental innovation, sustainable performance, and entrepreneurial bricolage were examined using the upper echelons and effectuation theories. The research utilised data from 223 manufacturing firms in north-eastern China, which indicated a 74.33 per cent response rate. The partial [...] Read more.
The integrated correlations of ethical leadership, environmental innovation, sustainable performance, and entrepreneurial bricolage were examined using the upper echelons and effectuation theories. The research utilised data from 223 manufacturing firms in north-eastern China, which indicated a 74.33 per cent response rate. The partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis exposed the significant positive impact of ethical leadership on environmental innovation and of the latter on sustainable performance. Furthermore, the current findings support the significant indirect effect of ethical leadership on sustainable performance through environmental innovation. The empirical results suggest an amplified impact of ethical leadership on environmental innovation, suggesting increasing bricolage values. Accordingly, the implications and limitations of the present study are elucidated in the final section of this article. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 356 KiB  
Article
The Role of CSR for De-Carbonization of Hospitality Sector through Employees: A Leadership Perspective
by Li Xu, Suleiman Jamal Mohammad, Nishad Nawaz, Sarminah Samad, Naveed Ahmad and Ubaldo Comite
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5365; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095365 - 29 Apr 2022
Cited by 69 | Viewed by 4097
Abstract
Tourism and hospitality have been recognized as leading economic sectors globally. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, it was estimated that the tourism and hospitality sector was growing by around 4% each year. Although the economic-efficiency-led hypothesis of the tourism and hospitality sector is [...] Read more.
Tourism and hospitality have been recognized as leading economic sectors globally. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, it was estimated that the tourism and hospitality sector was growing by around 4% each year. Although the economic-efficiency-led hypothesis of the tourism and hospitality sector is strong, there is another perspective related to tourism and hospitality. That is, tourism and hospitality are not as “green” as they were supposed to be. Indeed, this sector is known for its outsized carbon footprint. It is estimated that, if not managed efficiently, the GHG contribution of the tourism sector will grow in the future. Specifically, the hotel business accounts for 1% of total global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), which is huge. Responding to these significant issues, this study investigates the relationship between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of a hotel enterprise and employees’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB). The mediating role of environmental-specific transformational leadership (ESTFL) and the moderating role of green perceived organizational support (GPOS) were also tested in the above relationship. The data were collected by the employees through a self-administered questionnaire. The hypothesized relations were statistically investigated by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings revealed that CSR activities of a hotel not only influence employees’ PEB directly, but the mediating role of ESTFL was also significant. At the same time, the conditional indirect role of GPOS was also confirmed. This study offers different theoretical and practical insights, which have been discussed in detail. Full article
Back to TopTop