Sustainable Strategies and Organizational Transitions for Green Economy

A special issue of Systems (ISSN 2079-8954). This special issue belongs to the section "Systems Practice in Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 877

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Management, Università degli Studi di Bergamo, Via dei Caniana, 2, 24127 Bergamo, Italy
Interests: corporate finance; financial intermediaries; systemic risk; ESG; sustainability

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Guest Editor
Department of Economic Policy, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
Interests: corporate finance; corporate social responsibility; financial decision-making

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability has become a central concern for organizations navigating complex environmental, social, and economic challenges. In response to growing regulatory pressures, stakeholder expectations, and planetary boundaries, businesses are rethinking their strategies, operations, and value propositions. Achieving sustainability requires more than technical solutions—it involves transformative change in organizational culture, governance models, and stakeholder engagement practices.

This Special Issue seeks to explore how organizations integrate sustainability into their strategic and operational frameworks. We invite contributions that examine tools, processes, and practices for implementing sustainable innovation, measuring environmental and social impacts, and fostering circular economy principles. Interdisciplinary perspectives and real-world case studies are particularly encouraged.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Organizational transformation for sustainability;
  • Sustainable business models and innovation;
  • Circular economy and resource efficiency;
  • ESG (environmental, social, and governance) frameworks;
  • Stakeholder engagement and social responsibility;
  • Green technologies and operational practices;
  • Sustainability metrics and impact assessment.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Pellegrini Laura
Dr. Andrea Roncella
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sustainability
  • organizational change
  • green economy
  • circular economy
  • ESG
  • green innovation
  • sustainable strategy
  • social responsibility
  • environmental impact
  • corporate governance
  • sustainable development

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 7032 KiB  
Article
An Examination of the Evolution of Green Industry Structure and Sustainable Cooperation Strategies Between China and the Visegrád Group: A Product Space Approach
by Liping Qiu, Qianxue Chen, Xinzhe Zhu, Lihua Yang and Wenbo Gu
Systems 2025, 13(7), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13070508 - 24 Jun 2025
Viewed by 243
Abstract
The Visegrád Group (V4), as China’s key economic and trade partner in Central and Eastern Europe, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of sustainable development within the China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation (China-CEEC) framework through its comprehensive green initiatives. This study [...] Read more.
The Visegrád Group (V4), as China’s key economic and trade partner in Central and Eastern Europe, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of sustainable development within the China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation (China-CEEC) framework through its comprehensive green initiatives. This study analyzes export data and environmental product classifications from major countries in the CEPII-BACI database, covering the period from 2003 to 2022, to construct a green product space network. The analysis reveals the evolutionary patterns of the green industry and the collaborative transformation mechanisms between China and the V4 countries. The findings indicate the following: (1) The green product space network displays a “core-periphery” structural framework, wherein China has expanded its core product offerings by leveraging technological advancements in the photovoltaic sector, while the V4 countries enhance their resource allocation by systematically phasing out peripheral products. (2) The Green Complexity Index (GCI) suggests that China’s green production capacity has significantly improved, thereby narrowing the technological gap with Poland and Slovakia. (3) According to the Green Competition Index, a strategic complementary space exists between the two parties in the domain of medium- to high-complexity products. This study recommends extending green cooperation to higher value chain segments by establishing a collaborative innovation network for green technologies, developing a dynamic capacity optimization mechanism, and deepening the joint research and development of core products. This article offers a decision-making framework based on production capacity endowments to facilitate multinational collaborative transformations in the green industry. Full article
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28 pages, 371 KiB  
Article
Political Connection Heterogeneity and Green Technological Innovation: Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies
by Siqi Meng, Xiaoyu Wu and Shuyang Wang
Systems 2025, 13(6), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13060443 - 6 Jun 2025
Viewed by 432
Abstract
With the continuous development of today’s economy and the growing interest in green technological innovation, this study investigates the impact of executive political connection heterogeneity (EPCH) on corporate green technological innovation (CGTI) in Chinese listed companies. Specifically, it distinguishes between ascribed and achieved [...] Read more.
With the continuous development of today’s economy and the growing interest in green technological innovation, this study investigates the impact of executive political connection heterogeneity (EPCH) on corporate green technological innovation (CGTI) in Chinese listed companies. Specifically, it distinguishes between ascribed and achieved political connections, examining their influence on incremental and radical CGTI. This study employs a quantitative research design, utilizing a sample of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2022. Data are sourced from the China Securities Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) database and the China National Research Data Service (CNRDS) database. The study analysis applies fixed-effect regression models to test the relationships between political connection heterogeneity and innovation outcomes. The findings reveal that ascribed political connections promote incremental innovation, while achieved political connections drive radical innovation. Moreover, strong GEO weakens the effect of ascribed political ties on incremental CGTI while enhancing the effect of achieved political ties on radical CGTI. These results contribute to the understanding of how political ties influence corporate innovation strategies and provide insights into the role of dynamic capabilities in green technological advancements. Full article
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