Integrating Sustainability in Organisations: An Activity-Based Sustainability Model
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. Sustainable Organisations
- From a strategic perspective, integrated sustainability incorporates the responsibility of organisations towards the market. Organisations achieve economic growth by increasing competitiveness and environmental protection in two aspects (social and environmental), always with a long-term vision [27]. It must involve the entire organisation in achieving the objectives included in the three dimensions of sustainability (social, economic, and environmental), which entails a change in the understanding of the relationships with nature and people [8]. Hediger’s idea [28] is also noteworthy: sustainability should maximise corporate value without depreciating with the passage of time [9,27,29]. This approach is mainly developed through the concept of Corporate Sustainability (CS) [30,31] or CSR [32].
- From an operational approach, it must be accompanied by sustainable management that is responsible for including the environmental and social factors of organisational activities. It must consider economic performance [33], and its objective must be to achieve an individualised result for each dimension of sustainability [3].
2.2. Sustainability Integration Models in Organisations
- (1)
- The performance improvement perspective (inside-out). Sustainability is achieved with the improvement of sustainable performance and through the development of strategies based on quantification. A management accounting system that enables the appropriate selection of sustainability indicators is necessary. These indicators will facilitate system management in line with the objectives proposed in the strategy. This perspective simplifies the flow of information in the communication processes.
- (2)
- The transparency perspective (outside-in). Pressure from stakeholders exerts a substantial impact on the behaviour of organisations, which influences organisational performance. Therefore, the development of high-quality sustainability reports is necessary, implying close and fluid communication with stakeholders.
- Sustainable control management. This linkage includes designing and using controls (both formal and informal) that guarantee and ensure alignment between the behaviour and decisions of an organisation’s employees and the objectives and strategies of the organisation [57].
- (1)
- Capabilities are defined as the adaptive capacity of the organisation to implement necessary changes in its culture and structure in pursuit of sustainability [69].
- (2)
- Processes and practices contribute to sustainability when they are aligned with sustainability strategy principles. Therefore, they must be associated with a sustainable value chain (SVC) [33], include good practices in collaboration with suppliers [70], and consider the information from the operations performed in the organisation [71] (such as green purchasing [72], eco-design [73], or the use of quality management and environmental management systems [74,75]).
- (3)
- (4)
- Elements related to the development of competitive advantages and their contribution to sustainable development are defined as the effort that organisations make to create sustainable value and promote the wellbeing of society and environmental conservation [77].
- (1)
- The performance improvement perspective (inside-out), in which there is a lack of connection between sustainable strategy and the assessment of sustainability.
- (2)
- The transparency perspective (outside-in), in which there is a lack of connection between sustainable communication and sustainability control management and, within this, sustainable accounting management.
- (3)
- Both perspectives: Maas et al. [12] identify a disconnection between sustainability control management and sustainability assessment, and between sustainable management accounting and sustainable communication.
2.3. Sustainable Value Chain
- (1)
- The inside-out perspective: Each activity in the value chain is considered to have an impact on the community in which it operates, and to have positive and/or negative social consequences.
- (2)
- The outside-in perspective: Organisations develop their activities in a competitive environment. Therefore, understanding the dimensions of the external environment will enable the organisation to develop actions that improve productivity and help it to execute its strategy.
3. Activity-Based Sustainability Model (ABS Model)
3.1. ABS Model Foundations
- (1)
- It is a model applicable to any type of organisation, regardless of structure.
- (2)
- It is an approximate representation of the relationship between the productive system and the corporate level.
- (3)
- It is an invaluable tool for conducting an internal analysis of organisations, as it represents all the relevant activities that a company must perform to generate sustainable value through the sale of a product, service, and/or idea.
3.2. The ABS Model Process
3.3. Scope of the ABS Model
- Sustainability assessment allows the measurement of sustainability through useful, relevant, understandable, and comparable indicators.
- Sustainable management control facilitates the analysis of deviations between actual and planned data.
- Sustainable management accounting serves to support sustainability standards and management, fulfilling the functions of capturing, measuring, and assessing production activities. It influences planning, resource rationalisation, and controlling activities (as well as the organisation’s decision-making process).
- Sustainable communication for the learning process and organisational improvement.
4. Implications of the ABS Model for Sustainability Integration Models
4.1. The ABS Model and the Sustainability Integration Model in Organisations
- (1)
- The link between management control systems and sustainability assessment methods: The most immediate result of the ABS model is sustainability indicators that, due to their characteristics and those of the ABS model, can (a) describe the organisation’s situation with regard to sustainable topics; and (b) establish a control mechanism with regard to the actions implemented to reduce their impacts (because the ABS model establishes a relationship between activity and impact, that allows the implementation of specific reduction and/or elimination actions). These can be verified on the basis of the fulfilment of the established objectives (otherwise, it enables error identification to correct actions that generate deviations from the established objectives).
- (2)
- The link between sustainable management accounting and sustainable communication: One result of the ABS model is a sustainability indicator. It can provide information about the organisation’s actions, fulfilling the requirements of the standards for the preparation of sustainability reports. For example, if the organisation wants to know its contribution to climate change, it can measure its carbon footprint with the ABS model and can include this measurement among the climate change indicators of the GRI report.
- (1)
- The link between measuring sustainability and sustainable management control. One of the objectives of cost accounting is to plan and control operations, activities, and resources. Thus, an analysis of the organisation’s internal efficiency is developed. The ABS model provides information on the impact generated by these activities. Therefore, one of the model’s results is an analysis of the organisational structure regarding the assessment of environmental sustainability.
- (2)
- The link between sustainable management accounting and sustainable communication. Communication aims to provide information to stakeholders on the organisation’s activities with respect to sustainability. Thus, the ABS model provides sustainability indicators that comply with this use for communication.
4.2. The ABS Model and the Sustainability Integration Model Based on Organisational Performance
- Capabilities: Knowledge of the resources consumed by the activities and the transformation process of the organisation allows for (1) determination of what type of technology to use and how to use it to be more sustainable; (2) knowledge of the resources available and how they should be used for greater efficiency; (3) knowledge of what type of resources are needed to achieve sustainability; and (4) knowledge of the competencies that must be acquired to create a sustainable organisation.
- Offerings: If a sustainable transformation process is achieved, the product/service will be sustainable. The result of the ABS model is the impact, good or bad, of the product or service generated in the organisation.
- Contributions to sustainable development as a competitive advantage: The ABS model implies the development of sustainable competitive advantages because it is based on the concept of SVC (defined by Porter and Kramer) [1]. In addition, the ABS model contributes to sustainable development because its purpose is the integration of sustainability into the organisation, which (according to Morioka and Carvalho [13]) is how organisations can contribute to sustainable development.
- (1)
- The ABS model allows the sustainable management of the organisation’s value chain and supply chain, based on the impacts (good and/or bad) that are generated by the activities and processes involved. Thus, the ABS model can be applied to any organisation that wants to introduce sustainability criteria into its internal processes.
- (2)
- The output of the ABS model is a sustainability indicator that reflects the efficiency of the structure of the organisation, and thus facilitates the assessment of the organisation’s sustainable performance. Therefore, it provides a useful tool for assessing the sustainability performance of organisations, which is lacking in the model of Morioka and Carvallo [13].
- (3)
- The ABS model facilitates the quantification of the Triple Bottom Line because it is able to analyse any indicator related to the sustainability strategy of an organisation.
- (4)
- The ABS model follows the CSR criteria and takes into account the stakeholders. Therefore, it must comply with current legislation (both in general and with regard to the economic sector to which it belongs), and act respectfully and in view of the improvement of the environment (both environmental and social).
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Integration Approach | Authors | Scope/Basis | Integration Proposal |
---|---|---|---|
Sustainable performance | Rajak and Vinodh [34] | Approach to assessing sustainability from a social perspective | A social sustainability integration method divided into six steps: literature review, conceptual model development, assessment of social sustainability, approximation of linguistic terms by fuzzy numbers, determination of the Fuzzy Social Sustainability Index (FSSI), and identification and analysis of the Fuzzy Performance Importance Index (FPII) |
Nunes et al. [35] | Systematic approach analyses the limits of the natural environment using a toy model to model the sustainability of systems | The integration of sustainability by modelling the evolution of systems under some restrictions; proposes the Sustainability Management Model in Sweden | |
Sustainable strategy | Kurucz et al. [36] | Integrates the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and the Planet Boundary Approach (PBA) | The FSSD is structured into five levels: systems, success, strategic guidelines, actions, and tools |
Kuo et al. [37] | Hybrid-modified Multiple Attribute Decision-Making model combined with the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique; considers sustainable competitive advantage an aspiration level; environmental approach | Constructs the Influential Network Relation Map (INRM); integrates sustainability and competitive advantage concepts to formulate the most effective allocation strategies for natural resources | |
Management | Shrivastava and Hart [9] | Analysis of organisational design elements; sustainable organisation design | Integrated environmental management |
Leppelt et al. [38] | Integrates Sustainable Supplier Relationship Management (SSRM) in Sustainable Performance Management (SPM) [41]; focuses on the chemical industry | Sustainability management beyond corporate limits | |
Marcelino-Sábada et al. [39] | Identifies the lack of integration of sustainability in project management | A new concept of sustainable project management | |
Mustapha et al. [40] | Integrates ISO standards, the Deming Cycle, or the PDCA Cycle | A green sustainable management system | |
Schaclok et al. [17] | Incorporates continuous improvement criteria; drivers of change: accounting, leadership, and the organisation | The creation of a sustainability model through the systematic approach of continuous quality improvement | |
Panagiotakopoulos et al. [32] | Incorporates ISO 26000 criteria in FSSD | The Viable System Model (VSM) | |
Quantification | Hörisch et al. [42] | Environmental approach | Analysis of the effectiveness of management tools for sustainability in large companies |
Angelakoglou and Gaidajis [43] | Focuses on assessing environmental sustainability | A review of quantification tools | |
Phillips [44] | Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix [48] | The Geocybernetic Assessment Matrix (GAM) | |
Rahdari and Rostamy [45] | Quantification of indicators in general | Designing sustainability indicators | |
Kylili et al. [46] | Quantification of indicators linked to construction project management | Designing Performance Indicators (KPIs) | |
García et al. [47] | Based on Hörisch et al. [42]; adaptation of the Integrated Environmental Evaluation of Water Resources Development (IEE) model; measures the Triple Bottom Line | The Integrated Environmental Evaluation-Sustainability Business (IEE-SB) model | |
Communication | Lozano and Huisingh [49] | Analysis of Sustainability Reporting (SR) | Highlights the influence of sustainability reports as a mechanism for integrating sustainability in organisations |
Fonseca et al. [50] | Based on Bellagio STAMP and how it covers the gaps of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reports; focuses on the mining sector | A conceptual proposal for sustainability evaluation and communication | |
Hsu et al. [51] | Analysis of the importance of materiality for engaging stakeholders through sustainability reports; materiality analysis method: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA); Risk Priority Numbers (RPNs); Analytic Network Process (ANP) | A proposal for a model to analyse the materiality of sustainability | |
Siew [52] | A review of communication tools | ||
Integration | Maas et al. [12] | Analysis of three factors of sustainability: quantification, management, and communication; perspectives of analysis: inside-out/outside-in | A sustainability integration model in organisations |
Morioka and de Carvalho [13] | Four-factor analysis: processes and practices, capabilities, offerings, contribution to the development of competitive advantages; based on principles of CS and environmental factors | A sustainable performance integration model in organisations |
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Rodríguez-Olalla, A.; Avilés-Palacios, C. Integrating Sustainability in Organisations: An Activity-Based Sustainability Model. Sustainability 2017, 9, 1072. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061072
Rodríguez-Olalla A, Avilés-Palacios C. Integrating Sustainability in Organisations: An Activity-Based Sustainability Model. Sustainability. 2017; 9(6):1072. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061072
Chicago/Turabian StyleRodríguez-Olalla, Ana, and Carmen Avilés-Palacios. 2017. "Integrating Sustainability in Organisations: An Activity-Based Sustainability Model" Sustainability 9, no. 6: 1072. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061072
APA StyleRodríguez-Olalla, A., & Avilés-Palacios, C. (2017). Integrating Sustainability in Organisations: An Activity-Based Sustainability Model. Sustainability, 9(6), 1072. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9061072