Search Results (372)

Integrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into business strategy requires organizational practices that convert sustainability- and stakeholder-related intentions into measurable and managerially usable information. This study examines whether distinct Business Performance Measurement (BPM) maturity profiles can be identified among hospitality SMEs and how these profiles are associated with sustainability- and stakeholder-oriented measurement practices. BPM maturity is defined as a multidimensional organizational capability reflected in the breadth, integration, monitoring, interpretation, and use of performance information, rather than merely in the possession of a formal measurement system. Using cross-sectional survey data from 600 decision-makers in Hungarian and Romanian accommodation and food service SMEs, the study applies Principal Component Analysis and Two-Step Cluster Analysis. Three profiles emerge: Integrated, Transitional, and Low BPM Maturity. Firms in the Integrated profile report broader use of financial, customer-related, employee-related, sector-specific, and sustainability-oriented performance information, whereas firms in the Low profile report more limited measurement practices. Sustainability- and development-related measurement practices provide the strongest relative contribution to profile differentiation in both national models. The findings demonstrate systematic associations between BPM maturity profiles and sustainability- and stakeholder-oriented measurement practices. They are consistent with the theoretical interpretation that BPM maturity may provide organizational conditions supporting the operationalization of responsible management intentions. However, the cross-sectional design does not establish causal direction, and the study does not directly measure formal CSR implementation or sustainability outcomes. Full article

Consumer food waste is a major challenge for food system sustainability and a governance problem that cannot be addressed by individual behavioral change alone. Previous reviews have examined the causes of food waste or evaluated specific intervention strategies, but less attention has been paid to how behavioral drivers, intervention strategies, and the roles of governance actors can be examined within an integrated analytical framework. Against this background, this review aims to synthesize the behavioral drivers of consumer food waste, classify the main types of behavioral interventions, and develop a multi-level governance perspective that connects these elements. Using a narrative review approach supported by a structured literature search, the review identifies three broad categories of behavioral drivers, namely cognitive biases, motivational drivers, and environmental and situational influences. It then classifies behavioral interventions into five types, namely information-based interventions, social norm interventions, choice architecture and environmental design interventions, incentive-based interventions, and education and capacity-building interventions. The review indicates that no single intervention type is likely to be effective across all settings. Instead, intervention outcomes are closely linked to the alignment among targeted behavioral drivers, intervention strategies, consumption contexts, and governance support. From a multi-level governance perspective, this review views consumers as the actors engaged in everyday food-related practices, businesses as the designers of the consumption environments and operational routines, and policymakers as the providers of institutional, informational, and economic support. By bringing behavioral drivers, intervention strategies, and governance roles into a shared analytical framework, this review moves beyond fragmented, individual-centered approaches to reducing consumer food waste. The framework suggests that food waste reduction efforts may be more effectively implemented and maintained when consumer practices, business environments, and policy conditions are mutually supportive. Full article

Integrated project delivery (IPD), as the practical manifestation of lean construction principles, integrates people, systems, and business structures into a collaborative process that harnesses the collective skills of all participants. This approach enhances sustainability by reducing waste and advancing alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The purpose of this study is to develop a practical framework that elucidates the interacting factors influencing IPD implementation within New Zealand’s (NZ) construction industry, offering transferable insights for other countries with comparable demographics. A systematic literature review of 66 articles identified 127 factors affecting IPD adoption. Deductive reasoning informed the development of open-ended questions for semi-structured interviews with 18 experts, yielding 142 factor interactions. These findings were triangulated with 137 survey responses for validation. Statistical analysis using t-tests confirmed 88 significant interactions (based on p-values), which were ranked via the Relative Importance Index (RII), visualised using Vensim software, and analysed through centrality techniques to construct a comprehensive IPD interaction framework. This study represents the first comprehensive investigation of IPD factor interactions in the NZ construction sector. The resulting framework provides researchers and practitioners with deeper insights into these dynamics to overcome barriers and promote wider IPD adoption for sustainable construction outcomes. Full article

Power outages pose a significant challenge to the operational continuity of businesses and infrastructure that rely on critical loads. In this context, hybrid photovoltaic systems with energy storage represent a sustainable alternative for improving energy resilience and reducing dependence on conventional backup sources. The objective of this research was to design, implement, and experimentally validate a hybrid photovoltaic system with battery storage for critical-load backup in a commercial facility located in Quito, Ecuador. The methodology included energy-demand assessment, photovoltaic and battery storage sizing, integration of an automatic transfer system, and experimental evaluation under real operating conditions. In addition, a mathematical model was developed to describe the system’s energy behavior, including a backup-autonomy model validated against experimental data. The results showed that the system maintained the power supply to critical loads during controlled grid-interruption events, achieving an average backup autonomy of 3.2 h under an approximate demand of 2.2 kW. The hybrid backup system delivered approximately 7.04 kWh during representative backup events through the combined contribution of photovoltaic generation and battery storage. Furthermore, the backup-autonomy model showed a relative error of 1.9% with respect to the experimental measurements, demonstrating good agreement between the theoretical model and the observed performance. The findings confirm the technical feasibility of hybrid photovoltaic systems for improving energy resilience in critical-load applications. The main contribution of this study is the experimental validation of a commercially implemented hybrid photovoltaic backup system under real operating conditions, providing empirical evidence and a replicable methodology for future implementations in similar commercial and industrial facilities. Full article

The study presents methodological approaches to developing regional agri-food strategies integrating economic, social, and environmental indicators, aiming to improve socio-economic and environmental efficiency in the context of food security. To assess regional sustainable development, a hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward’s method was applied to compare Russian regions based on indicators of agricultural specialization, economic efficiency, food security, social conditions, and environmental impact. The analysis identified seven distinct regional clusters with significant socio-economic and environmental differences. A critical finding is that all clusters exhibit persistent problems with waste disposal and neutralization, alongside an acute shortage of investment for technological modernization and additional processing capacity. Key priorities for improving efficiency in achieving food security are identified, and differentiated sustainable development strategies for the selected groups are proposed, including recommendations for adapting governance mechanisms and state support. The need for fundamentally new forms of financing innovative businesses is substantiated. This study provides a differentiated framework for developing regulatory tools for regional agri-food systems based on cluster analysis results. The findings have practical value for planning socio-economic and environmental development programs and for formulating state innovation policy in agricultural support. Full article

Digital transformation is reshaping business-to-business (B2B) sales processes through the growing use of customer relationship management systems, analytics dashboards, automation tools, digital communication channels, and predictive technologies. However, the performance effects of these tools remain insufficiently understood, particularly in complex B2B sales contexts where commercial work is relational, knowledge-intensive, and strongly dependent on organizational routines. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model, this study explores how B2B sales actors perceive, adopt, resist, and integrate digital tools into their daily commercial practices. Based on 18 semi-structured interviews with sales directors, sales managers, business development managers, and senior sales representatives, the study identifies a conditional process linking digital tool adoption to perceived sales performance. The findings show that adoption is mainly driven by perceived usefulness, while perceived ease of use depends less on interface simplicity than on compatibility with sales routines. Resistance emerges when tools create administrative duplication, threaten commercial autonomy, or remain poorly integrated into existing workflows. The study further shows that digital tools improve perceived sales performance indirectly, mainly through CRM integration, shared customer memory, data-driven prioritization, and follow-up discipline. Managerial mechanisms, including training, leadership use, digital champions, and phased rollout, play a decisive role in converting technical deployment into effective and sustained use. The study contributes to sales digital transformation research by proposing a mediated and performance-oriented extension of TAM in B2B sales contexts. Full article

The systemic shift in the energy consumption structure from high-carbon fossil fuels to low-carbon clean energy constitutes a critical pathway toward global climate governance and carbon neutrality. However, this sustainable transition is consistently impeded by deep-seated institutional frictions and structural barriers, such as governance fragmentation and carbon lock-in effects embedded in traditional industrial organization. Whether digital government development can overcome these barriers by nurturing resilient business ecosystems and thereby promote a systemic low-carbon energy transition remains an urgent question within sustainable development research. To address this issue, this study integrates digital government development, regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness, and the low-carbon transition of the energy consumption structure into a unified analytical and sustainable governance framework. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2022, we exploit the institutional reform of provincial big data administrations as a quasi-natural experiment to identify the impacts of digital government. Regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness is comprehensively evaluated across four sustainable dimensions: ecological innovation capacity, market connectivity, ecological global integration, and inclusive infrastructure. Methodologically, we employ a spatial difference-in-differences model to capture geographic interdependencies alongside a double machine learning framework to handle high-dimensional confounding and nonlinear disturbances. The empirical findings reveal that both digital government development and regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness significantly drive the low-carbon transition of the energy consumption structure. The institutional effect of digital government exhibits strong regional embeddedness with localized impacts, whereas e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness generates positive spatial spillovers that accelerate energy optimization in neighboring regions. Crucially, regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness serves as a significant partial mediator, constructing a reliable transmission channel from institutional design to market-based decarbonization. Further pathway analysis indicates that market connectivity and inclusive infrastructure function as the primary transmission channels, effectively mitigating transportation energy intensity and bridging the digital-green divide, while the mediating contribution of ecological innovation capacity is relatively constrained due to cross-organizational coordination thresholds. This study clarifies the interactive mechanism between public digital governance and market ecosystem competitiveness in advancing environmental sustainability, thereby offering fresh theoretical insights and actionable policy implications for emerging market economies striving for economic growth and decarbonization. Full article

Background: Global logistics generates 16–25% of greenhouse gas emissions, yet small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies lack the digital infrastructure to measure and improve their sustainability performance. Business intelligence (BI) systems can support data-driven sustainability decisions, but their application in SME logistics remains poorly understood, and no prior review has examined this intersection with a developing-economy focus. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searching Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore for peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and April 2026. Two reviewers independently screened 412 records; 67 studies met inclusion criteria. Results: Five thematic clusters emerged: BI tools for logistics, sustainability KPI frameworks (triple bottom line [TBL], environmental–social–governance [ESG], Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs]), ERP integration, SME-specific barriers, and geographic gaps. Of the studies, 92% originate from developed economies; Africa and MENA remain almost entirely absent. No study combines open-source ERP with a validated TBL KPI framework for logistics SMEs. Conclusions: We propose a six-priority research agenda targeting empirical validation in developing economies and open-source BI solutions for SME logistics sustainability. Full article

Corporate sustainability reporting has become a central component of corporate governance under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS); yet organizations continue to face challenges in integrating sustainability data into decision-making processes. This study addresses this gap by developing a system dynamics (SD) model for analyzing corporate sustainability performance based on ESG indicators. The proposed framework integrates environmental, social, and governance variables into a unified dynamic structure, capturing feedback loops, time delays, and interdependencies among sustainability dimensions. The model is empirically tested using a ten-year dataset from a fuel retail company, enabling both historical validation and scenario-based analysis. The results demonstrate that the model successfully reproduces observed trends in resource efficiency, safety performance, and social indicators while highlighting trade-offs associated with business growth, particularly in energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates that the sustainability index remains stable under uncertainty in normalized ESG indicator values. Scenario simulations indicate that several sustainability targets for 2030 are achievable under current development trajectories; however, maintaining progress requires continuous investment and organizational commitment. The study contributes to sustainability research by integrating ESRS-based indicators into a dynamic modeling framework and provides a practical decision-support tool for corporate sustainability management, enabling more informed planning, performance evaluation, and strategic alignment with long-term sustainability goals. Full article

With the increasing importance of green design in the business landscape, designers are compelled to shift towards eco-design practices. However, existing methodologies face challenges related to resource requirements, abstract concepts, and industry specificity. To address these challenges and stimulate innovation, this study proposes a green design methodology that integrates TRIZ concepts and is anchored in TRIZ evolutionary trends. The methodology includes function and attribute analysis, the introduction of green features, the identification of TRIZ trends through a two-stage process, and the use of a developed system to improve calculation efficiency. Detailed design solutions are generated by combining green features, TRIZ trends, and inventive principles. A case study validates the methodology, showcasing its value in promoting sustainable development. By leveraging the evolutionary potential of products and incorporating TRIZ, the methodology offers a promising approach to address sustainability challenges and drive innovation. This research serves as a starting point for a practical and efficient design methodology that utilizes TRIZ concepts and a computer-aided application tool. Future steps involve stress-testing the methodology and exploring its application in different domains. Full article

The global transition toward net-zero emissions has led to the restructuring of labor markets and an intensification of the demand for sustainability-competent business graduates. However, higher-education curricula lack an operationalized, job-competency-based framework, and this gap in knowledge is especially acute in emerging industrial economies that are facing pressures due to the ongoing decarbonization of the global supply chain. In this context, this study addresses two interrelated gaps in the relevant research: the lack of a structured system of criteria to assess competency in sustainability that is specifically geared toward business education, and the insufficient attention that has been paid to causal interdependencies among such criteria in previously developed frameworks. The authors apply a two-stage, hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making design based on the KSAO framework, which classifies professional competency into knowledge (K), skills (S), abilities (A), and other characteristics (O). A modified Delphi method that involved 12 academic and industry experts serving as surrogate assessors of competency requirements for business and management students was first used to consolidate 142 literature-derived items into 26 initial criteria, which were then refined into 12 core competencies in sustainability, identified through cross-domain expert consensus. Following this, fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) was applied to analyze the structure of causal influence among the retained criteria. The results identified interdisciplinary work as the primary driving competency and integrated problem-solving as the central hub with the highest prominence, with the two factors forming a bidirectional feedback dynamic that anchored the competency system. The retention of four “other” criteria (O-dimension)—ethical values, normative orientation, empathy, and adaptive resilience—confirmed that competency concerning sustainability in business education extends beyond technical knowledge into deeper dispositional attributes. These findings provide business schools in Taiwan with a structurally grounded logic of sequencing for their curricula, as well as a reference framework for curriculum design that is aligned with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Societal Impact standards. While the findings are grounded in Taiwan’s specific ESG regulatory and industrial context, only the methodological approach is offered as a reference for comparable settings; the substantive findings require cross-national verification. Full article

As modern life accelerates, demand for housekeeping services is rising. However, safety concerns deter potential users, causing a persistent imbalance that poses significant challenges to social sustainability. This research aims to design a home service system that is not only operationally efficient but also socially and economically sustainable. Using a user behavior analysis method, this study investigated the safety and hygiene needs of potential users. From a user-centered design perspective, an innovative housekeeping service system, along with its key service touchpoints: a mobile application and smart products. The system’s design is underpinned by the “Internet+” and Online-to-Offline (O2O) business models, integrating service design and sustainability principles. We present key system architecture and technologies, along with an analysis of implementation challenges. The findings suggest that the proposed system can enhance resource efficiency and economic viability (e.g., reduce operational costs by an estimated 15–25% compared with traditional models); improve user well-being and social equity (e.g., increase user trust by 15–20% through integrated credibility mechanisms and reduce household labor hours by approximately 4–6 h per week through optimized scheduling); and offer a replicable design framework for promoting sustainable service-sector development. Provide a scalable platform for the housekeeping industry’s sustainable transition. This research contributes a design paradigm for service systems that aligns business viability with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), by fostering trust, efficiency, and responsible consumption. Full article

Cultivating postgraduates’ innovation capability is essential for universities to fulfill their function as a social service in this innovation-driven era. Graduate student associations serve as vital carriers for this purpose, yet their potential remains underexplored. This study explores how excellent teachers, particularly graduate supervisors with strong research innovation and resource integration capabilities, contribute to association branding and the cultivation of student innovation capability. We construct a mechanism model based on a dual-leader system with high-level supervisors as key leaders, association branding as the primary approach, and innovation capability cultivation as the core objective. The model’s effectiveness is validated through iterative practice at Northeast Electric Power University’s Management and Research Association, one of China’s 100 model graduate associations. The results demonstrate that influential associations enhance cohesion, facilitate resource pooling through “association + business” integration, and significantly improve postgraduates’ capability for scientific innovation. This work contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) through conceptual and applied alignment by promoting sustainable higher education management mechanisms that enhance long-term educational effectiveness and institutional capacity to cultivate innovation. Full article

Agile teams often struggle to translate business requirements into maintainable, high-quality software due to the persistent ambiguity in the roles and relationships of behavior-driven development (BDD), Acceptance Test-driven Development (ATDD), and Test-driven Development (TDD). These approaches are frequently misunderstood, inconsistently applied, and only loosely connected within a unified delivery lifecycle. This article introduces BLOW (Behavior-Driven Development in a Layered Organization of Work-Centers), a systematic approach that establishes BDD as the coordinating methodology between ATDD (business-focused) and TDD (technology-focused). BLOW structures scenario-driven development across layered domains of accountability with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, organizing delivery through nested work-centers that transform user stories into executable specifications and production code. This approach integrates two complementary collaboration practices: the Three Amigos for discovering and formulating business scenarios, and the proposed Technical Three Amigos for linking those scenarios to Technical Domain Contexts, identifying required Enablers, and deriving technical scenarios when additional architectural support is needed. The proposed operating model emphasizes observability through executable scenarios as first-class artifacts, introducing native, test-anchored metrics that support reasoning about progress, technical effort, and value delivery within scenario-driven development. An exploratory longitudinal case study, consisting of a single-sprint proof of concept followed by an 18-month production deployment, reports patterns in which technical enablement precedes business value delivery and reusable infrastructure supports sustained growth of business scenarios over time. The findings also indicate that changes in the applied operating model are associated with measurable shifts in scenario evolution and internal quality indicators. Overall, BLOW provides a governance-compatible, end-to-end approach for organizing scenario driven development and improving alignment between stakeholder intent and technical implementation in complex software systems. Full article

Morocco has developed one of the most comprehensive sustainability governance architectures among middle-income emerging economies, yet the relationship between its formal regulatory ambition and on-the-ground implementation effectiveness remains poorly understood. This narrative literature review provides an integrated, critically analytical account of Morocco’s sustainability governance system, organised around three interlocking dimensions: (i) a progressively strengthened legislative corpus anchored by the 2011 Constitution and Framework Law 99-12; (ii) a portfolio of national sustainability strategies aligning domestic policy with Paris Agreement commitments, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and (iii) corporate sustainability practices driven by regulatory obligations, international supply chain pressures, and ESG disclosure norms. Drawing on 124 sources, comprising 62 peer-reviewed articles, 38 legislative texts, and 24 institutional reports, and applying institutional isomorphism theory as an integrating analytical lens, the review advances three theoretical propositions concerning the conditions under which formal governance architectures translate into effective sustainability outcomes. It further proposes a validated conceptual framework and develops a comparative positioning of Morocco against peer economies (Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, and Turkey). Critical implementation gaps are identified in enforcement capacity, SME integration, sustainability data infrastructure, and green finance, contributing a balanced and evidence-grounded assessment of Morocco’s sustainability transition. These findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, regulators, and business leaders operating in the Moroccan and broader African context. Full article