Sustainability sheds a whole new light on economic value creation. Sustainable value creation means looking critically at both revenues and costs. Not everything that makes money is of value. Not everything for which no bill is sent is 'free'. This book explains how this is the case and what it means to incorporate sustainability into a company’s strategy and manage activities based on sustainable principles. At the same time, it keeps an eye on the broader societal context in which companies operate, such climate change policies, the SDGs and ESG finance. Since the launch of the concept of sustainable development, many policies at various institutional levels have focused on reducing environmental damage and social ills. This book reflects this broader context. However, despite many serious efforts, it cannot be denied that these policies do not stand up against continued economic growth and a growing global population. This is why this book also stresses that more radical approaches are needed for a successful transformation towards a sustainable society. Businesses should not be content to wait and see what lies ahead. They need to proactively take ownership of the change process that is needed. The book has eight chapters that discuss the various aspects of sustainable value creation from different points of view, including sustainable management and chain management as well as sustainable accounting and reporting. It gives a concise but well-underpinned picture of what sustainable business means today.

This book aims to advance the discussion on concepts such as value, wealth and richness, both from a country and a corporate perspective. Buying junk food, the consumption of legalized drugs such as tobacco, or even the compulsive purchasing of new models of smart phones, the second or third car bought by a city dweller or any other tangible property characterized by a short transient joy, compute positively in the GDP calculation. However, all of these have no, or almost non-existent, marginal utility, for the person who obtains them. The GDP approach does not consider the harmful effects on physical and mental health, on the environment, and the legacy to future generations that these consumptions bring about. At a corporate level, to secure a long-lasting achievement, companies must pay attention to the wide sphere of stakeholders relating to them - employees, customers, suppliers, financial partners, State, local authorities and public administration, natural environment and local communities - in addition to shareholders only. The validity of the corporate sustainable approach is empirically analyzed in this book through an analysis of a sample of European listed companies.

The goal of this book is to define Sustainable Value Creation in terms of a set of principles that differentiate it from existing definitions of CSR, and from related concepts such as sustainability and business ethics. To internalize these ten principles is to understand how the firm can respond to stakeholder needs to optimize value creation over the medium to long term. Ultimately, this second edition book aims to reform both business practice and business education. By building a theory that redefines CSR as central to the value creation process, the ten principles of Sustainable Value Creation redefine how firms approach each of their operational functions, but also how these subjects should be taught in universities worldwide. As such, this book will hopefully be of value to instructors as a complement to their teaching, students as a guide in their education, and managers as a framework to help them respond to the complex, dynamic context that they are expected to navigate every day. This book is a manifesto for success in today’s complex, dynamic business environment. The book is designed as an easy-to-digest, critical introductory text to CSR. With supporting online teaching resources, it is aimed primarily at the MBA and Executive MBA market, and for CSR, sustainability, and business ethics courses taught by instructors skeptical of existing definitions and organizing principles of CSR, sustainability, or business ethics.

This volume explores the concept of sustainable value creation, presenting readers with a wide-ranging analysis integrating different and interacting disciplines.

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability and responsibility. They are challenged to develop a holistic approach to value creation that reconciles economic, social, and environmental goals. This book describes how knowledge can facilitate this process and amplifies the idea of knowledge management to strategically serve multiple stakeholders in a sustainable and responsible way. In particular, the book introduces the concept of the "Need Knowledge-Driven Organization." It builds on mature research on organizational purpose, stakeholder theory, and phronesis, and advances the concept of "needs." This provides a new lens for understanding the sustainable and responsible business case: First, people are motivated by their needs, and organizations represent social structures that facilitate the satisfaction of shared needs. Second, needs reflect and combine social, environmental, and economic concerns, making sustainability and responsibility more realizable for practitioners. And third, needs provide a reference point for holistic value creation and can thus align knowledge processes and structures in organizations.

Strategy and finance are generally viewed as two separate subjects. Once regarded with fascination, they have become the subject of strong criticism, the first considered too theoretical and long term to be of any use and the second too speculative and short term to contribute to value creation. This book argues, however, that strategy and finance are in fact value twins, both of which need a thorough overhaul, from their toolkits to their end goals. The author contends that we rely on strategic and financial frameworks that were developed decades ago, but, in an increasingly complex and risky environment, these need to undergo a profound transformation, one that follows an intertwined approach, enabling companies to achieve the twin goals of value creation and sustainability consistently and successfully. The book provides a fresh and innovative view of strategy and finance. It discusses the concept of strategy extensively, examining its history, application, and importance in modern business. It also explores how strategy has evolved and how it can be adapted to better serve companies in a rapidly changing business landscape. The book emphasizes the role of finance in corporate strategy, suggesting that it is a crucial element in achieving sustainable business success, and explores how financial tools and concepts can be integrated with strategic planning to drive growth and value creation. Further, it investigates how strategic and financial planning can be used to manage business risks effectively. Readers are given useful insights via the inclusion of case studies from numerous industries, including corporations, banks, and wealth and asset managers; these real-world examples serve to close the gap between theory and practice.

A hyperconnected, constantly evolving world has emerged. A world where people (internet of people), things (internet of things), and data (internet of data) are linked together, shaping the global economy while demanding new, innovative approaches for value creation. The era of hyper-connectivity is no longer characterized by centralized firm-centric business structures and traditional intra-firm and inter-firm processes. Open, distributed ecosystemic formations have started to emerge, utilizing cutting edge technologies to harness the collective power, co-creation ability, and intelligence of the crowd, the data, and the environment in an open participatory value co-creation mode. However, the question has become whether the frameworks, models, and tools that organizations use to create value will remain the same in the new business environment and within the organizations themselves. Existing literature on ecosystems, business models, and business model innovation are starting to examine these aspects. Emerging Ecosystem-Centric Business Models for Sustainable Value Creation explores emerging technology-enabled ecosystems and ecosystem-centric business models in theory and practice, from a business and technological perspective, and in a range of industrial settings, aiming to contribute to the existing knowledge of innovative technology-advanced ecosystems and business models, facilitating their design, implementation, and sustainable value creation. It examines the dynamics of this technology-powered revolution and how it is influencing the foundations of value creation and business modeling in novel ecosystemic formations across the HMD triangle: human, machine, and data. The target audience of this book is researchers and professionals in the fields of innovation, business, and strategy as well as computer science and information technology, along with managers, executives, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in new ways to create value in emerging and future ecosystems via innovative ecosystem-centric business models and strategies.

The global fine and speciality chemicals industry is a vital segment within the chemical value chain, catering to a multitude of societal and industrial needs. Regulatory, sustainability and consumer forces have been constantly shaping the business fundamentals of this industry. Developing value creation strategies, which embed economic, environmental and social sustainability components, will need a comprehensive assessment of business, scientific and technological challenges facing the industry. Sustainable Value Creation in the Fine and Speciality Chemicals Industry assesses sustainable value creation options against the backdrop of global mega trends that are defi ning the present and future course of the industry. It discusses innovative strategies in feedstocks, R&D, technology, manufacturing, resource management and the supply chain as well as the significance of the bio-based chemical economy in enabling sustainable value creation in the fine and speciality chemicals industry. Topics covered include: • Transformation in the fine and speciality chemicals business • Sustainable management: evolution, transitions and tools • Research and technology directions • Resource optimization strategies • Bio-based chemicals, specialities and polymers • Sustainable practices in the fine and speciality chemicals industry • Sustainable value creation strategies Sustainable Value Creation in the Fine and Speciality Chemicals Industry presents a comprehensive overview of strategic options for sustainability management in the global fine and speciality chemicals industry. It will be a valuable resource for chemists and chemical engineers involved in the design and development of economically, environmentally and socially sustainable practices for the future.

This book introduces the integrated management concept of "Sustainable Value Creation", which delivers sustainability ‘inside-out’ from the core business. It is based on the premise that sustainability can provide a platform for growth, if it is implemented in a company’s products, services and supply chains (combined also known as the 'Value Chain'). Managing the Value Chain from the outset with a sustainability mindset subsequently allows profitable economical, ecological and societal growth. It combines the need for increased sustainability and its implementation in the operations of a company. The book addresses the following issues: How do economic, environmental and societal factors impact the value-creation process of a company? What requirements and expectations need to be met to balance economic, ecologic and societal value creation? What are the building blocks and measures that can be utilized on the journey towards building a sustainable value chain? What benefits can be achieved through sustainable value chains? What are the practical examples of sustainable value chains in leading companies that can inspire others to follow? The book includes contributions from the following organisations and companies: Beiersdorf, SAP, Klenk und Hoursch, VAUDE, Infineon Technologies, Independent Capital Management, BASF, Nanogate, the Federal German Council for Sustainable Development, Henkel, Symrise, shared.value.chain, Siemens, Fairphone and Thin Air Factory