1 April 2011

Call for Papers: Business Case for Sustainability: Rhetoric or Reality?

A special issue of International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development

Accounting for the environmental, economic and social (or sustainability) impacts of organisational strategies and actions has been a growing area of practice and research in recent years. Sustainability requires a balanced approach along the triple bottom line – environmental, economic, and social performance. Business practices in this area encompass provision of information within organisations to help managers at different levels to appreciate the potential corporate sustainability impacts of their decision.

For many years, companies have integrated social and environmental concerns into business strategies. Yet there is still a lack of empirical evidence to examine the “business case for sustainability”. Without a better understanding of how to make decisions about sustainability, managers can’t make timely and appropriately ‘right’ decisions in practice.

The focus of this special issue is the manner in which business practices can help to instil, encourage and embed among decision-makers an awareness and appreciation of the importance of environmental and social sustainability in strategic and operational decision-making, and the importance of stakeholder management and communications about such sustainability issues. In particular, papers are sought that provide novel empirical insights, ideally through case studies, into these practices.

Case studies, conceptual papers, review papers, methodological papers, and quantified analyses of sustainability management and business cases are most welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
  • An investigation of the complex and multifaceted nature of the business case for sustainability
  • The role of top management commitment and scope for operational-level innovation in sustainability management
  • The impact of social and environmental sustainability in fostering organisational and corporate change at different levels
  • Stakeholder management and communication in sustainability management
  • Identification and connected actions of potential sustainability impacts flowing from decisions: risks and opportunities; reputation.
Important Date
Submission deadline: 1 August, 2011

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