Technology and Sustainability in the Framework of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Dear Colleagues,

The behavior of entrepreneurs, CEOs, consumers, and other economic agents, jointly with their inclinations and their interactions determine the functioning of markets, production methods, the characteristics of society as a whole, and the possibilities that sustainability might drive to future generations. Further, the environmental effects derived of human and organizational activities have turned into a rising global concern for people, policy-makers, and firms (Leal-Millán, Leal-Rodríguez, and Albort-Morant, 2017).

Over the last few years, it has been observed how a series of movements have emerged, both from the academic and professional spheres, aimed at achieving a better understanding of the role that technology plays in the search for a transition to a more sustainable planet (Leal-Millán, Peris-Ortiz, and Leal-Rodríguez, 2018). In this context, it becomes essential that scholars come up with new evidence and knowledge that may contribute to providing a better understanding of these phenomena and help in facing the challenges related to sustainability and the development of society. Thus, technology as well as the behavior of individuals and organizations are called to play a very important role in achieving a better development of society while not compromising sustainability. To this end, it will be of great interest to examine in depth the dynamic interactions between organizational behavior, technology, and the environment. In addition, a strategic side might be observed in so-called ‘environmental’ or ‘green’ innovations, which are expected to generate up to 60 million new job positions in the following two decades and will likely provide a solid basis for the attainment of competitive advantages and superior performance for such innovative firms (Forsman, 2013; Aragón-Correa and Leyva‐de la Hiz, 2016).

Consequently, this Special Issue aims to collect academic papers which help to clarify the way in which the agents—both companies and stakeholders—behave, orient their innovative efforts, modify or enhance the technologies and their use, and contribute to sustainability in the framework of the explicit and implicit forms of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this vein, it might also be interesting to explore the linkages and disparities between CSR and sustainability, given that, as Ferri and Pini (2019, p. 1) argue, “we cannot take for granted that socially responsible firms are also environmentally responsible”. Hence, based on the CSR framework, the firms’ green innovation efforts, technological shifts, organizational transformations, and cultural change implementations might be also worth exploring, jointly with their ethical implications, strategic importance, and their impact in the growingly environmentally aware consumers, as highlighted by Archie Carroll.

This Special Issue is focused on but not limited to the following topics:

• New market opportunities in the framework of CSR and sustainability;
• Corporate legitimacy in relation to stakeholders in the present era;
• New business models in entrepreneurship and sustainability;
• The link between technology and green innovation;
• The ethics–corporation–sustainability relationship through CSR;
• Corporate ethics and sustainability in social entrepreneurship;
• The link between sustainability and profit/performance/competitive advantage;
• CSR in relation to sustainable ecology and consumers’ environmental awareness;
• Supply chain management and sustainability;
• Technology, innovation, and green supply chain management;
• Quality management, sustainability, and CSR;
• Corporate ethics and sustainability in innovation;
• Relationships between ethics, CSR, innovation, technology, stakeholders, and sustainability.

References

1. Aragon‐Correa, J. A., & Leyva‐de la Hiz, D. I. (2016). The influence of technology differences on corporate environmental patents: A resource‐based versus an institutional view of green innovations. Business Strategy and the Environment, 25(6), 421-434.
2. Leal-Millán, A., Leal-Rodríguez, A. L., & Albort-Morant, G. (2017). Green Innovation. Encyclopedia of Creativity, Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer International Publishing, 1-7.
3. Leal-Millan, A., Peris-Ortiz, M., & Leal-Rodríguez, A. L. (2018). Sustainability in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Springer International Publishing.
4. Ferri, G., & Pini, M. (2019). Environmental vs Social Responsibility in the Firm. Evidence from Italy. Sustainability, 11(16), 4277.
5. Forsman, H. (2013). Environmental innovations as a source of competitive advantage or vice versa? Business Strategy and the Environment, 22, 306–320.

Prof. Dr. Marta Peris-Ortiz
Prof. Dr. Antonio Luis Leal-Rodríguez
Guest Editors

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• Technology
• Environmental sustainability
• Corporate social responsibility
• Green innovation
• Green supply chain management