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A Transdisciplinary Exploratory Model of Corporate Responses to the Challenges of Environmental Sustainability

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  • Steve Elliot

Abstract

Global surveys of business leaders identify the environment as a major issue of concern, but uncertainties about how to address the challenges of environmental sustainability are cited as a significant inhibitor to business responses. Persistent levels of corporate uncertainty in this domain may be due to the complexity of issues and difficulties in meaningfully capturing this complexity. Calls have been made for new ways to produce knowledge about complex societal challenges, including environmental sustainability. This paper aims to reduce business uncertainties and to stimulate business and research initiatives. The paper describes a field study of a global corporation's pioneering responses to environmental sustainability. The study highlights academic and practitioner collaboration to generate, transfer and implement new knowledge through an innovative research approach. The outcome is a transdisciplinary, exploratory model, presenting a progression of integrated activities and processes within eight categories of corporate responses. Implications for research and practice are considered. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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  • Steve Elliot, 2013. "A Transdisciplinary Exploratory Model of Corporate Responses to the Challenges of Environmental Sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 269-282, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:22:y:2013:i:4:p:269-282
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.1774
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    2. Anupriya Desore & Sapna A. Narula, 2018. "An overview on corporate response towards sustainability issues in textile industry," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1439-1459, August.
    3. Tianyu Deng & Limeng Qiao & Xun Yao & Shuangying Chen & Xiaowo Tang, 2022. "A Profit Framework Model for Digital Platforms Based on Value Sharing and Resource Complementarity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, September.
    4. Liang Li & Hajar Msaad & Huaping Sun & Mei Xuen Tan & Yeqing Lu & Antonio K.W. Lau, 2020. "Green Innovation and Business Sustainability: New Evidence from Energy Intensive Industry in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-18, October.
    5. Anupriya Sharma & Sapna A. Narula, 2020. "What motivates and inhibits Indian textile firms to embrace sustainability?," Asian Journal of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-23, December.
    6. Dianne Bolton & Terry Landells, 2015. "Reconceptualizing Power Relations as Sustainable Business Practice," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(7), pages 604-616, November.
    7. Naziatul Aziah Mohd Radzi & Khai Ern Lee & Sharina Abdul Halim & Chamhuri Siwar, 2018. "Integrative Approach For Corporate Social Responsibility: A Case From The Banking Industry," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 8(3), pages 251-266, March.
    8. Francesco Rosati & Lourenço Galvão Diniz Faria, 2019. "Business contribution to the Sustainable Development Agenda: Organizational factors related to early adoption of SDG reporting," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(3), pages 588-597, May.
    9. C. William Young & Sally V. Russell & Cheryl A. Robinson & Phani Kumar Chintakayala, 2018. "Sustainable Retailing – Influencing Consumer Behaviour on Food Waste," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 1-15, January.
    10. Gloria Fiorani & Chiara Di Gerio, 2022. "Reporting University Performance through the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda: Lessons Learned from Italian Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-19, July.
    11. Prue F.E. Addison & P. J. Stephenson & Joseph W. Bull & Giulia Carbone & Mark Burgman & Michael J. Burgass & Leah R. Gerber & Pippa Howard & Nadine McCormick & Louise McRae & Kim E. Reuter & Malcolm S, 2020. "Bringing sustainability to life: A framework to guide biodiversity indicator development for business performance management," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3303-3313, December.
    12. Katherine L. Christ & Roger L. Burritt & Mohsen Varsei, 2017. "Coopetition as a Potential Strategy for Corporate Sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(7), pages 1029-1040, November.
    13. Mousami Prasad & Trupti Mishra & Arti D. Kalro, 2017. "Environmental disclosure by Indian companies: an empirical study," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(5), pages 1999-2022, October.
    14. Wenjie Li & Muhammad Yaseen Bhutto & Idrees Waris & Tianyang Hu, 2023. "The Nexus between Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility, Green Intellectual Capital and Green Innovation towards Business Sustainability: An Empirical Analysis of Chinese Automobile Manufactur," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-20, January.

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